MTV reveals nominations for 2021 "Video Music Awards" (VMAs)

Justin Bieber and Megan Thee Stallion lead nominations; Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo among top contenders

MTV PUSH artists Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI and 24kGoldn receive multiple first-time nominations

2021 "VMAs" to air LIVE from Barclays Center on Sunday, September 12th at 8PM ET/PT across 180 countries globally

NEW YORK, NY (August 11, 2021) - MTV today unveiled the nominations for the 2021 "VMAs," featuring artists whose cultural impact and work over the past year has transformed the music industry and created global conversation. Justin Bieber (7) leads this year's list of nominees, followed closely by Megan Thee Stallion (6) with Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and first-time nominee Olivia Rodrigo earning (5) nods apiece.

The 2021 "VMAs" return to New York City airing LIVE from Barclays Center on Sunday, September 12 at 8PM ET/PT, airing across MTV's global footprint of linear and digital platforms in 180 countries and territories, reaching nearly 400 million households in nearly 30 different languages. The show will simulcast across CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1 and The CW Network, making the show available to an expanded broadcast audience for the second consecutive year.

Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorites across 14 gender-neutral categories, including "Video of the Year," "Artist of the Year," "Best Collaboration" and more by visiting vma.mtv.com through Friday, September 3, 2021 - thanks to Burger King(R), the presenter of this year's award voting. Voting for "Best New Artist," Presented by Facebook, will remain active into the show on Sunday, September 12, 2021. Nominations for social categories including "Best Group" and "Song of Summer" will be announced at a later date.

Today, MTV partnered with Marlene Marmolejos (@motionmami), Aja Walton (@ajackdannie), and Fred Sands IV (@IVormerlyknownas) to announce marquee show categories including "Video of the Year," "Song of the Year" and "Artist of the Year" through each of their diverse mediums; from digital art to nail art.

The "VMAs" are set to be one of the first fan-filled awards shows in NYC since the city's reopening. The health and safety of artists, fans, staff and partners remain the number one priority, and MTV and Barclays Center are working closely with state and local officials to implement best practices in order to safely bring together music fans from around the globe. Barclays Center's current health and safety protocols can be found here. Any additional protocols will be announced closer to the event.

COMPLETE LIST OF 2021 NOMINEES:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion - "WAP" - Atlantic Records

DJ Khaled ft. Drake - "POPSTAR" (Starring Justin Bieber) - OVO / We The Best / Epic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA - "Kiss Me More" - Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Ed Sheeran - "Bad Habits" - Atlantic Records

Lil Nas X - "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" - Columbia Records

The Weeknd - "Save Your Tears" - XO / Republic Records



ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande - Republic Records

Doja Cat - Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Justin Bieber - Def Jam

Megan Thee Stallion - 300 Entertainment

Olivia Rodrigo - Geffen Records

Taylor Swift - Republic Records



SONG OF THE YEAR

24kGoldn ft. iann dior - "Mood" - RECORDS LLC / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - "Leave The Door Open" - Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

BTS - "Dynamite" - BIGHIT MUSIC

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion - "WAP" - Atlantic Records

Dua Lipa - "Levitating" - Warner Records

Olivia Rodrigo - "drivers license" - Geffen Records



BEST NEW ARTIST, Presented by Facebook

24kGoldn - RECORDS LLC / Columbia Records

Giveon - Epic Records / Not So Fast

The Kid LAROI - Columbia Records

Olivia Rodrigo - Geffen Records

Polo G - Columbia Records

Saweetie - Warner Records



PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

September 2020: Wallows - "Are You Bored Yet?" - Atlantic Records

October 2020: Ashnikko - "Daisy" - Warner Records

November 2020: SAINt JHN - "Gorgeous" - Godd Complexx / HITCO

December 2020: 24kGoldn - "Coco" - RECORDS LLC / Columbia Records

January 2021: JC Stewart - "Break My Heart" - Elektra Music Group

February 2021: Latto - "Sex Lies" - RCA Records

March 2021: Madison Beer - "Selfish" - Epic Records / Sing It Loud

April 2021: The Kid LAROI - "WITHOUT YOU" - Columbia Records

May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo - "drivers license" - Geffen Records

