Lady Gaga Leads 2025 MTV VMA Nominations

Lady Gaga dominates the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards with 12 nominations, ending Taylor Swift’s two-year streak Bruno Mars follows closely with 11 nods, and Kendrick Lamar has 10. The awards introduce two new categories — Best Country Artist and Best Pop Artist — and the ceremony airs live on September 7 from New York’s UBS Arena.

Here are the 2025 Nominees:

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
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

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
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
sombr
The Marías

Best pop artist

Ariana Grande
Charli XCX
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae

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)
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

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 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 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 country

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 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)

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)

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Tagged as: MTV, Music Video Awards, pop, USA, VMA