VMAs 2025: Nominations List, When Are They Airing, And Will Taylor Swift Be There?

The 2025 Video Music Awards have officially announced their nominees.

While there are several of the usual suspects included in the categories – such as Lady Gaga, who is leading the pack with 12 nominations, – there are plenty of newcomers and seasoned artists alike who have been nominated for the very first time, including Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, and late rapper Mac Miller.

Meanwhile, Bruno Mars was nominated for a whopping 11 nominations, while Kendrick Lamar was nominated for 10 categories.

But the race for most-ever VMA wins continues between Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, both of which are only nominated for one category this year: Artist of the Year. Competition in this category will be tight as the singers are also facing off against Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd, and Lamar.

Beyoncé currently has 30 VMAs – 26 as a solo artist, two as a member of Destiny’s Child, and two that she received with her husband Jay-Z – and Swift just matched Beyoncé’s record after winning seven VMAs in 2024. With both Swift and Beyoncé coming off historic tours, could this be the tie breaker that cements them in VMA history?

Fans may also be wondering if this means the stars will be attending the VMAs. There is a chance that Swift will be in attendance this year. 2024 was particularly kind to the “Fortnight” singer as she swept the categories and went home with seven awards.

Can fans vote for the VMAs?

Fans will have the opportunity to vote for the winner in 19 categories until Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. ET, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year. Fans can vote here.

How to stream the VMAs:

The VMAs will air live from the UBS Arena on CBS Sunday Sept. 7 at 8/7c. It will also be streaming on Paramount+.

2025 VMA Nominees Complete List:

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

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 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

BEST COLLABORATION

Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)” – AtlanticRecords/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

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