The MTV Video Music Awards is an awards ceremony known for surprises, from Madonna and Britney Spears’s famous kiss to Lady Gaga’s infamous meat dress. This year’s surprise will be the ceremony itself, planned to be held in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic at New York City’s Barclays Arena in Brooklyn on August 30. Today, MTV revealed the list of artists it expects to attend an in-person ceremony as VMA nominees. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande lead the pack with nine nominations each, mostly off the strength of their Chromatica collaboration “Rain on Me.” Other top nominees include Billie Eilish and the Weeknd with six apiece. While the awards ceremony itself won’t recognize quarantine (performances will take place across all five of New York’s boroughs, MTV promises/threatens), the awards will, with two new categories for Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance. The full list of nominees is below.
Video of the Year
Billie Eilish, “everything i wanted”
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
Artist of the Year
DaBaby
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Megan Thee Stallion
Post Malone
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Billie Eilish, “everything i wanted”
Doja Cat, “Say So”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”
Post Malone, “Circles”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”
Best Collaboration
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, “Stuck With U”
Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)”
Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid, “Beautiful People”
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Push Best New Artist
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Lewis Capaldi
Roddy Ricch
Tate McRae
YUNGBLUD
Best Pop
BTS, “On”
Halsey, “You should be sad”
Jonas Brothers, “What a Man Gotta Do”
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo, “Intentions”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift, “Lover”
Best Hip-Hop
DaBaby, “BOP”
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD, “Godzilla”
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savage”
Roddy Ricch, “The Box”
Travis Scott, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM”
Best Rock
blink-182, “Happy Days”
Coldplay, “Orphans”
Evanescence, “Wasted On You”
Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean, “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”
Green Day, “Oh Yeah!”
The Killers, “Caution”
Best Alternative
The 1975, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
All Time Low, “Some Kind Of Disaster”
FINNEAS, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”
Lana Del Rey, “Doin’ Time”
Machine Gun Kelly, “Bloody Valentine”
twenty one pilots, “Level of Concern”
Best Latin
Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin, “China”
Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Sola”
Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul, “MAMACITA”
J Balvin, “Amarillo”
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”
Maluma ft. J Balvin, “Queì Pena”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys, “Underdog”
Chloe x Halle, “Do It”
H.E.R. ft. YG, “Slide”
Khalid ft. Summer Walker, “Eleven”
Lizzo, “Cuz I Love You”
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
Best K-Pop
(G)I-DLE, “Oh My God”
BTS, “On”
EXO, “Obsession”
Monsta X, “SOMEONE’S SOMEONE”
Tomorrow X Together, “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”
Red Velvet, “Psycho”
Video for Good
Anderson .Paak, “Lockdown”
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hell”
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me”
H.E.R., ”I Can’t Breathe”
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Picture”
Taylor Swift, “The Man”
Best Music Video From Home
5 Seconds of Summer, “Wildflower”
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with U”
blink-182, “Happy Days”
Drake, “Toosie Slide”
John Legend, “Bigger Love”
twenty one pilots, “Level of Concern”
Best Quarantine Performance
Chloe & Halle, “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-athon
CNCO, Unplugged at Home
DJ D-Nice, Club MTV presents #DanceTogether
John Legend, #togetherathome Concert Series
Lady Gaga, “Smile” from One World: Together at Home
Post Malone, Nirvana Tribute
Best Direction
Billie Eilish, “xanny”: Directed by Billie Eilish
Doja Cat, “Say So”: Directed by Hannah Lux Davis
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”: Directed by Nabil
Harry Styles, “Adore You”: Directed by Dave Meyers
Taylor Swift, “The Man”: Directed by Taylor Swift
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”: Directed by Anton Tammi
Best Cinematography
5 Seconds of Summer, “Old Me”: Cinematography by Kieran Fowler
Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby, “My Oh My”: Cinematography by Dave Meyers
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hell”: Cinematography by Christopher Probst
Katy Perry, “Harleys in Hawaii”: Cinematography by Arnau Valls
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”: Cinematography by Thomas Kloss
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”: Cinematography by Oliver Millar
Best Art Direction
A$AP Rocky, “Babushka Boi”: Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee Cohen
Dua Lipa, “Physical”: Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogú
Harry Styles, “Adore You”: Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter”: Art Direction by Christian Stone
Selena Gomez, “Boyfriend”: Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter
Taylor Swift, “Lover”: Art Direction by Ethan Tobman
Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hell”: Visual Effects by Drive Studios
Demi Lovato, “I Love Me”: Visual Effects by Hoody FX
Dua Lipa, “Physical”: Visual Effects by EIGHTY4
Harry Styles, “Adore You”: Visual Effects by Mathematic
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”: Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios
Travis Scott, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM”: Visual Effects by ARTJAIL, SCISSOR FILMS & FRENDER
Best Choreography
BTS, “On”: Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun
CNCO and Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo”: Choreography by Kyle Hanagami
DaBaby, “BOP”: Choreography by Dani Leigh and Cherry
Dua Lipa, “Physical”: Choreography by Charm La’Donna
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”: Choreography by Richy Jackson
Normani, “Motivation”: Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Best Editing
Halsey, “Graveyard”: Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
James Blake, “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow”: Edited by Frank Lebon
Lizzo, “Good As Hell”: Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia Kerpan
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughter”: Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico
ROSALÍA, “A Palé”: Edited by Andre Jones
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”: Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
