The nominations for the 2025 MTV VMAs have been announced, and Lady Gaga is this year’s leader, with 12 nominations including Artist of the Year, Best Album, Song of the Year, and Video of the Year.
Meanwhile, the next most-nominated artists are Bruno Mars, with 11 nominations, and Kendrick Lamar, with 10. Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter are tied behind them for eight each.
In addition to the usual categories, MTV has added Best Artist categories for country and pop, nominating Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, and Morgan Wallen for the former. The nominees for Best Pop Artist include Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tate McRae.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, September 7 at 8 PM ET on CBS, MTV, and Paramount Plus. Fan voting is open through September 5 at 6 PM ET at vote.mtv.com. See below for the full list of nominees.
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Lorde – “What Was That”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Tate McRae – “Sports Car”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
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
Best Collaboration
Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “Luther”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me a Drink”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd”
Best Pop
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Drake – “Nokia”
Eminem – “Somebody Save Me” Feat. Jelly Roll
GloRilla – “Whatchu Kno About Me” Feat. Sexyy Red
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
LL Cool J – “Murdergram Deux” Feat. Eminem
Travis Scott – “4×4”
Best R&B
Chris Brown – “Residuals”
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “Mutt (Remix)”
Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous”
PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l”
Summer Walker – “Heart of a Woman”
SZA – “Drive”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Best Alternative
Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up”
Lola Young – “Messy”
MGK & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road”
sombr – “Back to Friends”
The Marías – “Back to Me”
Best Rock
Coldplay – “All My Love”
Evanescence – “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry)”
Green Day – “One Eyed Bastard”
Lenny Kravitz – “Honey”
Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine”
twenty one pilots – “The Contract”
Best Latin
Bad Bunny – “Baile Inolvidable”
J Balvin – “Rio”
Karol G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
Peso Pluma – “La Patrulla”
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?”
Shakira – “Soltera”
Best K-Pop
aespa – “Whiplash”
Jennie – “Like Jennie”
Jimin – “Who”
Jisoo – “Earthquake”
Lisa – “Born Again” Feat. Doja Cat & Raye
Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom”
Rosé – “Toxic Till the End”
Best Afrobeats
Asake & Travis Scott – “Active”
Burna Boy – “TaTaTa” feat. Travis Scott
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)”
Rema – “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
Tems – “Get It Right” Feat. Asake
Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Wizkid – “Piece of My Heart” Feat. Brent Faiyaz
Best Country
Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m in Love With You”
Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You”
Jelly Roll – “Liar”
Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU”
Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?”
Morgan Wallen – “Smile”
Best Album
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Bad Bunny – “Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Short Film)”
Damiano David – “Funny Little Stories”
Mac Miller – “Balloonerism”
Miley Cyrus – “Something Beautiful”
The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow”
Video for Good
Burna Boy – “Higher”
Charli XCX – “Guess” Feat. Billie Eilish
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Eminem – “Somebody Save Me” Feat. Jelly Roll
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Younger and Hotter Than Me”
Zach Hood – “Sleepwalking” Feat. Sasha Alex Sloan
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Charli XCX – “Guess” Fe Billie Eilish)
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – “Guess” Feat. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Lorde – “Man of the Year”
Miley Cyrus – “End of the World”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Miley Cyrus – “Easy Lover”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best Editing
Charli XCX – “Guess” (featuring Billie Eilish)
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching” (From F1® The Movie)
Best Choreography
Doechii – “Anxiety”
FKA twigs – “Eusexua”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Zara Larsson – “Pretty Ugly”
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Rosé & Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching” (From F1 The Movie)
The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow”
MTV Push Performance of the Year
Aug 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Sept 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Oct 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together”
Nov 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard”
Dec 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye”
Jan 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch”
Feb 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “Kehlani”
Mar 2025 – Leon Thomas – “Yes It Is”
Apr 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow”
May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer”
June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
July 2025 – Role Model – “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”