MTV VMAs 2025 Nominations Revealed: See the Full List of This Year’s Top Contenders.

The MTV VMAs 2025 are ready to explode into a night of musical “Mayhem.”

MTV just dropped the nominee list for this year’s Video Music Awards, the blowout party that unites the year’s biggest acts to toast the songs and videos fans keep blasting. Tune in live from New York’s UBS Arena on September 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Poptastic queen Lady Gaga reigns over the nominations with 12 chances to win, powered by the spring release of her roaring album Mayhem. She’s in the running for video of the year, artist of the year, and best album. Hot on her heels is the “Die with a Smile” partner-in-crime Bruno Mars, who snagged 11 nominations of his own.

Hottest company on the nominee list includes hip-hop titan Kendrick Lamar, Blackpink’s Rosé, pop star Sabrina Carpenter, Wicked Broadway hero Ariana Grande, smooth R&B king The Weeknd, alternative pop favorite Billie Eilish, and British mood-setter Charli XCX.

Most nominated artists at this year's #VMAs:

Lady Gaga – 12
Bruno Mars – 11
Kendrick Lamar – 10
ROSÉ – 8
Sabrina Carpenter – 8
Ariana Grande – 7
The Weeknd – 7
Billie Eilish – 6

— chart data (@chartdata) August 5, 2025

Pop superstar Taylor Swift, who holds the record as the most awarded solo artist in VMA history, is nominated for artist of the year even though she didn’t release a new video this year. In 2024, she walked away with multiple trophies, including video of the year, artist of the year, best collaboration for “Fortnight” with Post Malone, and best pop and best direction.

Last year’s VMAs featured unforgettable moments and major career wins. Electropop star Chappell Roan took home best new artist and lit up the stage with a medieval-inspired performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” Olivia Carpenter claimed her first moon person for song of the year with “Espresso” and wowed the crowd with a playful medley that included a kiss with an alien dancer.

Fans can cast their votes in 19 gender-neutral categories at vote.mtv.com until September 5 at 6 p.m. ET. Voting for best new artist will stay open until the show on September 7. Social category nominations will be revealed at a later date.

Here are the nominees for the 2025 MTV VMAs:

• 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

Rapid-fire chart shots

MTV Push Performance of the Year
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae

Rising stars drop a July-to-December heatwave:

• Aug 2024: Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy) (American Dogwood/EMPIRE)
• Sept 2024: Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song (Mavin/Republic)
• Oct 2024: Mark Ambor – Belong Together (Hundred Days/Virgin)
• Nov 2024: Lay Bankz – Graveyard (Artist Partner Group)
• Dec 2024: Dasha – Bye Bye Bye (Warner)
• Jan 2025: KATSEYE – Touch (HYBE/Geffen)
• Feb 2025: Jordan Adetunji – KEHLANI (300)
• Mar 2025: Leon Thomas – YES IT IS (EZMNY/Motown)
• Apr 2025: Livingston – Shadow (Republic)
• May 2025: Damiano David – Next Summer (Sony Italy/Arista)
• June 2025: Gigi Perez – Sailor Song (Island)
• July 2025: ROLE MODEL – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out (Interscope)

Best Collaboration:

• Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video) (Atlantic/Warner Nashville)
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA – luther (pgLang/Interscope)
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die with A Smile (Interscope)
• Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – Pour Me A Drink (Mercury)

Decide your favorites before the stars do!

Best Pop

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 Records
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 Records

Best Hip-Hop

Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment / Capitol Records
Drake – “NOKIA” – OVO / Santa Anna / Republic Records
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)
Lola Young – Messy (Island)
mgk & Jelly Roll – Lonely Road (EST 19XX/Interscope)
sombr – back to friends (SMB Music/Warner)
The María – Back to Me (Nice Life/Atlantic)

Best Rock

Coldplay – ALL MY LOVE (Atlantic)
Evanescence – Afterlife (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry) (Netflix Music)
Green Day – One Eyed Bastard (Reprise/Warner)
Lenny Kravitz – Honey (2024 Roxie Records/BMG Rights Management)
Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine (Warner)
twenty one pilots – The Contract (Fueled by Ramen)

Best Latin

Bad Bunny – BAILE INoLVIDABLE (Rimas)
J Balvin – Rio (Capitol)
KAROL G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido (Bichota/Interscope)
Peso Pluma – LA PATRULLA (Double P)
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – Khé? (Sony Music US Latin)
Shakira – Soltera (Sony Music US Latin)

Best Afrobeats

Asake & Travis Scott – Active (YBNL/EMPIRE)
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – TaTaTa (Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic)
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix) (gamma)

Producers, tastemakers, and you, the ultimate judge, have spoken. Here are the tracklists that ring the loudest right now.

Best Afrobeats?
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 — DéBí 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)

Nominees for Music Video Awards

Best Editing

• Miley Cyrus – Easy Lover (Columbia Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild (Island)
• Charli XCX – Guess (feat. Billie Eilish) (Atlantic Records)
• Ed Sheeran – Sapphire (Gingerbread Man/Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra (Interscope Records)
• Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie) (Atlantic Records)

Best Choreography

• Doechii – Anxiety (Top Dawg/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/Epic Records)
• Zara Larsson – Pretty Ugly (Epic Records)

Best Visual Effects

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead (Republic Records)
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra (Interscope Records)
• Rosie & 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 (feat. 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)

ROSÉ’s silky voice perfectly blends with Bruno Mars’s smooth sound in this fresh collab, “APT.” The tune opens with a chill guitar loop, then a soft beat kicks in that feels like a warm breeze.

Lyrically, the song paints a story of late-night city drives and sneaking into each other’s hearts. The hook’s catchy melody invites you to sing along in the car with the windows down.

Bruno’s classic throwback harmonies ride the hook, while ROSÉ weaves in her dreamier notes, creating a push and pull that feels intoxicating. The production sparkles with live bass and tiny keyboard pops, giving the track a brilliant, airy vibe.

“APT.” has that perfect mix of romance and groove, making it a must-press replay for sultry nights.