June 2021: girl in red "Serotonin" - world in red / AWAL

July 2021: Fousheé - "my slime" - RCA Records

August 2021: jxdn - "Think About Me" - DTA Records / Elektra Music Group



BEST COLLABORATION

24kGoldn ft. iann dior - "Mood" - RECORDS LLC / Columbia Records

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion - "WAP" - Atlantic Records

Doja Cat ft. SZA - "Kiss Me More" - Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk - "Laugh Now Cry Later" - OVO / Republic Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon - "Peaches" - Def Jam

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa - "Prisoner" - RCA Records



BEST POP

Ariana Grande - "positions" - Republic Records

Billie Eilish - "Therefore I Am" - Darkroom / Interscope Records

BTS - "Butter" - BIGHIT MUSIC

Harry Styles - "Treat People With Kindness" - Columbia Records

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon - "Peaches" - Def Jam

Olivia Rodrigo - "good 4 u" - Geffen Records

Shawn Mendes - "Wonder" - Island Records

Taylor Swift - "willow" - Republic Records



BEST HIP-HOP

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion - "WAP" - Atlantic Records

Drake ft. Lil Durk - "Laugh Now Cry Later" - OVO / Republic Records

Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion - "On Me (remix)" - Quality Control / Motown

Moneybagg Yo - "Said Sum" - N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records

Polo G - "RAPSTAR" - Columbia Records

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A. - "FRANCHISE" - Cactus Jack / Epic Records



BEST ROCK

Evanescence - "Use My Voice" - BMG

Foo Fighters - "Shame Shame" - Roswell Records / RCA Records

John Mayer - "Last Train Home" - Columbia Records

The Killers - "My Own Soul's Warning" - Island

Kings Of Leon - "The Bandit" - RCA Records

Lenny Kravitz - "Raise Vibration" - Roxie Records / BMG



BEST ALTERNATIVE

Bleachers - "Stop Making This Hurt" - RCA Records

Glass Animals - "Heat Waves" - Republic Records

Imagine Dragons - "Follow You" - KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records

Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear - "my ex's best friend" - Bad Boy / Interscope Records

twenty one pilots - "Shy Away" - Fueled By Ramen

WILLOW ft. Travis Barker - "t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l" - MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation



BEST LATIN

Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez - "Dákiti" - The Orchard

Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA - "Lo Vas A Olvidar" - Darkroom / Interscope Records

Black Eyed Peas and Shakira - "GIRL LIKE ME" - Epic Records

Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy - "UN DIA (ONE DAY)" - Universal Music Latino / NEON16

Karol G - "Bichota" - Universal Music Latino

Maluma - "Hawái" - Sony Music US Latin



BEST R&B

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid - "BROWN SKIN GIRL" - Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - "Leave The Door Open" - Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records

Chris Brown and Young Thug - "Go Crazy" - Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records

Giveon - "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY" - Epic Records / Not So Fast

H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown - "Come Through" - MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

SZA - "Good Days" - Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records



BEST K-POP

(G)I-DLE - "DUMDi DUMDi" - Republic Records

BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez - "Ice Cream" - YG Entertainment / Interscope Records

BTS - "Butter" - BIGHIT MUSIC Monsta X - "Gambler" - Starship Entertainment

SEVENTEEN - "Ready to love" - Pledis Entertainment

TWICE - "Alcohol-Free" - JYP Entertainment Company



VIDEO FOR GOOD

Billie Eilish - "Your Power" - Darkroom / Interscope Records

Demi Lovato - "Dancing With The Devil" - Island

H.E.R. - "Fight For You" - MBK Entertainment / RCA Records

Kane Brown - "Worldwide Beautiful" - Sony Music Nashville / RCA Records

Lil Nas X - "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" - Columbia Records

