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Five years ago, Megan Thee Stallion performed on the pre-show at the MTV VMAs. This year, she’s hosting the main show, which will air live on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena. Megan is only the second performer to make that climb. Nicki Minaj performed on the pre-show in 2010 and co-hosted the main show in 2022 and hosted on her own in 2023.
This is the fourth consecutive year that one or more rappers (or rapper/singers) have hosted the show. Doja Cat hosted in 2021, followed by Jack Harlow, LL Cool J and Minaj in 2022 and Minaj on her own in 2023. The show has had only one other rapper as host. Diddy did the honors in 2005.
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This is Megan’s first time hosting an awards show. She has previously hosted Saturday Night Live and co-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Megan has won two VMAs – best power anthem in 2019 for “Hot Girl Summer” and best hip-hop in 2020 for “Savage.” She’s nominated for five awards this year – best collaboration for “Wanna Be” (with GloRilla), best hip hop for “Boa” and three technical awards (best direction, best visual effects and best art direction), also for “Boa.”
In February, Megan’s “Hiss” became her third No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 – and her first without a collaborator. She had landed her first two No. 1s in 2020 – “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, and Cardi B’s “WAP,” on which she was featured.
Megan and Cardi re-teamed to perform “Bongos” on last year’s VMAs. Megan had performed “Big Ole Freak,” “Hot Girl Summer” and “Cash Shit” on the pre-show in 2019.
Megan’s third studio album, MEGAN, was released on March 4. It debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 last month, becoming her sixth album, EP or mixtape to make the top 10.
Katy Perry is this year’s Video Vanguard recipient and will perform a career-spanning medley of hits. This is the third year in a row that a woman has hosted or co-hosted the show while that same woman or another woman was the Vanguard recipient. Minaj co-hosted the 2022 show and was also the Vanguard recipient. Minaj also hosted the 2023 show while Shakira was the Vanguard recipient.
Other previously announced performers on this year’s show are Benson Boone, Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, LISA, Rauw Alejandro and Sabrina Carpenter.
Taylor Swift is this year’s leading nominee with 10 nominations. Swift’s “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second with nine nods, followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter (six each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each); LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into show.
Nominations in social categories will be announced soon.
In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba are executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
08/15/2024
Of the 10 double honorees, seven are women, two are men and just one is a group.
08/15/2024
Katy Perry will receive MTV’s Video Vanguard Award and perform a career-spanning medley live at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena.
Perry received the VMA’s other top honor, video of the year, in 2011 for “Firework.” She will be the 10th artist to receive both video of the year and the Vanguard award, following Madonna, Peter Gabriel, R.E.M., Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, P!nk and Missy Elliott.
Perry, who hosted the VMAs in 2017, will be the first person to, over the course of a career, host and receive both of the show’s marquee awards — making her a VMAs MVP.
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Perry and the VMAs are almost exactly the same age: Perry was born six weeks after the inaugural VMAs, co-hosted by Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd, aired on Sept. 14, 1984.
Perry is the seventh consecutive recipient of the Vanguard Award who is a woman, following Rihanna (2016), P!nk (2017), Jennifer Lopez (2018), Elliott (2019), Nicki Minaj (2022) and Shakira (2023). (There was no recipient in 2020 and 2021, the years most impacted by the pandemic.)
Perry made her VMAs performance debut in 2009 with a rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” on which she was joined by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. She closed out the 2013 VMAs with a performance of her Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “Roar” surrounded by fans near the Brooklyn Bridge. In 2017, she pulled double-duty as both host and performer, delivering a grand-finale performance of “Swish Swish” with Minaj that included larger-than-life props and Perry flying over the crowd to land atop a giant basketball hoop.
This is Perry’s sixth VMA Moonperson award. She won three trophies in 2011: video of the year for “Firework” and best collaboration and best special effects, both for “E.T.” (featuring Ye, then known as Kanye West). (The VMAs give artists credit for technical awards their videos win even if they weren’t personally credited in those capacities.) She won another VMA in 2012, best art direction for “Wide Awake,” and another in 2014, best female video for “Dark Horse” (featuring Juicy J).
