CBS and MTV Wednesday revealed the highly anticipated list of nominees for the 2025 MTV “VMAs,” celebrating artists whose cultural impact and work during the last 12 months have revolutionized the music industry and sparked global conversations.
The “VMAs” return LIVE to New York’s UBS Arena airing coast-to-coast Monday, September 8th at 00:00 WAT on MTV (DStv Channel 130).
All seven nominees in the Best Afrobeats category reflect the genre’s global reach and cultural impact.
Asake earns two nominations for “Active” with Travis Scott and “Get It Right” with Tems, both in the Best Afrobeats category.
Burna Boy also scores two nods — “TaTaTa” featuring Travis Scott (Best Afrobeats) and “Higher” (Video for Good).
Tyla joins the list of double nominees with “PUSH 2 START”, recognised in both Best Afrobeats and Best Choreography.
Rounding out the category are MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea (“Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)”), Rema (“Baby (Is It A Crime)”), and Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz (“Piece Of My Heart”), representing a diverse and vibrant showcase of African artistry on the world stage.
Fan voting is now open for 19 gender-neutral categories by visiting
vote.mtv.com through Sept. 5 at 6PM ET, except Best New Artist which remains active into show.
Song of the Year nominees will narrow to six nominees on Aug. 18 at 12PM ET, with voting continuing until Sept. 5th with the other categories.
Fans get additional votes for Video of the Year presented by Burger King®, Artist of the Year and Best New Artist by commenting under the pinned posts on @VMAs Instagram using the artist-specific hashtags through August 8th at 11PM WAT.
Get double the votes per category every day during Power Hour presented by BACARDÍ® Rum, running daily 1-2 PM ET from Aug. 7 through Sept. 4.
Additional show details, including performers, honorees, social categories and mor,e to be announced at a later date.
“The global recognition of African artists at this year’s MTV VMAs is a resounding affirmation of the genre’s influence and the visionary creativity shaping its evolution,” said Monde Twala, Senior Vice-President & General Manager of Paramount Africa and Lead BET International. “These nominations are not just milestones for the artists — they represent a cultural shift. At MTV, we are proud to continue elevating African music and talent.”
NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS:
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Lady Gaga (12) leads this year’s nominees, looking to add to her 18 “VMAs” wins with nominations in Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Album and more. This marks the third time Gaga has led nominations, previously in 2010 (13 nods) and 2020 (tied with 9 nods).
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Other top contenders include Bruno Mars (11), Kendrick Lamar (10), ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter (8 each), Ariana Grande and The Weeknd (7 each), Billie Eilish (6), Charli xcx (5), Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae (4 each).
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The race for most-ever “VMAs” wins continues between Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, both nominated for Artist of the Year.
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New this year, the addition of Best Country and Best Pop Artist categories.
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First-time nominees receiving multiple nods include ROSÉ (8; first solo noms), Alex Warren and Gigi Perez (3 each), Damiano David (first solo), Leon Thomas, Lola Young, sombr and The Marías (2 each), JENNIE, Jimin and JISOO also earned their first solo nods. Other first-timers include Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Brent Faiyaz, Cody Johnson, Dasha, Ella Langley, Freddie Gibbs, Jordan Adetunji, KATSEYE, Lainey Wilson, Lay Bankz, Livingston, Mac Miller, Mark Ambor, Megan Moroney, MOLIY, PARTYNEXTDOOR, ROLE MODEL, Sasha Alex Sloan, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Zach Hood.