The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards are almost here. The show will air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Tuesday (Sept. 12) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Shakira and Sean “Diddy” Combs are slated to receive the top honorary awards: the Video Vanguard Award and the Global Icon Award, respectively. Both artists will also perform on the show for the first time in more than 15 years.
This year’s VMAs are going heavy on hip-hop. In addition to Diddy’s star turn, Nicki Minaj is set to emcee and perform at the show. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will perform their new single, “Bongos.” Lil Wayne and Metro Boomin are also on the performance lineup. Metro Boomin will be joined by Future, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Swae Lee and NAV.
And the show will have a 50th anniversary salute to hip-hop, following the lead of many other awards shows in the past year. LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Darryl “DMC” Daniels and Doug E. Fresh are among the artists set to appear in the show-closing segment.
Hip-hop fans aren’t the only audience being served by this year’s VMAs. Latin music fans can look forward to performances by Anitta, Karol G and Peso Pluma — in addition to Shakira, who, as noted, is this year’s Video Vanguard award recipient.
Pop fans may tune in for Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and Demi Lovato.
Rock fans can look forward to Fall Out Boy and Måneskin.
K-pop fans will have Stray Kids and TOMORROW X TOGETHER.
Kelsea Ballerini is on the bill for fans of country music. The date of the show, Sept. 12, happens to be Ballerini’s 30th birthday, which shows that the country star is a trouper.
Eight of the performers on this year’s main show are from outside the U.S., which dramatizes how the music scene has become more global in recent years. Shakira and Karol G are both from Colombia; Stray Kids and TOMORROW X TOGETHER are both from South Korea; Anitta is from Brazil; Måneskin, from Italy, Peso Pluma, from Mexico and NAV, from Canada.
This is a far more international cast than the inaugural VMAs in 1984, where there were five American performers (Madonna, Huey Lewis & the News, Tina Turner, ZZ Top and Ray Parker Jr.) and two Brits (Rod Stewart and David Bowie, the latter represented by a pre-taped performance from London).
Saweetie will host a 90-minute pre-show, with assists from Nessa, Dometi Pongo and Kevan Kenney. The pre-show airs live from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, MTV2, CMT and Logo.
Shakira will become the first South American artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. Women have thoroughly dominated this category in recent years. Shakira follows Rihanna (2016), P!nk (2017), Jennifer Lopez (2018), Missy Elliott (2019) and Nicki Minaj (2022). There was no recipient in 2020-21. The last man to win the award was Kanye West in 2015.
Diddy is third recipient of the Global Icon Award, following Foo Fighters (2021) and Red Hot Chili Peppers (2022).
Taylor Swift leads the 2023 VMA nominations with 11 nods, counting three she received on Friday (Sept. 1) in social categories. She is followed in the total nominations count by SZA (eight); BLACKPINK, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo (six each); Kim Petras and Sam Smith (five each); and Beyoncé, Diddy, Drake, Ice Spice, Karol G, Metro Boomin, Shakira and TOMORROW X TOGETHER (five each).
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. 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.
Performers
Anitta
Cardi B
Demi Lovato
Diddy (Global Icon Award recipient)
Doja Cat
Fall Out Boy
Karol G
Kelsea Ballerini
Lil Wayne
Måneskin
Megan Thee Stallion
Metro Boomin (featuring Future, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee & NAV)
Nicki Minaj (emcee)
Olivia Rodrigo
Peso Pluma
Shakira (Video Vanguard Award recipient)
Stray Kids
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Performers (Hip-Hop 50th Anniversary Segment)
Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
Doug E. Fresh
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
LL Cool J
Lil Wayne
Nicki Minaj
Presenters
A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
Anuel AA
Ashanti
Bebe Rexha
Billy Porter
Charli D’Amelio
Chloe Bailey
Coco Jones
Dixie D’Amelio
Dove Cameron
Emily Ratajkowski
Fat Joe
French Montana
GloRilla
Halle Bailey
Jared Leto
Madelyn Cline
Nelly Furtado
Reneé Rapp
Rita Ora
Sabrina Carpenter
Saweetie
Shenseea
Thalia
Tiffany Haddish
Timbaland
Wyclef Jean
Performers: Extended Play Stage
Kaliii
Reneé Rapp
The Warning
Performers: Pre-Show
NLE Choppa
Sabrina Carpenter