“Katy is a musical powerhouse and true pop culture icon,” Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, music, Paramount+, said in a statement. “With her game-changing creative vision, she has become a global phenomenon and taken over the world’s biggest stages. Katy’s prowess will be on full display live on the VMAs with a can’t-miss, career-encompassing performance celebrating her biggest moments and chart-topping hits.”
MTV’s press release announcing Perry as the recipient referred to the award as the Video Vanguard Award twice (including once in the headline) and as the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award once. The award was named in Jackson’s honor in 1991, but the network has seemed to downplay the association somewhat since the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland raised disturbing allegations about the star’s behavior.
Perry has amassed nine No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Perry unveiled her new single, “Lifetimes,” on Aug. 8. The song is from her sixth major-label studio album, 143, which will be released on Sept. 20 via Capitol Records.
MTV made its announcement on Thursday (Aug. 14), two days after Billboard posted this piece in which we surveyed the field of likely Video Vanguard candidates. We pegged Perry as the likeliest recipient, followed (in descending order of likelihood) by Eminem, Usher, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Post Malone and Drake.
Here’s what we said about Perry, again before we knew who the choice would be. “It almost makes too much sense: Katy Perry will be releasing a new album in September that appears geared up to be a return to the mega-pop that she ruled with at the turn of the 2010s — when she was one of the most unavoidable artists in the MTV galaxy, with four or five eye-popping music videos per album (including one, Teenage Dream‘s ‘Firework,’ that took home video of the year in 2011). There could be no better stage for her to remind pop fans why they’re still rooting for her comeback than the VMAs, with a performance spanning from breakthrough hit ‘I Kissed a Girl’ to this year’s ‘Woman’s World’ return.”
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MTV has bumped the date of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards from Tuesday Sept. 10 to Wednesday Sept. 11 to avoid conflicting with the planned U.S. Presidential debate between vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
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The conflict with the debate would have posed an image problem for MTV, which has made boosting voter turnout and civic engagement a part of its brand since the 1992 election, in which Bill Clinton unseated George H.W. Bush. Also, the intense interest in the first (and conceivably only) Trump/Harris debate threatened to completely overwhelm the VMAs.
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In a press release announcing the change, MTV said “Our fans are encouraged to tune in for the 9/10 debate ahead of music’s most iconic night.”
Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla and Rauw Alejandro are the first artists slated to perform at the awards. This will be Cabello’s third main-stage performance on the VMAs, but the first for these other artists. Carpenter performed a mash-up of “Feather” and “Nonsense” on last year’s pre-show. (The fact that Carpenter was booked on the pre-show, rather than the main show, just one year ago is a dramatic sign of how fast her rise has been this year.)
All five of the scheduled performers are 2024 VMA nominees. Carpenter is up for six awards, GloRilla for three, Roan and Alejandro for two and Cabello for one.
The show will air live from UBS Arena in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. This will mark the first time the show has been held on 9/11 since the terrorist attack in 2001 made that date infamous. In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.
The 2024 show will be held just three days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show.
Cabello is set to perform a song from her fourth studio album, C,XOXO, which has so far reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Cabello’s previous main-stage performances were in 2019, alongside then-beau Shawn Mendes on “Señorita” and in 2021 on “Don’t Go Yet.” (As part of Fifth Harmony, she performed “Boss” on the VMAs pre-show in 2014.) Alejandro will perform a song from his forthcoming fifth studio album.
Latin and Latin pop crossover music has been an important part of the performance mix on VMA broadcasts since 2018. Last year, four Latin artists performed on the show – Shakira (as part of her Video Vanguard award presentation), Karol G, Peso Pluma and Anitta (the latter both solo and in tandem with K-pop stars TOMORROW X TOGETHER).
