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The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards have arrived! But who will emerge as Tuesday night’s (Sept. 12) big winner?
Taylor Swift leads in total nominations with 11, followed by SZA with eight; BLACKPINK, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj and Olivia Rodrigo with six; Kim Petras and Sam Smith with five; and Beyoncé, Diddy, Drake, Ice Spice, Karol G, Metro Boomin, Shakira and TOMORROW X TOGETHER with four apiece.
Follow along with Billboard as the Moon Persons are handed out below:
Video of the year
Doja Cat – “Attention” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” – Columbia Records
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” – Republic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records
Artist of the year
Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Doja Cat – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Karol G – Interscope Records
Nicki Minaj – Republic Records
Shakira – Sony Music US Latin
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song of the year
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit” – L-M Records / RCA Records
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records Records
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records
Best new artist
GloRilla – CMG / Interscope Records
Ice Spice – 10K Projects / Capitol Records
Kaliii – Atlantic Records
Peso Pluma – Double P Records
PinkPantheress – 300 Entertainment
Reneé Rapp – Interscope Records
Best collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)” – Warner Records
Post Malone, Doja Cat – “I Like You (aHappier Song)” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On” – Motown Records
Karol G, Shakira – “TQG” – Universal Music Latino
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)” – Boominati / Republic Records
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
Best pop
Demi Lovato – “Swine” – Island Records
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)” – Atlantic Records
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed” – Atlantic Records
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records
P!nk – “Trustfall” – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records
Best hip-hop
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On” – Motown Records
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – “Staying Alive” – We the Best / Epic Records
GloRilla & Cardi B – “Tomorrow 2” – CMG / Interscope Records
Lil Uzi Vert – “Just Wanna Rock” – Atlantic Records / Generation Now
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX – “Kant Nobody” – Young Money Records
Metro Boomin ft Future – “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)” – Boominati / Republic Records
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” – Republic Records
Best R&B
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – “Stay” – RCA Records
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – “How Does It Feel” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)” – Boominati / Republic Records
SZA – “Shirt” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Toosii – “Favorite Song” – South Coast Music Group / Capitol Records
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – “Love in the Way” – Empire Distribution
Best alternative
blink-182 – “Edging” – Columbia Records
boygenius – “the film” – Interscope Records
Fall Out Boy – “Hold Me Like a Grudge” – Fueled By Ramen
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace” – Interscope Records
Paramore – “This Is Why” – Atlantic Records
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Stuck” – Concord Records
Best rock
Foo Fighters – “The Teacher” – RCA Records
Linkin Park – “Lost (Original Version)” – Warner Records
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Tippa My Tongue” – Warner Records
Måneskin – “The Loneliest” – Arista Records
Metallica – “Lux Æterna” – Blackened Recordings
Muse – “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” – Warner Records
Best Latin
Anitta – “Funk Rave” – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – “Where She Goes” – Rimas Entertainment
Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola” – DEL Records, Inc. / Prajin Parlay, Inc. Grupo Frontera Bad Bunny – “un x100to” – Rimas Entertainment
Karol G, Shakira – “TQG” – Universal Music Latino
Rosalia – “Despecha,” – Columbia Records
Shakira – “Acróstico” – Sony Music US Latin
Best K-pop
aespa – “Girls” – SM ENTERTAINMENT Co., Ltd.
