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The Stars and the Stats: Here’s Who’s Nominated for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards

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The countdown is on! The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are set to air live on Sunday, September 7 from UBS Arena in New York — streaming globally on Paramount+ and broadcasting on MTV and CBS. Scroll down to view a list of key nominees and categories.

This year’s award ceremony is packed with industry veterans and history-makers. Lady Gaga leads the pack with 12 nominations. Bruno Mars is close behind with 11 nominations, with Kendrick Lamar following with 10. Whether its because of record-breaking icons, viral newcomers, or history-making firsts, this year’s show promises unforgettable moments.

2025 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees:

Artist of the Year

The most prestigious category of the night pits chart titans against each other for ultimate bragging rights:

  • Bad Bunny — He’s everywhere, right now. Over 20 billion streams worldwide this year alone.
    Beyoncé — Her Cowboy Carter era has three #1 hits on the Hot 100. Queen energy.
  • Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us has 500+ million streams in its first month. Talk about dominance.
  • Lady Gaga — 12 nominations, need we say less? Her Bruno Mars collab Die with a Smile, off her new album, hit #1 on iTunes in 10 countries.
  • Morgan Wallen — Country star crossing over; One Thing at a Time spent 8 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s country charts.
  • Taylor Swift — She’s unstoppable. Just announced her new album The Life of A Showgirl with 12 “bangers” to come— according to her boyfriend.
    The Weeknd — Seven nominations; Timeless racked up 400+ million streams in the first month.

Video of the Year

Visual storytelling takes center stage in this fan-favorite category:

  • Ariana Grande — brighter days ahead hit 75 million views on YouTube in its first week.
  • Billie Eilish — BIRDS OF A FEATHER racked up 50 million+ Spotify streams.
  • Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us is trending everywhere with its bold, political visuals.
  • Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars — Die with a Smile, cinematic vibes, #1 on iTunes video charts in multiple countries.
  • ROSÉ & Bruno Mars — APT., a K-pop/Pop fusion with 25 million streams already.
  • Sabrina Carpenter — Manchild cracked the Top 40 on Billboard Hot 100.
  • The Weeknd & Playboi Carti — Timeless glowing in neon with 400+ million combined streams.

Best New Artist

The breakthrough category is all about who’s next:

  • Alex Warren — TikTok favorite; Ordinary already has 50 million streams.
  • Ella Langley — Rising country star; debut EP hit Top 10 on Billboard Country Albums.
  • Gigi Perez — Indie-pop with 10+ viral tracks streaming non-stop.
  • Lola Young — Soulful storytelling that’s earning major critical love.
  • Sombr — Lo-fi, mysterious, and viral across TikTok.
  • The Marías — Dream-pop vibes with 200+ million streams globally.

Best Pop Artist

Some of pop’s biggest hits and most-streamed artists in 2025:

  • Ariana Grande — Fresh off her release of the “brighter days” edition of the highly adored “eternal sunshine”
  • Charli XCX — With over 1 billion cumulative streams this year, she’s proving once again why we can’t stop talking about her.
  • Justin Bieber — His new album SWAG just dropped and hit #1 on Apple Music in 15 countries; fans are loving the mix of chart-topping singles and smooth collabs.
  • Lorde — Her new release Virgin has already racked up 200M+ streams, solidifying her status as one of pop’s most thoughtful voices.
  • Miley Cyrus — Something Beautiful is streaming like crazy, with 150M TikTok streams, showing her pop comeback is in full force.
  • Sabrina Carpenter — Her upcoming album Manchild is highly anticipated, and her single Manchild cracked the Top 40 on Billboard Hot 100.
  • Tate McRae — So Close To What keeps her topping Spotify’s Viral 50, already hitting 300M+ streams worldwide.

How to Watch

Don’t miss a single Moon Person moment. The 2025 MTV “VMAs,” hosted by LL COOL J, air live from New York’s UBS Arena Sunday, September 7th at 8PM ET/5PM PT on the CBS Television Network, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.* For more info and the full nominees list, check out the MTV VMAs Official Site.

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Beyond The Stage

Beyond The Stage Magazine is a digital music publication based out of the United States. With more than 25 issues, the publication has covered artists like Noah Cyrus, Logan Henderson and more.