Prior to that, in 2022, J Balvin (with Ryan Castro), Anitta and Bad Bunny performed. In 2021, Ozuna, Cabello and Tainy (in tandem with Mendes) represented Latin music. In 2020, Maluma, CNCO and Nicky Jam (in tandem with Black Eyed Peas and Tyga) did the honors. In 2019, CNCO (in the pre-show), Cabello (with Mendes), Rosalía and Ozuna (in a joint performance) and J Balvin and Bad Bunny (also in a joint performance) all performed. In 2018, Jennifer Lopez (receiving a Video Vanguard award) and Maluma performed.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher and Victoria Monét, with two each.
Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. 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.
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The 2024 Video Music Awards (VMAs) will air live on MTV on Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. P.T/ 8 p.m. E.T. Along with the VMAs, MTV offers a lineup of popular reality shows, including Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, RuPaul’s Drag Race and many more. Whether you’re into drama, competition or following the lives of your favorite personalities, MTV has something for everyone.
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No cable? Don’t worry: You can stream the VMAs and all your favorite MTV shows through affordable streaming platforms, often at little to no cost.
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Below, Billboard breaks down the current deals and offers available to watch MTV online without cable.
How to Watch MTV Online Without Cable For Free
If you don’t have cable, you can watch the VMAs and other MTV shows online for free or at a lower price with different streaming services such as DIRECTV Stream, Philo, Fubo, Paramount+ and Sling TV. Direct Stream and Philo both offer free trials for up to a week, allowing you to sign up without any initial cost. Scroll down and check out the options below to find the one that works best for you.
Looking for a free option? You can start your five-day free trial with DIRECTV Stream for instant access to more than 90 live channels. Streaming plans include network television channels such as NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC, along with MTV, BET, VH1, TLC, Bravo, WEtv, HGTV, Fx, ESPN, Trvl, TV One, Tru TV, ID, TNT, TV Land, USA and other cable channels.
For those in search of an alternative streaming platform, consider adding Philo. Philo offers 70+ cable channels including MTV, BET, VH1, Lifetime, WEtv, ID, Trvl Channel, OWN, AMC, Comedy Central for $28/month after a 7-day free trial.
You can also stream all your favorite shows on Sling TV. With Sling Orange, you can stream MTV and other channels for $20 for your first month (regularly $40/month). It includes 34 channels with seven exclusive sports and family channels. Sling Blue is $22.50 for your first month (regularly $45/month), and it includes a total of 46 channels.
Want more ways to stream the 2024 MTV awards and other MTV shows? Watch as soon as it premieres or stream on-demand on platforms like Hulu + Live TV, DirectTV Stream, Philo, fuboTV and Sling TV. If you’re streaming from outside of the U.S., use Express VPN.
If you’re already a subscriber to Paramount+, you can watch shows such as Awk-ward, Beavis and Butt-Head, Couples Retreat, Jersey Shore and more at no extra charge. Not subscribed? Paramount+ is currently offering a seven-day free trial when you sign up for either of its plans: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ with Showtime, which means you can watch MTV’s Rupaul’s Drag Race for free.
For those seeking budget-friendly options, the most cost-effective option would be Paramount+ with Showtime. This subscription not only grants access to Paramount+’s extensive library of shows and movies, but also allows streaming of Showtime’s entire catalog for just $11.99 per month after the free trial period ends.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
“Fortnite” is nominated for video of the year, where it faces Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” Billie Eilish’s “Lunch,” Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” Eminem’s “Houdini” and SZA’s “Snooze.” This is Eminem’s record-extending ninth nod in the category (counting one he received with D12). It’s Swift’s seventh nod in the category; the fourth for Grande and Doja Cat; the third for Eilish and SZA, and, surprisingly, the first for Post Malone.
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Swift has won a record four times for video of the year, for “Bad Blood” (2015), “You Need to Calm Down” (2019), “All Too Well: The Short Film” (2022) and “Anti-Hero” (2023). She is seeking to extend her record for most wins and to become the first person to win three years running.
Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Rauw Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher and Victoria Monét, with two each.
Those nomination tallies are surprisingly low for Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. Both artists blew up near the end of the eligibility period (June 22, 2023 to June 20, 2024). That also explains why Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is missing in the video of the year and best hip-hop categories. The video was released on July 4. Nominations in social-only categories, including song of the summer, will be revealed in the next couple of weeks, which could give late-breaking artists another chance at some VMAs love.
Boone, Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims and Tyla are nominated for best new artist. Four of these artists are likely to also be in the running for best new artist when the Grammy nominees are announced on Nov. 8. Abrams and Tyla cannot be. Abrams was nominated in that category at the Grammys on Feb. 4. Tyla won in another category (best African music performance). The VMAs did not nominate Carpenter or Sexyy Red in this category.
If Swift wins four VMAs, she’ll tie Beyoncé as the top winner in the show’s history (unless Bey adds to her Moonperson collection with a song of the year win for “Texas Hold ’Em.” If Eminem wins one award, he will break out of tie with Peter Gabriel as the man with the most VMAs in history (13).
Swift directed the “Fortnight” video, which is nominated for best direction. Swift has won in that category in three of the last four years (for videos she personally directed) – for “The Man,” “All Too Well: The Short Film” and “Anti-Hero.” Swift’s friend and producer Jack Antonoff will have divided loyalties in this category: His band Bleachers is nominated for “Tiny Moves” – which was co-directed by his wife, Margaret Qualley, and Alex Lockett. (Qualley was also nominated for best choreography for that video.)
Art director Nicholas des Jardins has two of the six nominees for best art direction – Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” and Carpenter’s “Please Please Please.”
In a VMAs quirk, the best pop award is awarded to an artist for overall work during the year, not for a specific video. All of the other genre awards – best hip-hop, best R&B, best alternative, best rock, best Latin, best Afrobeats and best K-pop – are for a specific video. Go figure.
Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.
The 2024 VMAs return to New York live on the East Coast from UBS Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be held just four days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. 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.
Here’s the complete list of 2024 VMAs nominees:
Video of the year
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records
Billie Eilish – “Lunch” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Artist of the year
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Eminem – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
SZA – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song of the year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – “Lovin on Me” – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records
Best new artist
Benson Boone – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Chappell Roan – Island
Gracie Abrams – Interscope Records
Shaboozey – American Dogwood / EMPIRE
Teddy Swims – Warner Records
Tyla – Epic Records
Best collaboration
Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “ – OVO / Republic Records
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be” – CMG / Interscope Records
Jessie Murph feat. Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records
Jung Kook feat. Latto – “Seven” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Geffen Records
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help” – Mercury / Republic / Big Loud
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Best pop
Camila Cabello – Geffen / Interscope Records
Dua Lipa – Warner Records
Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Tate McCrae – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Best hip-hop
Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “ – OVO / Republic Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
GloRilla – “Yeah Glo!” – CMG / Interscope Records
Gunna – “fukumean” – Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott feat. Playboi Carti – “FE!N” – Cactus Jack / Epic Records
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “Lifeline” – AK Records, under exclusive license to gamma.
Muni Long – “Made for Me” – Def Jam
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Tyla – “Water” – FAX Records / Epic Records
Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good” – mega / gamma.
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records
Best alternative
Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit
Hozier – “Too Sweet” – Columbia Records
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed” – KIDinaKorner / Interscope Records
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire” – This Compilation / Warner Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)” – Warner Records
Best rock
Bon Jovi – “Legendary” – Island
Coldplay – “feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records
Green Day – “Dilemma” – Reprise Records / Warner Records
Kings of Leon – “Mustang” – Capitol Records
Lenny Kravitz – “Human” – ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH
U2 – “Atomic City” – Interscope Records
Best Latin
Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment
Bad Bunny – “Monaco” – Rimas Entertainment
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” – Bichota / Interscope Records
Myke Towers – “LaLa” – Warner Music Latina
Peso Pluma & Anitta – “Bellakeo” – Double P Records
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment
Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería” – Sony Music US Latin
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin / Republic
Burna Boy – “City Boys” – Spaceship / Bad Habit / Atlantic Records
Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay – “Sensational” – Chris Brown Entertainment / RCA Records
Tems – “Love Me JeJe” – Since ’93 / RCA Records
Tyla – “Water” – FAX Records / Epic Records
Usher, Pheelz – “Ruin” – mega / gamma.
