Afrobeats takes center stage at the 2025 MTV VMAs as Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Asake, and Rema earn major nominations.
Burna Boy leads the Nigerian nominees with three nods, Best Afrobeats for TaTaTa featuring Travis Scott, Video for Good for Higher, and Best Visual Effects for his role in The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow. Wizkid is nominated for Best Afrobeats with Piece Of My Heart alongside Brent Faiyaz.
Tems and Asake share a nomination for Get It Right, while Asake earns a second nod for Active with Travis Scott. Rema also makes the Best Afrobeats list with Baby (Is It A Crime), adding to the genre’s strong representation.
The 2025 MTV VMAs, airing live on September 7, 2025, feature a newly introduced Best Afrobeats category for nominations, highlighting the genre’s explosive global growth and the continued influence of Nigerian artists.
See full list of 2025 MTV Video Music Awards nominations below:
Video of the YearAriana 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 YearBad BunnyBeyoncéKendrick LamarLady GagaMorgan WallenTaylor SwiftThe Weeknd
Song of the YearAlex 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 ArtistAlex WarrenElla LangleyGigi PerezLola YoungsombrThe Marías
Best Pop ArtistAriana GrandeCharli xcxJustin BieberLordeMiley CyrusSabrina CarpenterTate McRae
MTV Push Performance of the YearAug. 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”March 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS”April 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”
Best CollaborationBailey 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 PopAlex 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-HopDoechii – “Anxiety”Drake – “NOKIA”Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “Watch Kno About Me”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”Travis Scott – “4X4”
Best R&BChris 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 AlternativeGigi 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 RockColdplay – “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 LatinBad 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-Popaespa – “Whiplash”JENNIE – “like JENNIE”Jimin – “Who”JISOO – “earthquake”LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again”Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom”ROSÉ – “toxic till the end”
Best AfrobeatsAsake & Travis Scott – “ActiveBurna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa”MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)”Rema – “Baby (Is It A Crime)”Tems ft. Asake – “Get It Right”Tyla – “PUSH 2 START”Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece Of My Heart”
Best CountryChris 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 AlbumBad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToSKendrick Lamar – GNXLady Gaga – MayhemMorgan Wallen – I’m The ProblemSabrina Carpenter – Short n’ SweetThe 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 GoodBurna Boy – “Higher”Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”Doechii – “Anxiety”Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Younger And Hotter Than Me”Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – “Sleepwalking”
Best DirectionAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”Charli xcx – “Guess” featuring Billie EilishKendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best Art DirectionCharli xcx – “Guess featuring 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 CinematographyAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”Miley Cyrus – “Easy Lover”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best EditingCharli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”
Best ChoreographyDoechii – “Anxiety”FKA twigs – “Eusexua”Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”Tyla – “PUSH 2 START”Zara Larsson – “Pretty Ugly”
Best Visual EffectsAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching“The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow”
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