MTV released the nominations for Video Music Awards 2025 (VMA 2025) on August 5. The awards are schedueld to be held on September 7 at UBS Arena, Long Island.
Here are the Top Nominees
- Lady Gaga leads with 12 nominations.
- Bruno Mars follows with 11.
- Kendrick Lamar holds 10 nominations, each the only artist in double digits.
New Categories Added in the VMA
This year, MTV introduces two new awards:
- Best Pop Artist
- Best Country
Major Award Contenders
Video of the Year
- Ariana Grande: ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
- Billie Eilish: ‘Birds of a Feather’
- Kendrick Lamar: ‘Not Like Us’
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: ‘Die With a Smile’
- Rosé & Bruno Mars: ‘Apt.’
- Sabrina Carpenter: ‘Manchild’
- The Weeknd & Playboi Carti: ‘Timeless’
Artist of the Year
- Bad Bunny
- Beyoncé
- Kendrick Lamar
- Lady Gaga
- Morgan Wallen
- Taylor Swift
- The Weeknd
Other Key Categories
Song of the Year
- Alex Warren: ‘Ordinary’
- Billie Eilish; ‘Birds of a Feather’
- Doechii: ‘Anxiety’
- Ed Sheeran: ‘Sapphire
- Gracie Abrams: ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars; ‘Die With a Smile’
- Lorde; ‘What Was That’
- Rosé & Bruno Mars: ‘Apt.’
- Tate McRae: ‘Sports Car’
- The Weeknd & Playboi Carti: ‘Timeless’
Best New Artist
- Alex Warren
- Ella Langley
- Gigi Perez
- Lola Young
- Sombr
- The Marías
Best Pop Artist
- Ariana Grande
- Charli XCX
- Justin Bieber
- Lorde
- Miley Cyrus
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Tate McRae
Performance & Collaboration Highlights
MTV Push Performance of the Year:
Includes artists like Ayra Starr, Dasha, Role Model, and more.
Best Collaboration:
- Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs: ‘Backup Plan’
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA: ‘Luther’
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: ‘Die With a Smile’
- Rosé & Bruno Mars: ‘Apt.’
- Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton: ‘Pour Me a Drink’
- Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco: ‘Sunset Blvd
Genre & Technical Awards
Best Pop
Alex Warren, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Rosé & Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii, Drake, Eminem ft. Jelly Roll, Kendrick Lamar, LL Cool J ft. Eminem, Glorilla ft. Sexyy Red, Travis Scott
Best R&B
Chris Brown, Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs, Mariah Carey, PartyNextDoor, Summer Walker, SZA, The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
Additional Categories
Alternative, Rock, Latin, K‑Pop, Afrobeats, Country, Album, Long Form Video, Video for Good, Direction, Art Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Choreography, Visual Effects with a wide range of artists from Coldplay and Burna Boy to Linkin Park and Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s VMA Legacy
In 2024, Taylor Swift dominated the awards, winning seven out of ten categories, including Video of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Best Pop. She became the first artist to win Video of the Year three years in a row.