Best K-pop
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven” – BIGHIT MUSIC / Geffen Records
LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records
NCT Dream – “Smoothie” – SM Entertainment / Virgin Music Group
NewJeans – “Super Shy” – ADOR / Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “LALALALA” – JYP Entertainment / Imperial / Republic Records
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Deja vu” – BIGHIT MUSIC / IMPERIAL / Republic Records
Video for good
Alexander Stewart – “if only you knew” – FAE grp
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For (From Barbie)” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay – “feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best for Me” – Twenty Nine Music Group
RAYE – “Genesis.” – Human Re Sources
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love” – Hickman Holler Records / RCA Records
MTV push performance of the year
August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes” – Atlantic Records
September 2023: GloRilla – “Lick or Sum” – CMG / Interscope Records
October 2023: Benson Boone – “In The Stars” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU” – Def Jam
December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” – Lovett Music / RCA Records
January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones” – Columbia Records
February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records
March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova” – Island
April 2024: Flyana Boss – “yeaaa” – vnclm_/ Atlantic Records
May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess” – Laufey / AWAL
June 2024: LE SSERAFIM – “EASY” – SOURCE MUSIC / Geffen Records
July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun” – Lava / Republic Records
Best direction
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records; directed by Christian Breslauer
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit; directed by Alex Lockett & Margaret Qualley
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records; directed by Rich Lee
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions; directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Island; directed by Barbia Zeinali
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records; directed by Taylor Swift
Best cinematography
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records; cinematography by Anatol Trofimov
Charli XCX – “Von dutch” – Atlantic Records; cinematography by Jeff Bierman
Dua Lipa – “Illusion” – Warner Records; cinematography by Nikita Nuzmenko
Olivia Rodrigo – “obsessed” – Geffen Records; cinematography by Marz Miller
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment; cinematography by Camilo Monsalve
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records; cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto
Best editing
Anitta – “Mil Veces” – Floresta Records / Republic Records / Universal Music Latin Entertainment; editing by Nick Yumul
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records; editing by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records; editing by David Checel
LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records; editing by Nik Kohler
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island; editing by Jai Shukla
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records; editing by Chancler Haynes
Best choreography
Bleachers – Tiny Moves – Dirty Hit; choreography by Margaret Qualley
Dua Lipa – “Houdini” – Warner Records; choreography by Charm La’Donna
LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloud Co. / RCA Records; choreography by Sean Bankhead
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky” – Sony Music Latin / Duars Entertainment – Choreography by Felix ‘Fefe’ Burgos
Tate McCrae – “Greedy” – RCA Records; choreography by Sean Bankhead
Troye Sivan – “Rush” – Capitol Records; choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkof
Best visual effects
Ariana Grande – “the boy is mine” – Republic Records; visual effects by Digital Axis
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records; visual effects by Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post
Justin Timberlake – “Selfish” – RCA Records; visual effects by Candice Dragonas
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions; visual effects by Mathematic
Olivia Rodrigo – “get him back!” – Geffen Records; visual effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records; visual effects by Parliament
Best art direction
Charli XCX – “360” – Atlantic Records; art direction by Grace Surnow
LISA – “Rockstar” – Lloyd Co. / RCA Records; art direction byPongsan Thawatwichian
Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” – Hot Girl Productions; art direction by Brittany Porter
Olivia Rodrigo – “bad idea right?” – Geffen Records; art direction by Nichaolas des Jardins
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” – Island; art direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records; art direction by Ethan Tobman
The 2024 MTV Video Awards will return to New York on Tuesday, Sept. 10. That’s just four days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show with a performance of “Like a Virgin” that people are still talking about. This year’s show will be […]
When Ashanti and French Montana presented best R&B at Tuesday night’s MTV Video Music Awards, the category’s winner, SZA, was not present to pick up her Moon Person for “Shirt” — but she didn’t just skip the show for no reason, her manager revealed.
