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
