The nominees have been announced for the 2025 edition of the MTV Video Music Awards, taking place this year on September 7 on CBS. Lady Gaga leads all with 12 nods, followed closely by her "Die With A Smile" partner Bruno Mars, Kendrick Lamar, ROSÉ, and Sabrina Carpenter.
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The VMAs return live to New York’s UBS Arena airing coast-to-coast Sunday, Sept. 7 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT on CBS, simulcast on MTV, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. Fan voting is now open for 19 categories at vote.mtv.com through Sept. 5 at 6PM ET, except Best New Artist which remains active into show.
Check out the full list on nominees below.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Records
Billie Eilish - “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - Darkroom/Interscope Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - “Die With A Smile” - Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti - “Timeless” - XO/Republic Records
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bad Bunny - Rimas Entertainment
Beyoncé - Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - Interscope Records
Morgan Wallen - Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
Taylor Swift - Republic Records
The Weeknd - XO/Republic Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
Alex Warren - “Ordinary” - Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish - “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” - Darkroom/Interscope Records
Doechii - “Anxiety” - Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Ed Sheeran - “Sapphire” - Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Gracie Abrams - “I Love You, I'm Sorry” - Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - “Die With A Smile” - Interscope Records
Lorde - “What Was That” - Republic Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Tate McRae - “Sports Car” - RCA Records
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti - “Timeless” - XO/Republic Records
BEST NEW ARTIST
Alex Warren - Atlantic Records
Ella Langley - SAWGOD/Columbia Records
Gigi Perez - Island
Lola Young - Island
sombr - SMB Music/Warner Records
The Marías - Nice Life/Atlantic Records
BEST POP ARTIST
Ariana Grande - Republic Records
Charli xcx - Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber - Def Jam Recordings
Lorde - Republic Records
Miley Cyrus - Columbia Records
Sabrina Carpenter - Island
Tate McRae - RCA Records
MTV PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Aug 2024 - Shaboozey - “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” - American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Sept 2024 - Ayra Starr - “Last Heartbreak Song” - Mavin Records/Republic Records
Oct 2024 - Mark Ambor - “Belong Together” - Hundred Days Records/Virgin Music
Nov 2024 - Lay Bankz - “Graveyard” - Artist Partner Group Inc.
Dec 2024 - Dasha - “Bye Bye Bye” - Warner Records
Jan 2025 - KATSEYE - “Touch” - HYBE/Geffen Records
Feb 2025 - Jordan Adetunji - “KEHLANI” - 300 Entertainment
Mar 2025 - Leon Thomas - “YES IT IS” - EZMNY Records/Motown Records
Apr 2025 - Livingston - “Shadow” - Republic Records
May 2025 - Damiano David - “Next Summer” - Sony Italy/Arista Records
June 2025 - Gigi Perez - “Sailor Song” - Island
July 2025 - ROLE MODEL - “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” - Interscope Records
BEST COLLABORATION
Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs - “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)” - Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville
Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “luther” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - “Die With A Smile” - Interscope Records
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton - “Pour Me A Drink” - Mercury Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Selena Gomez, benny blanco - “Sunset Blvd” - SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records
BEST POP
Alex Warren - “Ordinary” - Atlantic Records
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Record
Ed Sheeran - “Sapphire” - Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - “Die With A Smile” - Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
BEST HIP-HOP
Doechii - “Anxiety” - Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Drake - “NOKIA” - OVO/Santa Anna/Republic
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll - “Somebody Save Me” - Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red - “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” - CMG/Interscope Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
LL COOL J ft. Eminem - “Murdergram Deux” - Def Jam Recordings
Travis Scott - “4X4” - Cactus Jack/Epic Records
BEST R&B
Chris Brown - “Residuals” - Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs - “MUTT (REMIX)” - EZMNY Records/Motown Records
Mariah Carey - “Type Dangerous” - gamma.