Pharrell Williams ft. JAY-Z - "Entrepreneur" - Columbia Records



BEST DIRECTION

Billie Eilish - "Your Power" - Darkroom / Interscope Records - Directed by: Billie Eilish

DJ Khaled ft. Drake - "POPSTAR (Starring Justin Bieber)" - OVO / We The Best / Epic Records - Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X

Lil Nas X - "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" - Columbia Records - Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino

Taylor Swift - "willow" - Republic Records - Directed by: Taylor Swift

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A - "Franchise" - Cactus Jack / Epic Records - Directed by: Travis Scott

Tyler, The Creator - "LUMBERJACK" - Columbia Records - Directed by: Wolf Haley



BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid - "BROWN SKIN GIRL" - Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records - Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, MOHAMMAED ATTA AHMED, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant

Billie Eilish - "Therefore I Am" - Darkroom / Interscope Records - Cinematography by: Rob Witt

Foo Fighters - "Shame Shame" - Roswell Records / RCA Records - Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez

Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper - "Holy" - RBMG/Def Jam - Cinematography by: Elias Talbot

Lady Gaga - "911" - Interscope Records - Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth

Lorde - "Solar Power" - Republic Records - Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud



BEST ART DIRECTION

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer - "ALREADY" - Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records - Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos

Ed Sheeran - "Bad Habits" - Atlantic Records - Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz

Lady Gaga - "911" - Interscope Records - Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus

Lil Nas X - "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" - Columbia Records - Art Direction by: John Richoux

Saweetie ft. Doja Cat - "Best Friend" - Warner Records - Art Direction by: Alec Contestabile

Taylor Swift - "willow" - Republic Records - Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez



BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Bella Poarch - "Build A Bitch" - Warner Records - Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova

Coldplay - "Higher Power" - Atlantic Records - Visual Effects by: Mathematic

Doja Cat & The Weeknd - "You Right" - Kemosabe Records / RCA Records - Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel

Glass Animals - "Tangerine" - Republic Records - Visual Effects by: Ronan Fourreau

Lil Nas X - "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" - Columbia Records - Visual Effects by: Mathematic

P!NK - "All I Know So Far" - RCA Records - Visual Effects by: BUF, VFX Supervisors: Dominique Vidal & Geoffrey Niquet, VFX Producers: Annabelle Zoellin & Camille Gibrat



BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Ariana Grande - "34+35" - Republic Records - Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson

BTS - "Butter" - BIGHIT MUSIC - Choreography by: SON SUNG DEUK With BHM PERFORMANCE DIRECTING TEAM

Ed Sheeran - "Bad Habits" - Atlantic Records - Choreography by: Natricia Bernard

Foo Fighters - "Shame Shame" - Roswell Records / RCA Records - Choreography by: Nina McNeely

Harry Styles - "Treat People With Kindness" - Columbia Records - Choreography by: Paul Roberts

Marshmello & Halsey - "Be Kind" - Astralwerks / Capitol Records - Choreography by: Dani Vitale



BEST EDITING

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic - "Leave The Door Open" - Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic Records - Editing by: Troy Charbonnet

BTS - "Butter" - BIGHIT MUSIC - Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens

Drake - "What's Next" - OVO/Republic Records - Editing by: Noah Kendal

Harry Styles - "Treat People With Kindness" - Columbia Records - Editing by: Claudia Wass

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon - "Peaches" - Def Jam - Editing by: Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa - "Prisoner" - RCA Records

LIST OF NOMINATIONS BY ARTIST

Justin Bieber - 7 Nominations

Video of the Year: "POPSTAR" (Starring Justin Bieber)

Artist of the Year

Best Pop: "Peaches"

Best Collaboration: "Peaches"

Best Direction: "POPSTAR" (Starring Justin Bieber)

Best Cinematography: "Holy"

Best Editing: "Peaches"



Megan Thee Stallion - 6 Nominations

Video of the Year: "WAP"

Artist of the Year

Song of the Year: "WAP"

Best Collaboration: "WAP"