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
Fifty Fifty – “Cupid” – ATTRAKT / Warner Records
Seventeen – “Super” – HYBE / Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “S-Class” – JYP / Republic
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Republic Records
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr – “Rush” – Mavin Global Holdings
Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty” – Atlantic Records / Spaceship Entertainment Ltd
Davido ft. Musa Keys – “Unavailable” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
Fireboy DML & Asake – ”Bandana” – Empire Distribution
Libianca – “People” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– “2 Sugar” – Starboy / RCA Records
Video for good
Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)” – Netflix
Bad Bunny – “El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente” – Rimas Entertainment
Demi Lovato – “Swine” – Island Records
Dove Cameron – “Breakfast” – Columbia Records
Imagine Dragons – “Crushed” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Maluma – “La Reina” – Sony Music US Latin
Push performance of the year
August 2022: Saucy Santana – “Booty” – Arena Records / RCA Records
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
October 2022: JVKE – “golden hour” – AWAL
November 2022: Flo Milli – “Conceited” – ’94 Sounds / RCA Records
December 2022: Reneé Rapp – “Colorado” – Interscope Records
January 2023: Sam Ryder – “All the Way Over” – Elektra Entertainment
February 2023: Armani White – “Goated” – Def Jam
March 2023: Fletcher – “Becky’s So Hot” – Capitol Records
WINNER — April 23: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Republic Records
May 2023: Ice Spice – “Princess Diana” – Heavy on It / 10K Projects / Capitol Records
June 2023: FLO – “Losing You” – Uptown/Republic Records
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith – “That Part” – Island Records
Best direction
Doja Cat – “Attention” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Directed by Tanu Muiño
Drake – “Falling Back” – OVO/Republic Records – Director X (Julien Christian Lutz)
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – 300 Entertainment – Directed by Colin Tilley
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records – Directed by Floria Sigismondi
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records – Directed by Christian Breslauer
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records – Directed by Taylor Swift
Best cinematography
Adele – “I Drink Wine” – Columbia Records – Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed” – Atlantic Records – Cinematography by Natasha Baier
Janelle Monae – “Lipstick Lover” – Atlantic Records – Cinematography by Allison Anderson
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records 0 Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” – Columbia Records – Cinematography by Marcell Rev
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records – Cinematography by Russ Fraser
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records – Cinematography by Rina Yang
Best visual effects
Fall Out Boy – “Love From the Other Side” – Fueled By Ramen – Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner
Harry Styles – “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” – Columbia Records – Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios
Melanie Martinez – “VOID” – Atlantic Records – Visual Effects by Carbon
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Max Colt and Sergio Mashevskyi
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records – Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records – Visual Effects by Parliament
Best choreography
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records – Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX)
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)” – Atlantic Records – Choreography by Charm LaDonna
Jonas Brothers – “Waffle House” – Republic Records – Choreography by Jerry Reece
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – 300 Entertainment – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Panic! At The Disco – “Middle of a Breakup” – Fueled By Ramen – Choreography by Monika Felice Smith
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records – Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel
Best art direction
boygenius – “the film” – Interscope Records – Art Direction by Jen Dunlap
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records – Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Doja Cat – “Attention” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Art Direction by Spencer Graves
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace” – Interscope Records – Art Direction by Brandon Mendez
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – 300 Entertainment – Art Direction by Niko Philipides
SZA – “Shirt” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records – Art Direction by Kate Bunch
Best editing
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records – Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Kendrick Lamar – “Rich Spirit” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Edited by Grason Caldwell
Miley Cyrus – “River” – Columbia Records – Edited by Brandan Walter
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records – Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records – Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records – Edited by Chancler Haynes
Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
BLACKPINK – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
Show of the Summer
Drake – OVO / Republic Records
Ed Sheeran – Atlantic Records
Karol G – Interscope Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Group of the Year
BLACKPINK – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
FIFTY FIFTY – ATTRAKT / Warner Records
FLO – Uptown Records/Republic Records
Jonas Brothers – Republic Records
Måneskin – Arista Records
NewJeans – ADOR/Geffen Records
SEVENTEEN – HYBE / Geffen Records
TOMORROW x TOGETHER – BIGHIT MUSIC / Republic Records
Song of the Summer
Beyoncé – “Cuff It” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture ‘Barbie’)” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Doechii ft. Kodak Black – “What It Is (Block Boy)” – Top Dawg Entertainment / Capitol Records
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From the Barbie Album)” – Atlantic Records / Warner Records
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid” – ATTRAKT / Warner Records
Gunna – “fukumean” – Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Geffen Records
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice– “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]” – 10k Projects / Capitol Records / Dolo Entertainment / Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice – “Karma” – Republic Records
TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers – “Do It Like That” – BIGHIT MUSIC / IMPERIAL / Republic Records
Luke Combs – “Fast Car” – Columbia Nashville
Troye Sivan – “Rush” – Capitol Records
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – “La Bebe (Remix)” – Warner Music Latina
Album of the Year
Beyoncé – Renaissance – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss – OVO / Republic Records
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains – Boominati / Republic Records
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation – Columbia Records
SZA – SOS – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Midnights – Republic Records
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After multiple members of *NSYNC were spotted in NYC, fans are hoping they will reunite at the VMAs. Cardi B stopped by Watch What Happens Live and opened up about potentially working with Lil’ Kim, her thoughts on returning to reality TV and more. Plus, Maluma caught a crutch thrown at him while he was […]
Bebe Rexha got vulnerable with fans on Monday (Sept. 11), giving a peek into how her struggles with anxiety affect career opportunities.
The singer is set to present at the 2023 MTV VMAs on Tuesday night (Sept. 12), where she’s also nominated for best collaboration for her song with David Guetta, “I’m Good (Blue),” but she revealed that she might not attend the event at New Jersey’s Prudential Center. “I want to start off by saying that I am very grateful and blessed to be able to be invited to these award shows, to be able to do what I love and I know that the criticism comes with the territory. I am all good with that. Sometimes it does get to me, I am human,” she began her message posted to TikTok.
