The nominees for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were announced ahead of the live ceremony, set to take place on September 8 at the UBS Arena in New York. The show will air live on MTV (DStv Channel 130) at 3 a.m. East Africa Time, with coverage including MTV Africa programming.
This year, African artists are once again making their mark on one of musicâs biggest global stages.
Nigerian singer Asake picked up two nominations: one for Active, his collaboration with Travis Scott, and another for Get It Right with Tems.
Burna Boy, also from Nigeria, was nominated in two categories as well. His track TaTaTa, featuring Travis Scott, appears in the Best Afrobeats category, while Higher was recognized in the Video for Good category.
South Africaâs Tyla continues her breakout year with two nominations. Her song PUSH 2 START landed in both the Best Afrobeats and Best Choreography categories.
Ghanaian artist MOLIY joins the Best Afrobeats lineup with Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix), alongside collaborators Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea. Rema was nominated for Baby (Is It A Crime), while Wizkid received a nod for Piece Of My Heart, his track with Brent Faiyaz.
Lady Gaga leads the overall list with 12 nominations, followed by Bruno Mars with 11, and Kendrick Lamar with 10. BeyoncĂ© and Taylor Swift will once again face off in the Artist of the Year category â both artists are now among the most decorated in VMA history.
Ariana Grande and The Weeknd earned seven nominations each. Billie Eilish follows with six. Charli XCX, who has had a busy year with multiple releases, was nominated five times. Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae each received four nods.

Monde Twala, senior vice-president and general manager of Paramount Africa, said the nominations reflect a wider cultural moment.
âThe global recognition of African artists at this yearâs MTV VMAs is a resounding affirmation of the genreâs influence and the visionary creativity shaping its evolution,â Twala said.
âThese nominations are not just milestones for the artists. They represent a cultural shift. At MTV Africa, we are proud to continue elevating African music and talent.â
Fans can vote now across 19 gender-neutral categories through MTVâs website until 6 p.m. ET on September 5. Voting for Song of the Year will close earlier, on August 18, when the category will be narrowed down to six finalists. Votes will then reopen for the final round until September 5.
MTV is also hosting a âPower Hourâ from August 7 to September 4, where votes submitted between 1 and 2 p.m. ET will count double. Fans can vote through the MTV website or by commenting on specific Instagram posts with artist hashtags â but only until August 8 at 1 a.m. EAT.
The full list of performers and special honourees is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Full list of nominees below.
Best Collaboration
- Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs â âBackup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)â â
- Kendrick Lamar & SZA â âlutherâ
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars â âDie With A Smileâ
- Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton â âPour Me A Drinkâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPTâ
- Selena Gomez, benny blanco â âSunset Blvdâ
Best Pop
- Alex Warren â âOrdinaryâ
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Ed Sheeran â âSapphireâ
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars â âDie With A Smileâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPT.â
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâ
Best Hip Hop
- Doechii â âAnxietyâ
- Drake â âNOKIAâ
- Eminem ft. Jelly Roll â âSomebody Save Meâ
- GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red â âWHATCHU KNO ABOUT MEâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- LL COOL J ft. Eminem â âMurdergram Deuxâ
- Travis Scott â â4X4â
Best R&B
- Chris Brown â âResidualsâ
- Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs â âMUTT (REMIX)â
- Mariah Carey â âType Dangerousâ
- PARTYNEXTDOOR â âN o C h i l lâ
- Summer Walker â âHeart Of A Womanâ
- SZA â âDriveâ
- The Weeknd, Playboi Carti â âTimelessâ
Best Alternative
- Gigi Perez â âSailor Songâ
- Imagine Dragons â âWake Upâ
- Lola Young â âMessyâ
- mgk & Jelly Roll â âLonely Roadâ
- sombr â âback to friendsâ
- The MarĂas â âBack To Meâ
Best Rock
- Coldplay â âALL MY LOVEâ
- Evanescence â âAfterlife (From the Netflix Series âDevil May Cryâ)â
- Green Day â âOne Eyed Bastardâ
- Lenny Kravitz â âHoneyâ
- Linkin Park â âThe Emptiness Machineâ
- Twenty One Pilots â âThe Contractâ             Â
Best Latin
- Bad Bunny â âBAILE INoLVIDABLEâ     Â
- J Balvin â âRioâ        Â
- KAROL G â âSi Antes Te Hubiera Conocidoâ        Â
- Peso Pluma â âLA PATRULLAâ     Â
- Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos â âKhĂ©?â        Â
- Shakira â âSolteraâ
Best K-Pop
- aespa â âWhiplashâ
- JENNIE â âlike JENNIEâÂ
- Jimin â âWhoâ
- JISOO â âearthquakeâ
- LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE â âBorn Againâ      Â
- Stray Kids â âChk Chk Boomâ
- ROSĂ â âtoxic till the endâ   Â
Best Country
- Chris Stapleton â âThink Iâm In Love With Youâ       Â
- Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood â âIâm Gonna Love Youâ
- Jelly Roll â âLiarâ   Â
- Lainey Wilson â â4x4xUâ
- Megan Moroney â âAm I Okay?â   Â
- Morgan Wallen â Smileâ
Best Album
- Bad Bunny â âDeBĂ TiRAR MĂĄS FOToSâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âGNXâ
- Lady Gaga â Mayhemâ
- Morgan Wallen â âIâm The Problemâ
- Sabrina Carpenter â âShort nâ Sweetâ
- The Weeknd â âHurry Up Tomorrowâ
Best Long Form Video
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Bad Bunny â âDeBĂ TiRAR MĂĄS FOToS (Short Film)â        Â
- Damiano David â âFUNNY little STORIESâ  Â
- Mac Miller â âBalloonerismâ Â
- Miley Cyrus â âSomething Beautifulâ
- The Weeknd â âHurry Up Tomorrowâ    Â
Video For Good
- Burna Boy â âHigherâ              Â
- Charli xcx â âGuessâ featuring Billie Eilish
- Doechii â âAnxietyâ            Â
- Eminem ft. Jelly Roll â âSomebody Save Meâ                    Â
- Selena Gomez, benny blanco â âYounger And Hotter Than Meâ
- Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan â âSleepwalkingâ
Best Direction
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Charli xcx â âGuessâ featuring Billie Eilish
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPTâ
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâ
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx â âGuessâ featuring Billie Eilishâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- Lorde â âMan Of The Yearâ
- Miley Cyrus â âEnd of the Worldâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPTâ
Best Cinematography
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Ed Sheeran â âSapphireâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- Miley Cyrus â âEasy Loverâ
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâÂ
Best Editing
- Charli xcx â âGuessâ featuring Billie Eilish
- Ed Sheeran â âSapphireâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâ
- Tate McRae â âJust Keep Watching (From F1Âź The Movie)â
Best Choreography
- Doechii â âAnxietyâ
- FKA twigs â âEusexuaâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- Tyla â âPUSH 2 STARTâ
- Zara Larsson â âPretty Uglyâ
Best Visual Effects
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Lady Gaga â âAbracadabraâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPTâ
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâ
- Tate McRae â âJust Keep Watching (From F1Âź The Movie)â
- The Weeknd â âHurry Up Tomorrowâ
Best Afrobeats
- Asake & Travis Scott â âActiveâ
- Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott â âTaTaTaâ
- MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea â âShake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)â
- Rema â âBaby (Is It A Crime)â
- Tems ft. Asake â âGet It Rightâ
- Tyla â âPUSH 2 STARTâ
- Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz â âPiece Of My Heartâ
Video of the Year
- Ariana Grande â âbrighter days aheadâ
- Billie Eilish â âBIRDS OF A FEATHERâ
- Kendrick Lamar â âNot Like Usâ
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars â âDie With A Smileâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPT.â
- Sabrina Carpenter â âManchildâ
- The Weeknd, Playboi Carti â âTimelessâ
Artist of the Year
- Bad Bunny â Rimas Entertainment
- BeyoncĂ© â Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records
- Kendrick Lamar â pgLang/Interscope Records
- Lady Gaga â Interscope Records
- Morgan Wallen â Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
- Taylor Swift â Republic Records
- The Weeknd â XO/Republic Records
Song of the Year
- Alex Warren â âOrdinaryâ
- Billie Eilish â âBIRDS OF A FEATHERâ
- Doechii â âAnxietyâ
- Ed Sheeran â âSapphireâ
- Gracie Abrams â âI Love You, Iâm Sorryâ
- Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars â âDie With A Smileâ
- Lorde â âWhat Was Thatâ
- ROSĂ & Bruno Mars â âAPT.â
- Tate McRae â âSports Carâ
- The Weeknd, Playboi Carti â âTimelessâ
Best New Artist
- Alex Warren â Atlantic Records
- Ella Langley â SAWGOD/Columbia Records
- Gigi Perez â Island
- Lola Young â Island
- sombr â SMB Music/Warner Records
- The MarĂas â Nice Life/Atlantic Records
Best Pop Artist
- Ariana Grande â Republic Records
- Charli xcx â Atlantic Records
- Justin Bieber â Def Jam Recordings
- Lorde â Republic Records
- Miley Cyrus â Columbia Records
- Sabrina Carpenter â Island
- Tate McRae â RCA Records
MTV Push Performance of the Year
- Aug 2024 â Shaboozey â âA Bar Song (Tipsy)â
- Sept 2024 â Ayra Starr â âLast Heartbreak Songâ
- Oct 2024 â Mark Ambor â âBelong Togetherâ
- Nov 2024 â Lay Bankz â âGraveyardâ
- Dec 2024 â Dasha â âBye Bye Byeâ
- Jan 2025 â KATSEYE â âTouchâ
- Feb 2025 â Jordan Adetunji â âKEHLANIâ
- Mar 2025 â Leon Thomas â âYES IT ISâ
- Apr 2025 â Livingston â âShadowâ
- May 2025 â Damiano David â âNext Summerâ
- June 2025 â Gigi Perez â âSailor Songâ
- July 2025 â ROLE MODEL â âSally, When The Wine Runs Outâ
