Nigerian music continues its global dominance as Afrobeats superstars Asake, Burna Boy, Rema, Wizkid, Tems, and Ayra Starr secured nominations for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
The nominees were unveiled on Tuesday, with Nigerian artistes dominating the ‘Best Afrobeats’ category alongside their international collaborators.
The category features Asake and Travis Scott for ‘Active,’ Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott on ‘TaTaTa,’ Tems ft. Asake (‘Get It Right’), Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz (‘Piece of My Heart’) and Rema’s ‘Baby (Is It A Crime)’.
They will compete against Ghana’s Moliy, Jamaica’s Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea, and South Africa’s Tyla, whose hit ‘Push 2 Start’ also earned her a ‘Best Choreography’ nomination.
Ayra Starr scored a nod in the ‘MTV Push Performance of the Year’ category for ‘Last Heartbreak Song’ while Burna Boy secured his second nomination in the ‘Video for Good’ category.
Lady Gaga led the nominations with 12 nods, followed closely by Bruno Mars with 11, and Kendrick Lamar with 10.
The organisers also introduced two new categories including Best Pop Artist and Best Country.
The 2025 MTV VMAs will take place on September 7 at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
For the first time, the ceremony will air on CBS, while also simulcasting on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Here’s the full list:
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
MTV Push Performance of the Year
Ayra Starr – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’
Damiano David – ‘Next Summer’
Dasha – ‘Bye Bye Bye’
Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’
Jordan Adetunji – ‘Kehlani’
Katseye – ‘Touch’
Lay Bankz – ‘Graveyard’
Leon Thomas – ‘Yes It Is’
Livingston – ‘Shadow’
Mark Ambor – ‘Belong Together’
Role Model – ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’
Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’
Best Collaboration
Bailey Zimmerman & 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 ft. Jelly Roll – ‘Somebody Save Me’
Glorilla ft. Sexyy Red – ‘Whatchu Kno About Me’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
LL Cool J ft. Eminem – ‘Murdergram Deux’
Travis Scott – ‘4×4’
Best R&B
Chris Brown – ‘Residuals’
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – ‘Mutt (Remix)’
Mariah Carey – ‘Type Dangerous’
PartyNextDoor – ‘No Chill’
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’
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 ft. Doja Cat & Raye – ‘Born Again’
Stray Kids – ‘Chk Chk Boom’
Rosé – ‘Toxic Till the End’
Best Afrobeats
Asake & Travis Scott – ‘Active’
Burna 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 Country
Chris Stapleton – ‘Think I’m in Love With You’
Cody Johnson & 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’
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’ ft. 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 Direction
Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. 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’ ft. Billie Eilish
Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’
Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’
Tate McRae – ‘Just Keep Watching’
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’
The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
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