PARTYNEXTDOOR - “N o C h i l l” - OVO Sound
Summer Walker - “Heart Of A Woman” - LVRN/Interscope Records
SZA - “Drive” - Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti - “Timeless” - XO/Republic Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Gigi Perez - “Sailor Song” - Island
Imagine Dragons - “Wake Up” - KIDinaKorner/Interscope Records
Lola Young - “Messy” - Island
mgk & Jelly Roll - “Lonely Road” - EST 19XX/Interscope Records
sombr - “back to friends” - SMB Music/Warner Records
The Marías - “Back To Me” - Nice Life/Atlantic Records
BEST ROCK
Coldplay - “ALL MY LOVE” - Atlantic Records
Evanescence - “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series "Devil May Cry")” - Netflix Music
Green Day - “One Eyed Bastard” - Reprise Records/Warner Records
Lenny Kravitz - “Honey” - ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH
Linkin Park - “The Emptiness Machine” - Warner Records
twenty one pilots - “The Contract” - Fueled By Ramen
BEST LATIN
Bad Bunny - “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” - Rimas Entertainment
J Balvin - “Rio” - Capitol Records
KAROL G - “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” - Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Peso Pluma - “LA PATRULLA” - Double P Records
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos - “Khé?” - Sony Music US Latin
Shakira - “Soltera“ - Sony Music US Latin
BEST K-POP
aespa - “Whiplash” - SM Entertainment/Virgin Music Group
JENNIE - “like JENNIE” - OA Entertainment/Columbia Records
Jimin - “Who” - BIGHIT MUSIC
JISOO - “earthquake” - Warner Records
LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE - “Born Again” - Lloud Co./RCA Records
Stray Kids - “Chk Chk Boom” - JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic
ROSÉ - “toxic till the end” - Atlantic Records
BEST AFROBEATS
Asake & Travis Scott - “Active” - YBNL Nation/EMPIRE
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott - “TaTaTa” - Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea - “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)” - gamma.
Rema - “Baby (Is It A Crime)” - Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / Interscope Records
Tems ft. Asake - “Get It Right” - RCA Records/Since '93
Tyla - “PUSH 2 START” - FAX Records/Epic Records
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz - “Piece Of My Heart” - Starboy/RCA Records
BEST COUNTRY
Chris Stapleton - “Think I'm In Love With You” - Mercury Nashville
Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood - “I’m Gonna Love You” - CoJo Music / Warner Music Nashville
Jelly Roll - “Liar” - BBR Music Group/BMG/Republic Records
Lainey Wilson - “4x4xU” - Broken Bow Records
Megan Moroney - “Am I Okay?” - Columbia Records
Morgan Wallen - “Smile” - Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
BEST ALBUM
Bad Bunny - DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS - Rimas Entertainment
Kendrick Lamar - GNX - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - Mayhem - Interscope Records
Morgan Wallen - I'm The Problem - Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet - Island
The Weeknd - Hurry Up Tomorrow - XO/Republic Records
BEST LONG FORM VIDEO
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Records
Bad Bunny - “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)” - Rimas Entertainment
Damiano David - “FUNNY little STORIES” - Sony Italy/Arista Records
Mac Miller - “Balloonerism” - Warner Records
Miley Cyrus - “Something Beautiful” - Columbia Records
The Weeknd - “Hurry Up Tomorrow” - XO/Republic Records
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Burna Boy - “Higher” - Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records
Charli xcx - “Guess featuring Billie Eilish" - Atlantic Records
Doechii - “Anxiety” - Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll - “Somebody Save Me” - Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records
Selena Gomez, benny blanco - “Younger And Hotter Than Me” - SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan - “Sleepwalking” - Arista Records
BEST DIRECTION
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Records
Charli xcx - “Guess featuring Billie Eilish" - Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
BEST ART DIRECTION
Charli xcx - “Guess featuring Billie Eilish" - Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
Lorde - “Man Of The Year” - Republic Records
Miley Cyrus - “End of the World” - Columbia Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Records
Ed Sheeran - “Sapphire” - Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
Miley Cyrus - “Easy Lover” - Columbia Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
BEST EDITING
Charli xcx - “Guess featuring Billie Eilish" - Atlantic Records
Ed Sheeran - “Sapphire” - Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
Tate McRae - “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)” - Atlantic Records
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Doechii - “Anxiety” - Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
FKA twigs - “Eusexua” - Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar - “Not Like Us” - pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
Tyla - “PUSH 2 START” - FAX Records/Epic Records
Zara Larsson - “Pretty Ugly” - Epic Records
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande - “brighter days ahead” - Republic Records
Lady Gaga - “Abracadabra” - Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - “APT.” - Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild” - Island
Tate McRae - “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie) “ - Atlantic Records
The Weeknd - “Hurry Up Tomorrow” - XO/Republic Records