She continued, “I meet a lot of people, and a lot of times they’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, I love how you’re all about body positivity and confidence — and let me tell you right now, I’m not feeling so confident. I am so anxious and stressed about going on the red carpet and, I guess, people talking about my weight because I’m not really loving myself right now. I’m not really feeling like the bad bitch that I usually am.”
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Rexha added that she doesn’t “know if I’m going to go tomorrow,” and asked fans for any motivational tips to help her through the mental health bump. “Anxiety gets the best of me, and that’s why I wanted to make this video,” she said.
The VMAs returns to the Prudential Center on Tuesday, Sept. 12, airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. The show will also be simulcast on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, BET, BET Her, MTV2, VH1, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network. Additionally, the VMAs will stream live on UniMás, and air on Univision at 11 p.m. ET.
Watch Rexha’s full video below.
It’s gonna be them. Chart-topping boy band *NSYNC is set to reunite onstage at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday (Sept. 12), a source confirms to Billboard.
The Grammy-nominated vocal group — which consists of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass — “will be onstage together,” the insider says.
The group has been rumored to have recorded new music for the upcoming film Trolls Band Together after posters spotted in NYC appear to tease *NSYNC’s logo. Timberlake is reprising his role as Branch in the animated movie — the third in the Trolls franchise — alongside Camila Cabello, Troye Sivan, Kid Cudi and more.
If the rumors of the new song from *NSYNC are true, it would mark the group’s first musical release together since 2002. That year, the band covered “When You Wish Upon a Star” for the Disneymania compilation album, and released the Nelly-assisted “Girlfriend” — which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 — as the final single from their 2001 Billboard 200-topping Celebrity album, their last studio LP.
Due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, *NSYNC will not mention Trolls Band Together. Members of the labor unions are currently on strike, demanding a larger share of streaming residuals, increased job security for writers, larger writers’ rooms and a limit on the use of A.I. in screenwriting and background acting, among other negotiating points.
A reunion at the VMAs on Tuesday night would also mark 10 years since their last reunion on the awards show’s stage in 2013, for Timberlake’s Video Vanguard Award medley. In 2019, Chasez, Kirkpatrick, Fatone and Bass joined Ariana Grande onstage during her headlining Coachella set to perform “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart” without Timberlake.
A new song from *NSYNC would follow several recent releases and performances from the band members. On Monday, Sept. 10, Fatone joined forces with Bow Wow for an adorable performance of The Jackson 5’s “ABC” for the launch of Season 10 of The Masked Singer. Earlier this year, Timberlake guested on Coco Jones’ “ICU” remix and appeared alongside Timbaland and Nelly Furtado on “Keep Going Up.”
*NSYNC has earned six top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including “Bye Bye Bye” (No. 4), “This I Promise You” (No. 5) and “It’s Gonna Be Me” (No. 1, two weeks). On the Billboard 200, the boy band has notched four top 10 titles, including the No. 1 albums No Strings Attached (eight weeks) and Celebrity (one week).
It’s tearin’ up our hearts that *NSYNC are potentially in the same city.
Fans noticed that at least three members of the group — Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass — are in New York City as of Monday (Sept. 11), the day before the MTV Video Music Awards are set to hit the Prudential Center in nearby Newark, New Jersey. Meanwhile, JC Chasez was photographed on a private plane, though there wasn’t any indication as to where he was traveling. While it’s unclear where Chris Kirkpatrick is currently, he posted a 9/11 tribute to his Instagram page on Monday featuring a photo of an NYFD fire truck in Manhattan that he seemingly took himself.
At the time of publication, there is no confirmation of a reunion.
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Rumors have been swirling that the band may have reunited to record new music together after a number of Trolls Band Together posters were posted in New York, featuring the first letter of the *NSYNC logo and a QR code. The code takes you to this site, which teases a whistling pop tune. Timberlake stars in the upcoming film as Branch, alongside other stars including Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Troye Sivan, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Zooey Deschanel, RuPaul Charles, Anderson .Paak and many more.
If the rumors are true, a new song would mark the group’s first musical release together since 2002. A reunion at the VMAs on Tuesday (Sept. 12) would also mark 10 years since their last reunion on the awards show’s stage in 2013, for Timberlake’s Video Vanguard Award medley.
In 2019, Chasez, Kirkpatrick, Fatone and Bass joined Ariana Grande onstage during her headlining Coachella set to perform “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” without Timberlake.
