2025 VMA nominations list: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé face off for big title

Lady Gaga led the VMA 2025 nomination list, scoring an impressive 12 nods

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé face off for MTV’s Artist of the Year title
Taylor Swift, Beyoncé face off for MTV’s Artist of the Year title

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are set to go head-to-head for MTV’s coveted Artist of the Year title, as the 2025 VMA nominations ignite a showdown between two of music’s biggest icons.

On Tuesday, the prestigious music award show unveiled its nomination list as Lady Gaga led the list, scoring an impressive 12 nods.

Her 12 nominations for the VMAs, includes for video of the year for Die With a Smile, artist of the year and album of the year for Mayhem.

Bruno Mars garnered 11 total nominations, all for his collaborations with Lady Gaga on Die With a Smile and K-pop artist Rosé on APT.

For the first time, Best Country and Best Pop Artist will be recognized as standalone categories.

The Artist of the Year race is stacked with star power, featuring Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Lamar, Gaga, Wallen, Swift, and The Weeknd.

In the Best New Artist category, the singers including Gigi Perez, Sombr, and Lola Young received the nods.

Notably, the music awards show is set to take place on Sunday, September 7, airing on CBS for the first time alongside the ceremony's longtime home of MTV.

Here’s list of VMA 2025 nominations:

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

Rosé and Bruno Mars – Apt.

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Bad Bunny

Beyoncé

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

Rosé and Bruno Mars – Apt.

Tate McRae – Sports Car

The Weeknd, 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

Rosé and Bruno Mars – Apt.

Selena Gomez, 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

Rosé 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, 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 – Khé

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

Rosé – 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, 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

Rosé 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

Rosé 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

Rosé and Bruno Mars – Apt.

Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)

The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

You Might Like: