Doja Cat, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X lead
MTV has unveiled the highly-anticipated nominations for the 2022 Video Music Awards (VMAs), featuring artists whose cultural impact and work over the past year have transformed the music industry and created global conversations. Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X lead this year’s nominations with seven apiece, closely followed by Doja Cat and Harry Styles with six each, and Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd with five each.
Leading the pack with seven nods apiece, Jack Harlow and Lil Nas X both earned multiple nominations for hit collaboration “Industry Baby,” which world premiered live on the 2021 VMAs stage, alongside Kendrick Lamar, who is nominated for the first time since 2018. Madonna, who reigns at the most awarded artists in MTV history with 20 wins, becomes the only artist to be nominated in each of the VMAs five decades (1980s-2020s), as she earns her 69th nomination for Madame X. This year also sees 26 first-time nominees, including Baby Keem with four, MTV Push artist Gayle with two, Kacey Musgraves with two and Måneskin with two, all receiving multiple nods, plus first nominations for Anitta, Becky G, Dove Cameron, Karol G, ITZY, JID, Muni Long, Tems, Wet Leg and more.
The 2022 VMAs will return to celebrate the biggest names in music on Sunday, August 28th at 8 pm ET/PT with show-stopping surprises, epic performances and a fan-filled audience live from New Jersey’s famed Prudential Center and airing across MTV’s global footprint of linear and digital platforms in 170+ countries, reaching 422 million households in nearly 30 different languages. For the third consecutive year, 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.
Fans can vote for their favorites across 22 gender-neutral categories, including “Video of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” “Best Collaboration” and two all-new categories “Best Longform Video” and “Best Metaverse Performance,” by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, August 19th, thanks to Burger King, the presenter of this year’s award voting. Voting for “Best New Artist,” presented by Extra Gum, will remain active into the show on Sunday, August, 28th. Nominations for social categories including “Group of the Year” and “Song of Summer” will be announced at a later date.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR, Presented by Burger King
- 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, Presented by EXTRA Gum
- 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
- Rosalia 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
- Rosalia – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records
- Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – Republic Records
- The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records