Best Hip-Hop: "WAP"

Best Hip-Hop: "On Me (The Remix)"



Billie Eilish - 5 Nominations

Best Pop: "Therefore I Am"

Best Latin: "Lo Vas A Olvidar"

Video For Good: "Your Power"

Best Direction: "Your Power"

Best Cinematography: "Therefore I Am"



BTS - 5 Nominations

Song of the Year: "Dynamite"

Best Pop: "Butter"

Best K-Pop: "Butter"

Best Choreography: "Butter"

Best Editing: "Butter"



Doja Cat - 5 Nominations

Video of the Year: "Kiss Me More"

Artist of the Year

Best Collaboration: "Kiss Me More"

Best Art Direction: "Best Friend"

Best Visual Effects: "Best Friend"



Drake - 5 Nominations

Video of the Year - "POPSTAR" (Starring Justin Bieber)

Best Collaboration - "Laugh Now Cry Later"

Best Hip-Hop: "Laugh Now Cry Later"

Best Direction: "POPSTAR (Starring Justin Bieber)"

Best Editing: "What's Next"



Giveon - 5 Nominations

Best New Artist

Best Collaboration: "Peaches"

Best Pop: "Peaches"

Best R&B: "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY"

Best Editing: "Peaches"



Lil Nas X - 5 Nominations

Video of the Year: "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

Video For Good: "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

Best Direction: "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

Best Art Direction: "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

Best Visual Effects: "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"



Olivia Rodrigo - 5 Nominations

Artist of the Year

Song of the Year: "drivers license"

Best New Artist Push

Performance of the Year: "drivers license"

Best Pop: "good 4 u"



24kGoldn - 4 Nominations

Song of the Year: "Mood"

Best New Artist: "Mood"

Push Performance of the Year: "Coco"

Best Collaboration: "Mood"



Cardi B - 4 Nominations

Video of the Year: "WAP"

Song of the Year: "WAP"

Best Collaboration: "WAP"

Best Hip-Hop: "WAP"



Dua Lipa - 4 Nominations

Song of the Year: "Levitating"

Best Collaboration: "Prisoner"

Best Latin: Una Dia

Best Editing: "Prisoner"



Taylor Swift - 4 Nominations

Artist of the Year

Best Pop: "willow"

Best Direction: "willow"

Best Art Direction: "willow"



Anderson .Paak - 3 Nominations

Song of the Year: "Leave The Door Open"

Best R&B: "Leave The Door Open"

Best Editing: "Leave The Door Open"



Ariana Grande - 3 Nominations

Artist of the Year

Best Pop: "positions"

Best Choreography: "34+35"



Beyoncé - 3 Nominations

Best R&B: "BROWN SKIN GIRL"

Best Cinematography: "BROWN SKIN GIRL"

Best Art Direction: "ALREADY"



Bruno Mars - 3 Nominations

Song of the Year: "Leave The Door Open"

Best R&B: "Leave The Door Open"

Best Editing: "Leave The Door Open"



Ed Sheeran - 3 Nominations

Video of the Year: "Bad Habits"

Best Art Direction: "Bad Habits"

Best Choreography: "Bad Habits"



Foo Fighters - 3 Nominations

Best Rock: "Shame Shame"

Best Choreography: "Shame Shame"

Best Cinematography: "Shame Shame"



SZA - 3 Nominations

Video of the Year: "Kiss Me More"

Best Collaboration: "Kiss Me More"

Best R&B: "Good Days"

As previously announced, MTV is collaborating with 9/11 Day, the nonprofit that began and leads the federally recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, for a series of service-oriented activities during the week leading up to the VMAs, promoting awareness and positive action in observance of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Additional details to be announced.

Official sponsors of the 2021 MTV VMAs include: Burger King(R), Clearblue(R) Pregnancy Tests, Coors Light, Doritos(R), EXTRA(R) Gum, Facebook and Toyota Motor North America.

Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are Executive Producers for the 2021 "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.

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