VMAs 2025: Nominees, Performers, & Everything You Need To Know About This Year’s Show In NYC

Ready for the party? The 2025 VMAs are upon us — yes, already — and we’re gearing up for what’s bound to be a very busy night in NYC. MTV’s iconic award show will return to UBS Arena in Elmont for a second time, and there are plenty of artists coming along for the ride on September 7th . After 2024’s festivities — a Sabrina Carpenter /alien smooch, Medieval vibes from Chappell Roan , and a Benson Boone backflip, to name just a few — we suspect the attendees will up the ante this time around. The show kicks off at 8/7C on CBS. Here’s the lowdown in the meantime: VMAs 2025: everything you need to know -------------------------------------- Performers have yet to be announced. However, **voting is officially open**, and music buffs are permitted to submit up to 20 votes per day. (\*Clicks Bad Bunny\*) The categories are as follows: Video of the Year (Presented by Burger King®) Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records Artist of the Year Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records Kendrick Lamar – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – Interscope Records Morgan Wallen – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records Taylor Swift – Republic Records The Weeknd – XO/Republic Records Song of the Year Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry” – Interscope Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records Lorde – “What Was That” – Republic Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Tate McRae – “Sports Car” – RCA Records The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records Best New Artist Alex Warren – Atlantic Records Ella Langley – SAWGOD/Columbia Records Gigi Perez – Island Lola Young – Island sombr – SMB Music/Warner Records The Marías – Nice Life/Atlantic Records Best Pop Artist Ariana Grande – Republic Records Charli xcx – Atlantic Records Justin Bieber – Def Jam Recordings Lorde – Republic Records Miley Cyrus – Columbia Records Sabrina Carpenter – Island Tate McRae – RCA Records MTV Push Performance of the Year (Presented by BACARDÍ® Rum) Aug 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE Sept 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin Records/Republic Records Oct 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together” – Hundred Days Records/Virgin Music Nov 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard” – Artist Partner Group Inc. Dec 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye” – Warner Records Jan 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch” – HYBE/Geffen Records Feb 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “KEHLANI” – 300 Entertainment Mar 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records Apr 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow” – Republic Records May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer” – Sony Italy/Arista Records June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island July 2025 – ROLE MODEL – “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” – Interscope Records Best Collaboration (Presented by Under Armour) Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)” – Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me A Drink” – Mercury Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records Best Pop Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Record Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Best Hip-Hop Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Drake – “NOKIA” – OVO/Santa Anna/Republic Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – CMG/Interscope Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux” – Def Jam Recordings Travis Scott – “4X4” – Cactus Jack/Epic Records Best R&B Chris Brown – “Residuals” – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous” – gamma. PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l” – OVO Sound Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman” – LVRN/Interscope Records SZA – “Drive” – Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records Best Alternative Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up” – KIDinaKorner/Interscope Records Lola Young – “Messy” – Island mgk & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road” – EST 19XX/Interscope Records sombr – “back to friends” – SMB Music/Warner Records The Marías – “Back To Me” – Nice Life/Atlantic Records Best Rock Coldplay – “ALL MY LOVE” – Atlantic Records Evanescence – “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series “Devil May Cry”)” – Netflix Music Green Day – “One Eyed Bastard” – Reprise Records/Warner Records Lenny Kravitz – “Honey” – ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine” – Warner Records twenty one pilots – “The Contract” – Fueled By Ramen Best Latin Bad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Rimas Entertainment J Balvin – “Rio” – Capitol Records KAROL G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” – Bichota Records/Interscope Records Peso Pluma – “LA PATRULLA” – Double P Records Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?” – Sony Music US Latin Shakira – “Soltera“ – Sony Music US Latin Best K-POP aespa – “Whiplash” – SM Entertainment/Virgin Music Group JENNIE – “like JENNIE” – OA Entertainment/Columbia Records Jimin – “Who” – BIGHIT MUSIC JISOO – “earthquake” – Warner Records LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again” – Lloud Co./RCA Records Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom” – JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic ROSÉ – “toxic till the end” – Atlantic Records Best Afrobeats Asake & Travis Scott – “Active” – YBNL Nation/EMPIRE Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)” – gamma. Rema – “Baby (Is It A Crime)” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / Interscope Records Tems ft. Asake – “Get It Right” – RCA Records/Since ’93 Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece Of My Heart” – Starboy/RCA Records Best Country Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m In Love With You” – Mercury Nashville Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You” – CoJo Music / Warner Music Nashville Jelly Roll – “Liar” – BBR Music Group/BMG/Republic Records Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU” – Broken Bow Records Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?” – Columbia Records Morgan Wallen – “Smile” – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records Best Album Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Rimas Entertainment Kendrick Lamar – GNX – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – Mayhem – Interscope Records Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet – Island The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records Best Long Form Video Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Bad Bunny – “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)” – Rimas Entertainment Damiano David – “FUNNY little STORIES” – Sony Italy/Arista Records Mac Miller – “Balloonerism” – Warner Records Miley Cyrus – “Something Beautiful” – Columbia Records The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – XO/Republic Records Video for Good Burna Boy – “Higher” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Younger And Hotter Than Me” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – “Sleepwalking” – Arista Records Best Direction Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Best Art Direction Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Lorde – “Man Of The Year” – Republic Records Miley Cyrus – “End of the World” – Columbia Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Best Cinematography Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Miley Cyrus – “Easy Lover” – Columbia Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Best Editing Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)” – Atlantic Records Best Choreography Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records FKA twigs – “Eusexua” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records Zara Larsson – “Pretty Ugly” – Epic Records Best Visual Effects Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie) “ – Atlantic Records The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – XO/Republic Records Source: https://secretnyc.co/your-guide-mtv-vmas-2025-nyc/