Who's performing at the 2021 MTV VMAs? Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and more

Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X
Photo credit Getty Images
By , Audacy

The MTV Video Music Awards just announced its first round of performers. So, eagerly wondering who’s on the lineup so far? Chill, we’ll get to that in a minute.

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Making this year a bit different, while maintaining a bit of the same. Airing live Sunday, September 12, at 8PM ET/PT, the 2021 MTV VMAs will return home to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. However, switching things up a bit, this years show will debut a newly reimagined Moonperson designed by artist Kehinde Wiley.

Ahead of the performer announcements, nominations for this year’s show were made on August 11 and while some of this years performers including both Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X logging in 5 noms each, trailing close behind Justin Bieber’s 7 and Megan Thee Stallion who follows closely behind with 6.

Each artist set to perform has had incredible successes this year — yes, even during lockdown. Whether it was on the charts or on our twitter feeds, we couldn’t couldn’t and still can’t get enough of them.

So before any more variants come through and destroy our chances of getting closer to actually getting to attend live shows again such as this - and since we’ve kept you waiting long enough — here is who will be performing at the 2021 MTV VMAs so far.

Lil Nas X
Photo credit Getty Images

Lil Nas X

Making his return to VMA stage for the first time since his 2019 "Panini" performance is Lil Nas X, and if his performances so far this year are any indication, buckle up because things are gonna get weird, and we mean the good kind of weird. OMG what if Jack Harlow joins him on stage for “Industry Baby”? Staahhhp, ugh now we’re for sure gonna lose sleep thinking about.

Olivia Rodrigo
Photo credit Getty Images

Olivia Rodrigo

Despite Olivia’s uber success this past year, this show marks her debut VMA performance, and maybe third or forth in total, like ever. Obvi she’s gonna kill it, singing her No.1 hit “Good 4 U,” which we plan to angstily sing along to every single word of throughout. Is that slight judgement we feel? - God, it's brutal out here.

Machine Gun Kelly
Photo credit Getty Images

Machine Gun Kelly

Bald cap or not, MGK will be hitting the VMA stage to deliver a premiere live performance of his latest single “Papercuts." No doubt his collaborator and Born With Horns album partner Travis Barker will join him, holding it down on percussions as per usual.

Camila Cabello
Photo credit Getty Images

Camila Cabello

Safe to say Camila will be slaying the stage with her currently only single "Don't Go Yet.” You think she’s gonna make the performance a Familia affair? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Lorde
Photo credit Getty Images

Lorde

It’s been a hot minute since Lorde’s graced the VMA stage, 2017 was the last time to be exact. So you definitely don’t want to miss her world premiere performance of, literally whatever more likely than not incredible song she chooses from her album Solar Power, out August 20.

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