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 wantedâ€
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD, “Godzillaâ€
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Goodâ€
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€
Taylor Swift, “The Manâ€
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lightsâ€
Artist of the Year
DaBaby
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Megan Thee Stallion
Post Malone
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Billie Eilish, “everything i wantedâ€
Doja Cat, “Say Soâ€
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savageâ€
Post Malone, “Circlesâ€
Roddy Ricch, “The Boxâ€
Best Collaboration
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, “Stuck With Uâ€
Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)â€
Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid, “Beautiful Peopleâ€
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Goodâ€
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj, “Tusaâ€
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€
Push Best New Artist
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Lewis Capaldi
Roddy Ricch
Tate McRae
YUNGBLUD
Best Pop
BTS, “Onâ€
Halsey, “You should be sadâ€
Jonas Brothers, “What a Man Gotta Doâ€
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo, “Intentionsâ€
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€
Taylor Swift, “Loverâ€
Best Hip-Hop
DaBaby, “BOPâ€
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD, “Godzillaâ€
Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Goodâ€
Megan Thee Stallion, “Savageâ€
Roddy Ricch, “The Boxâ€
Travis Scott, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOMâ€
Best Rock
blink-182, “Happy Daysâ€
Coldplay, “Orphansâ€
Evanescence, “Wasted On Youâ€
Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean, “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)â€
Green Day, “Oh Yeah!â€
The Killers, “Cautionâ€
Best Alternative
The 1975, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)â€
All Time Low, “Some Kind Of Disasterâ€
FINNEAS, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Nightâ€
Lana Del Rey, “Doin’ Timeâ€
Machine Gun Kelly, “Bloody Valentineâ€
twenty one pilots, “Level of Concernâ€
Best Latin
Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin, “Chinaâ€
Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Solaâ€
Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul, “MAMACITAâ€
J Balvin, “Amarilloâ€
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj, “Tusaâ€
Maluma ft. J Balvin, “Queì Penaâ€
Best R&B
Alicia Keys, “Underdogâ€
Chloe x Halle, “Do Itâ€
H.E.R. ft. YG, “Slideâ€
Khalid ft. Summer Walker, “Elevenâ€
Lizzo, “Cuz I Love Youâ€
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lightsâ€
Best K-Pop
(G)I-DLE, “Oh My Godâ€
BTS, “Onâ€
EXO, “Obsessionâ€
Monsta X, “SOMEONE’S SOMEONEâ€
Tomorrow X Together, “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)â€
Red Velvet, “Psychoâ€
Video for Good
Anderson .Paak, “Lockdownâ€
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hellâ€
Demi Lovato, “I Love Meâ€
H.E.R., â€I Can’t Breatheâ€
Lil Baby, “The Bigger Pictureâ€
Taylor Swift, “The Manâ€
Best Music Video From Home
5 Seconds of Summer, “Wildflowerâ€
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber, “Stuck with Uâ€
blink-182, “Happy Daysâ€
Drake, “Toosie Slideâ€
John Legend, “Bigger Loveâ€
twenty one pilots, “Level of Concernâ€
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, “xannyâ€: Directed by Billie Eilish
Doja Cat, “Say Soâ€: Directed by Hannah Lux Davis
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Nowâ€: Directed by Nabil
Harry Styles, “Adore Youâ€: Directed by Dave Meyers
Taylor Swift, “The Manâ€: Directed by Taylor Swift
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lightsâ€: Directed by Anton Tammi
Best Cinematography
5 Seconds of Summer, “Old Meâ€: Cinematography by Kieran Fowler
Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby, “My Oh Myâ€: Cinematography by Dave Meyers
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hellâ€: Cinematography by Christopher Probst
Katy Perry, “Harleys in Hawaiiâ€: Cinematography by Arnau Valls
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€: Cinematography by Thomas Kloss
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lightsâ€: Cinematography by Oliver Millar
Best Art Direction
A$AP Rocky, “Babushka Boiâ€: Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee Cohen
Dua Lipa, “Physicalâ€: Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogú
Harry Styles, “Adore Youâ€: Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughterâ€: Art Direction by Christian Stone
Selena Gomez, “Boyfriendâ€: Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter
Taylor Swift, “Loverâ€: Art Direction by Ethan Tobman
Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish, “all the good girls go to hellâ€: Visual Effects by Drive Studios
Demi Lovato, “I Love Meâ€: Visual Effects by Hoody FX
Dua Lipa, “Physicalâ€: Visual Effects by EIGHTY4
Harry Styles, “Adore Youâ€: Visual Effects by Mathematic
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€: Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios
Travis Scott, “HIGHEST IN THE ROOMâ€: Visual Effects by ARTJAIL, SCISSOR FILMS & FRENDER
Best Choreography
BTS, “Onâ€: Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun
CNCO and Natti Natasha, “Honey Booâ€: Choreography by Kyle Hanagami
DaBaby, “BOPâ€: Choreography by Dani Leigh and Cherry
Dua Lipa, “Physicalâ€: Choreography by Charm La’Donna
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande, “Rain On Meâ€: Choreography by Richy Jackson
Normani, “Motivationâ€: Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Best Editing
Halsey, “Graveyardâ€: Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
James Blake, “Can’t Believe the Way We Flowâ€: Edited by Frank Lebon
Lizzo, “Good As Hellâ€: Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia Kerpan
Miley Cyrus, “Mother’s Daughterâ€: Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico
ROSALÃA, “A Paléâ€: Edited by Andre Jones
The Weeknd, “Blinding Lightsâ€: Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana