Nicki Minaj To quote returning VMAs emcee Nicki Minaj, “What’s good?” There was a lot going on at the MTV presentation this year, starting with the candidates. Taylor Swift tops the pack with 11 nominations, mostly for her self-directed “Anti-Hero” video, and is vying for Video of the Year for the second time after winning the prize last year for her “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” short film. SZA, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Blackpink, and Olivia Rodrigo are also among the top nominations, with many of them performing. Women are having a great year.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj: For the first time, nonbinary artists make up the whole slate of contenders for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. Speaking of firsts, the Best Afrobeats category makes its debut. And Shakira will receive the Video Vanguard Award and Diddy will receive the Global Icon Award during this year’s presentation.
The Moon People will take to the skies at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main spectacle at 8 p.m. ET. Below is a complete list of nominations for the 2023 MTV VMAs, which will be updated in real time with the winners.
Video of the Year Nicki Minaj:
Doja Cat’s “Attention”
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
“Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj.
Olivia Rodrigo as a “vampire”
“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
“Kill Bill” by SZA.
Swift, Taylor – “Anti-Hero”
Artist of the Year Nicki Minaj:
Beyoncé
Doja KAROL G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year Nicki Minaj:
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
Olivia Rodrigo as a “vampire”
“Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez.
“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
“Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy.
“Kill Bill” by SZA.
Swift, Taylor – “Anti-Hero”
Best New Artist
Reneé Rapp GloRilla Ice Spice Kaliii Peso Pluma PinkPantheress Reneé Rapp
Push Performance of the Year Nicki Minaj:
“Booty” by Santana is a saucy song.
“Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez is a song written by Stephen Sanchez.
“Golden Hour” by JVKE.
“Conceited” by Flo Milli.
“Colorado” by Reneé Rapp.
“All the Way Over” by Sam Ryder.
White Armani – “GOATED”
“Becky’s So Hot” by FLETCHER.
Nicki Minaj: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
“Princess Diana” by Ice Spice. Nicki Minaj:
“Losing You” by FLO.
“That Part” by Lauren Spencer Smith.
Best Collaboration
Nicki Minaj: “I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha.
“I Like You (A Happier Song)” by Post Malone and Doja Cat.
“Gotta Move On” by Diddy feat. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami.
“TQG” by KAROL G and Shakira.
“Creepin’ (Remix)” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy.
“Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez.
Best Pop
Demi Lovato’s song “Swine”
“Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa.
“Eyes Closed” by Ed Sheeran.
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
Olivia Rodrigo as a “vampire”
“TRUSTFALL” by P!NK.
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best Hip-Hop
“Gotta Move On” by Diddy feat. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami.
“STAYING ALIVE” by DJ Khaled featuring Drake and Lil Baby.
“Tomorrow 2” by GloRilla and Cardi B.
“Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert is a song written by Lil Uzi Vert.
“Kant Nobody” by Lil Wayne featuring Swizz Beatz and DMX.
“Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” by Metro Boomin featuring Future.
“Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj.
Best R&B
“Stay” by Alicia Keys featuring Lucky Daye.
“How Does It Feel” by Chlöe featuring Chris Brown.
“Creepin’ (Remix)” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy.
SZA – “Shirt”
“Favorite Song” by Toosii.
“Love In The Way” by Yung Bleu and Nicki Minaj.
Best Alternative
blink-182’s “EDGING”
boygenius’ “the film”
“Hold Me Like A Grudge” by Fall Out Boy.
“Candy Necklace” by Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste.
Paramore – “This Is Why”
“Stuck” by Thirty Seconds To Mars.
Best Rock
“The Teacher” by the Foo Fighters.
“Lost (Original Version)” by Linkin Park.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Tippa My Tongue”
Mneskin’s song “THE LONELIEST”
Metallica’s “Lux terna”
Muse’s “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween”
Best Latin
Anitta’s “Funk Rave” is a funky rave.
Bad Bunny – “WHEREVER SHE GOES”
“Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma.
Frontera Groupe Bad Bunny: “un x100to”
G KAROL, Shakira’s song “TQG”
ROSALA, “DESPECH”
Shakira’s song “Acróstico”
Best K-Pop
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” aespa – “Girls”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride” FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid” SEVENTEEN – “Super” Stray Kids – “S-Class”
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr’s “Rush”
The song “It’s Plenty” by Burna Boy is available on iTunes.
