The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are officially in motion—and the hype is real. CBS and MTV have just dropped the highly anticipated list of nominees, spotlighting the artists whose music, visuals, and cultural influence over the past year have shaped the global conversation. Leading the charge? Lady Gaga, with a record-breaking 12 nominations, followed closely by Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.
This year’s ceremony returns to New York’s UBS Arena and will air live coast-to-coast on Sunday, September 7 at 8PM ET / 5PM PT. In a historic shift, the VMAs will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network, with a simulcast on MTV, and will stream live on Paramount+ for U.S. subscribers—making the show more accessible than ever.
Lady Gaga Leads The Pack
Lady Gaga leads the pack with a whopping 12 nominations, marking the third time she’s topped the VMAs list (after 2010 and 2020). Her chart-topping collabs—like “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars and “Abracadabra” from her album Mayhem—earned nods in multiple categories.
Right behind her? Bruno Mars with 11 nominations and Kendrick Lamar with 10. Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter follow with 8 each, while Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, and Charli XCX also earned multiple nominations.
This year’s VMAs are evolving—starting with all 19 categories being gender-neutral. New additions include Best Country and Best Pop Artist, reflecting the growing influence of diverse genres. As country continues to cross over into mainstream pop, these new categories aim to celebrate the shift.
VMAs Voting Is Now Open
Fans can have their say across 19 categories by voting at vote.mtv.com through September 5 at 6PM ET. The Best New Artist category remains open during the show, keeping the excitement alive until the final moments.
The Song of the Year race gets tighter on August 18 at 12PM ET, when the list narrows to six finalists. Voting for this category continues alongside the others through September 5.
What’s Still to Come
Additional announcements—including performer lineups, honorees, social categories, and special tributes—are still under wraps but expected in the coming weeks. If VMAs history is any indication, viewers can expect a night full of electric performances, surprise collaborations, and viral moments that take over timelines worldwide. Check out the full list of nominees below.
Nominees in each category are listed in alphabetical order by first name.
(**) = New Category
VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Burger King®
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 **
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, presented by BACARDÍ® Rum
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
Mar 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records
Apr 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, presented by Under Armour
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
With an all-star roster of nominees, exciting voting innovations, and a new home on CBS, the 2025 VMAs are set to make history—and fans have a front-row seat.
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