SZA entered the Sept. 12 ceremony as one of the night’s most-nominated artists, with eight nods total, including video of the year (“Kill Bill”), best art direction (“Shirt”) and album of the year (SOS). Despite being one of the most omnipresent artists of the past year, however, SZA’s name was left off the list of nominees for artist of the year.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Friday (Sept. 15), Terrence “Punch” Henderson, SZA’s longtime manager, said, “Obviously, she had one of the best years, if not the best year, of any artist at this point. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be nominated for artist of the year. It just really didn’t make any sense to me. It’s disrespectful.”
SZA released SOS in December, and her critically lauded sophomore studio album has dominated 2023. The record has been present in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 nearly every week this year, spending 10 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 and ranking at No. 2 on Luminate’s 2023 Midyear Music Report. “Kill Bill,” the record’s breakout hit, topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and spent months in the chart’s top 10. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, “Kill Bill” broke the record for most weeks spent at No. 1 (21 weeks).
SOS also yielded the Hot 100 top 10 singles “Nobody Gets Me” (No. 10) and “Snooze” (No. 7), which reached the top 10 in its 35th week on the chart. Prior to the album’s release, two other singles hit the top 10: “Good Days” (No. 9) and “I Hate U” (No. 7). The VMA-winning “Shirt” peaked at No. 11 and topped both the Rhythmic and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts.
During a call about a potential SZA performance at the show, Punch says MTV “couldn’t give a clear answer as to why she wasn’t [nominated for artist of the year]. It was just, ‘Well, she’s nominated for all these other [awards].’” The nominees for artist of the year at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were Beyoncé, Karol G, Shakira, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and eventual winner Taylor Swift.
The nearly four-hour-long 2023 VMAs ceremony featured an overwhelming amount of performances, none of which included SZA — despite the initial efforts to have her grace the show’s stage. During one of those negotiations, “because there were people on [the call] about logistics for the show who didn’t have anything to do with [the nominations],” Punch said, “they ended up saying, ‘OK, well we could do another call.’” Nonetheless, MTV “didn’t want to discuss artist of the year, which to me was really a slap in the face,” he remarked.
“Why wouldn’t she be nominated for artist of the year? Even with the other artists that were nominated for artist of the year, some of them were even off-cycle. They didn’t have an album out. I mean, no disrespect to them or anybody else; everybody’s great and all of that, but still, you can’t discredit what SOS has done and is currently doing,” Punch added.
Three of the nominees — Doja Cat, Minaj and Shakira — had not released albums since the 2022 VMAs ceremony.
Ultimately, MTV’s failure to provide an explanation for the snub and reach a resolution spurred Punch to pull SZA’s performance. “I figured, why go perform and do this if she’s not going to be respected to the highest level? So it was my call to actually pull out of the performance,” he explained. However, the Top Dawg Entertainment president noted that SZA is “a very sweet person and she’s not for all of the nonsense and the politics and the back-and-forth and all of that. So, our feelings might be a little different.
“Ultimately, I felt it was disrespectful and I was very stern on that and influencing that,” Punch concluded. “If there’s any issues or backlash and all of that, I’m taking all of that.”
Despite the VMAs kerfuffle, SZA is currently powering through the final leg of her SOS headlining arena tour. According to Billboard Boxscore, the tour has grossed $34.5 million and sold 238,000 tickets. On Friday (Sept. 15), the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter released two singles: a Justin Bieber-assisted acoustic reboot of “Snooze” and a highly anticipated Drake collaboration titled “Slime You Out.”