“UNAVAILABLE” by Davido featuring Musa Keys.
“Bandana” by Fireboy DML and Asake.
Libianca’s song “People”
“Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez.
“2 Sugar” by Wizkid featuring Ayra Starr.
Video for Good
“If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)” by Alicia Keys.
“El Apagón – Aqu Vive Gente” by Bad Bunny.
Demi Lovato’s song “Swine”
Dove Cameron’s song “Breakfast”
Imaginary Dragons’ “Crushed”
Maluma performs “La Reina”
Show of the Summer
Drake Beyoncé BLACKPINK
Ed Sheeran’s
G KAROL
Taylor Swift’s
Group of the Year
FLO BLACKPINK FIFTY FIFTY FLO
The Jonas Brothers
SEVENTEEN TOMORROW X TOGETHER Mneskin NewJeans
Album of the Year
Renaissance by Beyoncé
Her Loss by Drake and 21 Savage
Heroes and Villains by Metro Boomin
Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus
SZA’s SOS
Swift, Taylor – Midnights
Song of the Summer
Beyoncé’s song “Cuff It”
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For? (From Barbie The Album)”
“What It Is (Block Boy)” by Doechii featuring Kodak Black.
“Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat.
“Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa.
“Cupid (Twin Ver.)” by FIFTY FIFTY is a song by FIFTY FIFTY.
Gunna is a “fukumean”
“Seven” by Jung Kook featuring Latto.
“Fast Car” by Luke Combs.
“Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice.
Olivia Rodrigo as a “vampire”
“Kill Bill” by SZA.
“Karma” by Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice.
“Do It Like That” by Tomorrow X Together with the Jonas Brothers.
Troye Sivan’s song “Rush”
Peso Pluma & Yng Lvcas – “La Bebe (Remix)”
The Best Direction
“Attention” by Doja Cat (Directed by Tanu Muio)
“Falling Back” by Drake (Directed by Director X (Julien Christian Lutz))
“Count Me Out” by Kendrick Lamar (Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar)
“Her” by Megan Thee Stallion (Directed by Colin Tilley)
“Unholy” (Directed by Floria Sigismondi) stars Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
“Kill Bill” by SZA (Directed by Christian Breslauer)
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Taylor Swift Directed)
Best Cinematography
“I Drink Wine” by Adele (Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra)
“Eyes Closed” by Ed Sheeran (Cinematography by Natasha Baier)
“Lipstick Lover” by Janelle Monae (Cinematography by Allison Anderson)
“Count Me Out” by Kendrick Lamar (Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra)
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus (Cinematography by Marcell Rev)
Olivia Rodrigo in “Vampire” (Russ Fraser’s cinematography)
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift (Cinematography by Rina Yang)
Best Visual Effects
“Love From The Other Side” by Fall Out Boy (Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner)
“Music For A Sushi Restaurant” by Harry Styles (Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios)
“VOID” (Visual Effects by Carbon) by Melanie Martinez
“Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj (Visual Effects by CameoFX)
“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras (Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER)
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift (Visual Effects by Parliament)
Best Choreography
“Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK (Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX))
“Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa. Charm LaDonna choreographed the piece.
“Waffle House” by the Jonas Brothers (Choreography by Jerry Reece)
“Her” by Megan Thee Stallion (Choreography by Sean Bankhead)
Panic! “Middle Of A Breakup” by At The Disco (Choreography by Monika Felice Smith)
“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras (Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, and Arthur Harel)
Best Art Direction
“The film” by boygenius (Art Direction by Jen Dunlap)
“Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK (Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT))
“Attention” by Doja Cat (Art Direction by Spencer Graves)
“Candy Necklace” by Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste (Art Direction by Brandon Mendez)
“Her” by Megan Thee Stallion (Art Direction by Wes Dogan)
“Shirt” by SZA (Art Direction by Kate Bunch)
Best Editing
“Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK (Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT))
“Rich Spirit” by Kendrick Lamar (Edited by Grason Caldwell)
“River” by Miley Cyrus (Edited by Brandan Walter)
“Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo (Edited by Sofia Kerpan & David Checel)( “Kill Bill” by SZA (Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert)
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift (Edited by Chancler Haynes)
Video Vanguard Award
Shakira
Global Icon Award
Diddy