See below for fan speculation on Twitter surrounding *NSYNC in NYC.
Not all of *NSYNC being in NYC right now when the VMAs just so happen to be tomorrow in Newark 👀— Danielle (@DanielleLP) September 11, 2023
Y’all. I am too old to watch all of the VMAs byt all 5 NSYNC members in NYC right now? 👀— Melissa (@LissaBriana) September 11, 2023
Has anyone seen or heard from Chris 👀 Jc – currently on an airplane Lance – NYJustin – NYJoey – NY cc: NSYNC— BoyBand_Nicole (@oOoVettyoOo) September 11, 2023
MTV and TelevisaUnivision announced on Monday (Sept. 11) a “first-of-its-kind partnership” for a simulcast of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The live three-hour broadcast — to be hosted by Alejandra Espinoza — will air on UniMás at 8 p.m. ET with an encore on Univision at 11:30 p.m. ET.
“We are thrilled to partner with TelevisaUnivision for this groundbreaking partnership as we further expand the VMAs worldwide footprint and amplify our massive lineup of international icons to make this year’s show the biggest celebration of global music in MTV history,” said Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, music, Paramount Global.
“We are excited to be the exclusive Spanish-language destination in the U.S. for this year’s VMAs, a celebration of music that will honor Latin artists like never before,” added Ignacio Meyer, president of U.S. networks, TelevisaUnivison. “As home to the leading U.S. Hispanic networks, our commitment to delivering the best in entertainment is unwavering. We’re thrilled to partner with MTV to deliver more fan-fueled music events to our passionate viewers.”
The 2023 VMAs will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominations with eight nods, followed by SZA (six), Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith (five each). General fan voting is now closed; voting remains open for best new artist.
Shakira, a four-time VMAs nominee this year, will make history at the VMAs when she becomes the first South American artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. The Colombian star is also set to perform on the VMAs for the first time in 17 years. Other Latin powerhouses confirmed to take the stage include Anitta, Karol G and Peso Pluma.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Next week, Sabrina Carpenter and NLE Choppa are set to perform on the MTV VMAs’ pre-show. And if their goal is to perform on the main telecast in future years, they’re in good company: A booking on the pre-show has often served as a steppingstone to bigger bookings down the line.
Many future A-listers made their first VMAs performances on the pre-show. Nicki Minaj, last year’s recipient of the Video Vanguard Award (and this year’s “emcee,” when the show goes live Tuesday, Sept. 12, at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.), performed on the pre-show in 2010. And she’s not the only Video Vanguard winner who started out on the pre-show: Rihanna, who performed on the pre-show in 2010, got the Video Vanguard honor in 2016. Foo Fighters, who received a Global Icon Award in 2021 – and may very well be Video Vanguard winners one day — performed on the pre-show in 1997.
In all, 16 acts who first performed on the VMAs’ pre-show later stepped up to performing on the main show. The list also includes such heavy hitters as Usher, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato.
Dozens more stars who first performed on the pre-show have yet to step onto the MTV main stage, for whatever reason:. They include No Doubt (who performed on the pre-show in 1996), Barenaked Ladies (1998), Smash Mouth (1999), Papa Roach (2000), Avril Lavigne (2002), Sean Paul (2003), Jadakiss (2004), Fergie (2006), My Chemical Romance (2006), Charli XCX (2014), Cardi B (2017), Ava Max (2019), Megan Thee Stallion (2019), Tate McRae (2020), Machine Gun Kelly (2020), Polo G (2021) and Swedish House Mafia (2021).
So, why didn’t the VMA producers book some of these acts for the main show instead of the pre-show? The show is pretty packed every year. Also, sometimes, their most timely hits broke big after the VMAs’ line-up was set. The VMAs usually air in late August or early September, but the bookings are generally made and announced weeks before that.
In some cases, the hits were helped along in their chart climbs by the VMAs exposure. Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week,” which they performed on the pre-show in September 1998, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month. Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” which she performed on the pre-show in August 2017, hit No. 1 in October 2017.
Performances on the pre-show may have helped a few artists land key Grammy nominations. Many Grammy voters watch the VMAs, just as thoughts are turning to that other, longer-established show. Avril Lavigne performed “Complicated” on the pre-show in 2002, and went on to receive a song of the year nomination for that song at the Grammys. The Black Eyed Peas performed “Where Is the Love?” on the pre-show in 2003 and went on to receive a record of the year nomination at the Grammys.
Here are the 16 acts who performed on the pre-show on their way to the main telecast. You’ll be amazed at some of the big stars who had wait their turn to get invited to the main event.
Beck
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