Last week (Sept. 8), SZA announced a deluxe edition of SOS titled LANA at a surprise event at New York’s Brooklyn Navy Yard. The expanded version of her triple-platinum album will arrive “this fall.”
SZA, an Academy Award-nominated songwriter, has earned eight top 10 hits on the Hot 100 from 40 career entries. On the Billboard 200, she has earned two top five albums: 2017’s Ctrl (No. 3) — which has spent a whopping 326 weeks on the ranking — and 2022’s SOS (No. 1).
The revelation of SZA’s situation comes after another R&B artist — Grammy-nominated “On My Mama” singer Victoria Monét — revealed to fans that MTV told her team that it was “too early in [her] story” to perform at the VMAs. Monét is a three-time Grammy nominee with writing credits for a range of artists including Ariana Grande and BLACKPINK. She has also charted a pair of albums on the Billboard 200 and two songs on the Hot 100; Monét made her recording debut in 2014.
We are taking a look back at Madonna‘s iconic MTV VMA’s performance of “Like a Virgin.” Evan Burke:You can’t get more iconic than Madonna. You can’t get more pop culture than the VMAs. Put them together, and you have one of the most prolific pairings in music television. We take you back to one of […]
From Olivia Rodrigo and Nicki Minaj to Doja Cat and STRAY KIDS, the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards certainly weren’t short on performances. Nonetheless, there was one artist who some very vocal fans were hoping to see on the stage, but she says she was denied the opportunity to perform.
Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Victoria Monét took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain to inquiring fans why she did not perform at Tuesday night’s show, writing, “I see your advocation for me to have performed tonight and I’m so grateful to you!! Sincerely! My team was told it is ‘too early in my story’ for that opportunity so we will keep working!”
Monét is set to kick off her first headlining tour on Friday at Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. The tour is in support of Jaguar II, her debut studio album, which became her highest-charting Billboard 200 entry upon release (No. 60). Jaguar II serves as the sequel to the original Jaguar EP, which debuted and peaked at No. 174 on the Billboard 200 back in 2020 and spawned singles such as “Moment” and “A– Like That.” The Jaguar Tour will feature a rotating cast of opening acts, including Alex Vaughn, Ambré, Kendra Jae, Lavish, Leon Thomas, Tanerélle and Tone Stith.
“I’m grateful for YOU, for my tour starting this Friday and for the ability to see some of my favorite people perform tonight and receive the love they so deserve!!!” Monét concluded her message.
Monét’s absence follows what some fans on social media perceived as a disregard for the R&B genre at the 2023 VMAs. No solo R&B artists performed during the nearly four-hour ceremony, and the only R&B category — best R&B, won by SZA’s “Shirt” — was not accepted by the artist during the telecast. (The best R&B category returned in 2019 after a 12-year hiatus from the show.)
Billboard reached out to reps for the MTV Video Music Awards for comment on Monet’s post.
Monét’s “On My Mama,” the breakout single from Jaguar II, recently became her first unaccompanied Billboard Hot 100 entry (No. 98) and the song’s ’00s Black South-tribute music video and Sean Bankhead-helmed choreography went viral across social media. She also is a three-time Grammy nominee thanks to her work with Ariana Grande (“7 rings”) and Chloe x Halle (“Do It”).
Monét’s writing credits include Diddy-Dirty Money, Coco Jones, Fifth Harmony, Brandy and BLACKPINK. She released her debut EP, Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 1, in 2014.
Read Monét’s tweet here:
I see your advocation for me to have performed tonight and I’m so grateful to you!! Sincerely! My team was told it is “too early in my story” for that opportunity so we will keep working! I’m grateful for YOU, for my tour starting this Friday and for the ability to see some of my…— Victoria Monét (@VictoriaMonet) September 13, 2023