Lady Gaga leads with 12 nominations in 2025 MTV Video Music Awards

Lady Gaga leads the nominations for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), scoring an impressive 12 nods.

It marks the third time the pop idol has topped the nominations list — a feat no other artist has matched in VMA history.

Gaga’s strong showing is followed closely by Bruno Mars, who earned 11 nominations and Kendrick Lamar with 10.

Pop favourites Rose and Sabrina Carpenter are not far behind, each collecting eight nominations, including in major categories like Best Pop and Artist of the Year. They’re joined by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd, who both picked up seven nods.

Elsewhere, Billie Eilish earned six nominations, while Charli XCX is up for five, including Best Collaboration and Video of the Year.

A number of major artists landed four nominations apiece, including Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus and Tate McRae.

There are two new categories this year for Best Country and Best Pop Artist.

Artist of the Year will be a battle between Bad Bunny, Beyonce, Lamar, Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. Up for Best New Artist are Alex Warren, Ella Langley, Gigi Perez, Lola Young, Sombr and The Marías.

Bad Bunny (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), Kendrick Lamar (GNX), Lady Gaga (Mayhem), Morgan Wallen (I’m the Problem), Sabrina Carpenter (Short n’ Sweet), and The Weeknd (Hurry Up Tomorrow) will contend for Best Album.

The winners will be announced during a star-studded bash on Sunday Sept 7, at the UBS Arena in New York City. For the first time, CBS will simulcast the awards live alongside MTV, while Paramount+ will also stream the show for viewers around the world.

Voting is now open via MTV’s official website.

The nominees for the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards:

Video of the Year

• Ariana Grande, Brighter Days Ahead
• Billie Eilish, Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
• Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
• Rose and Bruno Mars, Apt.
• Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, Timeless

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny
• Beyonce
• 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 and Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
• Lorde, What Was That
• Rose and Bruno Mars, Apt.
• Tate McRae, Sports Car
• The Weeknd and 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

• August 2024 – Shaboozey, A Bar Song (Tipsy)
• September 2024 – Ayra Starr, Last Heartbreak Song
• October 2024 – Mark Ambor, Belong Together
• November 2024 – Lay Bankz, Graveyard
• December 2024 – Dasha, Bye Bye Bye
• January 2025 – Katseye, Touch
• February 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 Collaboration

• Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs, Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)
• Kendrick Lamar and SZA, Luther
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
• Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton, Pour Me a Drink
• Rose and Bruno Mars, Apt.
• Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Sunset Blvd

Best Pop

• Alex Warren, Ordinary
• Ariana Grande, Brighter Days Ahead
• Ed Sheeran, Sapphire
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
• Rose and 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, 4X4 – Cactus Jack/Epic Records

Best RnB

• Chris Brown, Residuals
• Leon Thomas and 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 and Playboi Carti, Timeless

Best Alternative

• Gigi Perez, Sailor Song
• Imagine Dragons, Wake Up
• Lola Young, Messy
• MGK and Jelly Roll, Lonely Road
• Sombr, Back to Friends
• The Marías Back to Me

Best Rock

• Coldplay, All My Love
• Evanescence, Afterlife (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry)
• Green Day, One Eyed Bastard
• Lenny Kravitz, Honey – Roxie Records
• 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 and Romeo Santos, Khe
• Shakira, Soltera

Best K-pop

• Aespa, Whiplash
• Jennie, Like Jennie
• Jimin, Who
• Jisoo, Earthquake
• Lisa ft. Doja Cat and Raye, Born Again
• Stray Kids, Chk Chk Boom
• Rose, Toxic Till the End

Best Afrobeats

• Asake and Travis Scott, Active
• Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott, TaTaTa
• Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and 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 with 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 (Short Film)
• 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 featuring Billie Eilish
• Doechii, Anxiety
• Eminem ft. Jelly Roll, Somebody Save Me
• Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Younger and Hotter Than Me
• Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan, Sleepwalking

Best Direction

• Ariana Grande, Brighter Days Ahead
• Charli xcx, Guess featuring Billie Eilish
• Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
• Lady Gaga, Abracadabra
• Rose and Bruno Mars, Apt.
• Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild

Best Art Direction

• Charli xcx, Guess featuring Billie Eilish
• Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
• Lady Gaga, Abracadabra
• Lorde, Man Of The Year
• Miley Cyrus, End of the World
• Rose and 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 featuring Billie Eilish
• Ed Sheeran, Sapphire
• Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
• Lady Gaga, Abracadabra
• Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
• Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)

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
• Rose and Bruno Mars, Apt.
• Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
• Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)
• The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow