Lil Nas X was not pleased when he received “an outstanding zero nominations” for the 2022 BET Awards. He’ll be much happier with the results of the 2022 MTV Video Music Award nominations, where he has seven nods, which puts him in a tie for the lead with Jack Harlow and Kendrick Lamar.
These three hip-hop stars are followed closely by Doja Cat (the year’s top female nominee) and Harry Styles, each of whom received six nods. Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd received five nods each. BTS is the most nominated group or duo, with four nods.
MTV expanded the number of nominees for its top award, video of the year, to seven for the first time in the show’s 39-year history. This is in keeping with the recent awards show trend of larger fields of nominees. There are also seven nominees here for artist of the year, best collaboration and best alternative.
Lil Nas X, who won last year’s video of the year award for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” is defending his title with “Industry Baby,” his collab with Harlow that they premiered on last year’s VMAs. The video is nominated in six categories. Should it win the top award, Lil Nas X will become the first artist to win back-to-back video of the year awards.
The competition in that category includes Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” Swift is a two-time winner in the category, for “Bad Blood” (a collab with Lamar) and “You Need to Calm Down.” If “All Too Well…” wins, she’ll become the first three-time winner in the category.
The other nominees for video of the year are Doja’s “Woman,” Drake featuring Future & Young Thug’s “Way 2 Sexy,” Sheeran’s “Shivers,” Styles’ “As It Was,” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “brutal.” (Young Thug was featured on the 2018 winner in this category, Camila Cabello’s “Havana.”)
Bad Bunny is the first Latin artist to be nominated for artist of the year. (Cabello won in the category three years ago, but she’s primarily pop.) Sheeran, who was the first winner in the category when it was introduced in 2017, is nominated again. Should he win, he’ll be the first two-time winner in the category. The other artist of the year nominees are Drake, Styles, Harlow, Lil Nas X and Lizzo.
Elton John, who became a major star 11 years before MTV went on the air in 1981, is nominated for song of the year for “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” his hit collab with Lipa. The other nominees in the category are Adele’s “Easy on Me,” Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Doja’s “Woman,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber’s “Stay.”
The nominees for best new artist are Baby Keem, Dove Cameron, GAYLE, Latto, Måneskin and Seventeen. Voting in that category will remain active into the telecast on Sunday, Aug. 28.
Madonna, who is second only to Beyoncé as the most-awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins, is nominated in the new best longform video category with “MADAME X.” This makes Madonna the only artist to be nominated in each of the VMAs’ first five decades (1980s-2020s).
The other nominees for best longform video are Eilish’s Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, Foo Fighters’ Studio 666, Kacey Musgraves’ star-crossed, Rodrigo’s driving home 2 u and Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).”
MTV added a second new category this year — best metaverse performance.
The video for good category, which the VMAs introduced in 2011 as best video with a message, has proved influential. The Grammys are adding a similar category — best song for social change — this coming year (a special merit award, in their case, not a member-voted award). The VMA nominees are Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” Latto’s “P—y,” Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” Rina Sawayama’s “This Hell” and Stromae’s ”Fils de joie.”
There are 26 first-time nominees this year, including Baby Keem, GAYLE, Musgraves and Måneskin, all of whom received multiple nods, as well as Anitta, Becky G, Dove Cameron, Karol G, ITZY, JID, Muni Long, Tems and Wet Leg, among others.
The 2022 VMAs will be held on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The show was first broadcast from that venue three years ago. For the third year in a row, the VMAs will simulcast on The CW Network, making the show available to an expanded broadcast audience, in addition to BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TVLand and VH1.
Beginning Tuesday, fans can vote for their favorites across 22 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com. Voting closes Friday, Aug. 19 (except for best new artist).
Nominations for social categories, including group of the year and song of summer, will be announced at a later date.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2022 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Here’s the complete list of 2022 nominees:
Video of the year
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was“ – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Artist of the year
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Drake – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Lil Nas X – Columbia Records
Lizzo – Atlantic Records
Song of the year
Adele – “Easy on Me” – Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay” – Columbia Records
Best new artist
Baby Keem – Columbia Records
Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
GAYLE – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
Latto – Streamcut / RCA Records
Måneskin – Arista Records
Seventeen – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Push performance of the year
September 2021: Griff – “One Night” – Warner Records
October 2021: Remi Wolf – “Sexy Villain” – Island Records
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – Warner Records
December 2021: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
January 2021: Mae Muller – “Better Days” – Capitol Records UK
February 2022: GAYLE – “abcdefu” – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
March 2022: Sheneesa – “R U That” – Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records
April 2022: Omar Apollo – “Tamagotchi” – Warner Records
May 2022: Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Domino Recording Company
June 2022: Muni Long – “Baby Boo” – Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording
July 2022: Doechii – “Persuasive” – Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
Best collaboration
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Post Malone & The Weeknd – “One Right Now” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd – “LA FAMA” – Columbia Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best pop
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor” – Geffen Records
Best hip-hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U” – Freebandz / Epic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “Big Energy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Pusha T – “Diet Coke” – G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
Best rock
Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young” – RCA Records
Jack White – “Taking Me Back” – Third Man Records
Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” – Warner Records
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records
Shinedown – “Planet Zero” – Elektra Music Group
Three Days Grace – “So Called Life” – RCA Records
Best alternative
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – “Love It When You Hate Me” – Elektra Music Group / DTA Records
Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – “emo girl” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records
Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records
Panic! At The Disco – “Viva Las Vengeance” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots – “Saturday” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – “G R O W” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
Best Latin
Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records
Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó” – Rimas Entertainment
Becky G X KAROL G – “MAMIII” – Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records
Daddy Yankee – “REMIX” – Republic Records
Farruko – “Pepas” – Sony Music US Latin
J Balvin & Skrillex – “In Da Getto” – Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “City of Gods (Part II)” – AKW
Chlöe – “Have Mercy” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
H.E.R. – “For Anyone” – RCA Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – “No Love (Extended Version)” – LVRN / Interscope Records
The Weeknd – “Out Of Time” – XO / Republic Records
Best K-pop
BTS – “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
ITZY – “LOCO” – JYP Entertainment
LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
SEVENTEEN – “HOT” – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “MANIAC” – JYP Entertainment
TWICE – “The Feels” – JYP Entertainment
Video for good
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “P*ssy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Rina Sawayama – “This Hell” – Dirty Hit
Stromae – ”Fils de joie” – Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
Best metaverse performance
BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
BTS | Minecraft – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
Charli XCX | Roblox – Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave – Def Jam
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite – Republic Records
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Best longform video
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Foo Fighters – Studio 666 – RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Madonna – Madame X – Interscope Records
Olivia Rodrigo – driving home 2 u – Geffen Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam” – Epic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best art direction
Adele – “Oh My God” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO / Republic Records
Kacey Musgraves – “simple times” – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Best visual effects
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay X BTS – “My Universe” – Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best choreography
BTS – “Permission to Dance” – BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – “Tears In The Club” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Best editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records
