VMAs 2025 (Image: CBS, MTV)

The biggest pop celebration in American music is bac, the MTV Video Music Awards 2025 has officially unveiled its list of nominees. Lady Gaga leads the pack with an impressive 12 nominations, followed closely by Bruno Mars with 11, and Kendrick Lamar with 10.

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This year’s ceremony is set to take place on September 7 at the UBS Arena, and will be broadcast live on MTV, streamed on Paramount+, and, for the first time ever, airing on CBS.

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Check out the full list of 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 (new category)

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
March 2025 - Leon Thomas - "YES IT IS" - EZMNY Records/Motown Records
April 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 (new category)

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

VMA | Image: MTV

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner, and here’s what we know so far. The show is set to take place on Sunday, September 7, at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

While the official list of nominees hasn't been announced yet, speculation is already heating up. As always, the nominee reveal is one of the most anticipated moments of the VMAs. Below, we’ve listed some of our top predictions for this year, and why we think they deserve a spot.

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Gigi Perez gained major momentum between 2024 and 2025 with her viral hit “Sailor Song.” She’s never been nominated for a VMA before, but this could be the year, especially after being featured on MTV Push through MTV UK.

Sombr, the 20-year-old breakout artist, is clearly having a massive moment. With over 46 million monthly listeners on Spotify, his track “Back To Friends” is currently topping the Spotify Global Top 50, while “Undressed” is also holding strong in the top 20. With that kind of impact, he's a serious contender for Best New Artist or even a main category nomination.

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BINI, the rising Filipino girl group, is quickly gaining recognition outside of Asia. With a string of hits in their home country, they’ve already landed nods at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards and the 2024 BreakTudo Awards. Last year, they even took home Best Asia Act at the EMAs. All signs point to BINI finally breaking through with a VMA nomination.

Addison Rae continues her upward trajectory. Last year, she appeared at the VMAs as a presenter, introducing Karol G’s performance. After scoring one of 2024’s biggest hits with “Diet Pepsi”, she dropped her debut album and a series of stunning music videos. A nomination this year would come as no surprise.

Tate McRae is no stranger to the VMAs, and 2025 is shaping up to be another big year for her. With multiple chart-topping singles and strong streaming numbers, she's likely to earn another nod.

Katseye, an emerging pop group, is currently making waves with two breakout singles, including “Gabriela.” The buzz is strong enough to make them likely first-time nominees.

Jennie of BLACKPINK is also having a standout year as a solo artist. While Rosé and Lisa dominated in 2024 and remain in the spotlight in 2025, Jennie has stepped into her biggest solo moment yet.

And of course, Lady Gaga. Her latest release, “Abracadabra,” is bold, theatrical, and unforgettable, and it absolutely deserves a spot on the VMA nominee list.

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