Afrobeats’ international exploits already earned it an exclusive category at the VMAs, and this year, a collection of Nigerian superstars will be vying to take home the prize.
This year, the Best Afrobeats Song category will be keenly contested by Ayra Starr’s ‘Rush,’ Burna Boy’s ‘It’s Plenty,’ Davido’s ‘Unavailable’ featuring Musa Keys, Fireboy DML’s ‘Bandana’ featuring Asake, Libianca’s ‘People,’ Rema & Selena Gomez’s ‘Calm Down,’ and Wizkid’s ‘2 Sugar’ featuring Ayra Starr.
In a giant feat, Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ earns nominations for Collaboration of the Year and Song of the Year alongside other heavyweights like Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flower’, Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ ‘Unholy’, and Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Vampire’.
While the host is yet to be announce, the 2023 VMAs will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
See full nominations list below.
Video of the year
Doja Cat – “Attention”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Artist of the year
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Karol G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Taylor Swift
Song of the year
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best new artist
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Best collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
Post Malone, Doja Cat – “I Like You (aHappier Song)”
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On”
Karol G, Shakira – “TQG” –
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best pop
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)”
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
P!nk – “Trustfall”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best hip-hop
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On”
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – “Staying Alive”
GloRilla & Cardi B – “Tomorrow 2”
Lil Uzi Vert – “Just Wanna Rock”
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX
Metro Boomin ft Future – “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” – Republic Records
Best R&B
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – “Stay”
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – “How Does It Feel”
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
SZA – “Shirt” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Toosii – “Favorite Song”
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – “Love in the Way”
Best alternative
blink-182 – “Edging”
boygenius – “the film”
Fall Out Boy – “Hold Me Like a Grudge”
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace”
Paramore – “This Is Why”
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Stuck”
Best rock
Foo Fighters – “The Teacher”
Linkin Park – “Lost (Original Version)”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Tippa My Tongue”
Måneskin – “The Loneliest”
Metallica – “Lux Æterna”
Muse – “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween”
Best Latin
Anitta – “Funk Rave”
Bad Bunny – “Where She Goes”
Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola”
Karol G, Shakira – “TQG”
Rosalia – “Despecha,”
Shakira – “Acróstico”
Best K-pop
aespa – “Girls”
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”
Fifty Fifty – “Cupid”
Seventeen – “Super”
Stray Kids – “S-Class”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr – “Rush”
Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty”
Davido ft. Musa Keys – “Unavailable”
Fireboy DML & Asake – ”Bandana”
Libianca – “People”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– “2 Sugar”
Video for good
Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)”
Bad Bunny – “El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente”
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Dove Cameron – “Breakfast”
Imagine Dragons – “Crushed”
Maluma – “La Reina”
Push performance of the year
August 2022: Saucy Santana – “Booty”
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You”
October 2022: JVKE – “golden hour” – AWAL
November 2022: Flo Milli – “Conceited”
December 2022: Reneé Rapp – “Colorado”
January 2023: Sam Ryder – “All the Way Over”
February 2023: Armani White – “Goated”
March 2023: Fletcher – “Becky’s So Hot”
April 2023: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
May 2023: Ice Spice – “Princess Diana”
June 2023: FLO – “Losing You”
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith – “That Part”
Best direction
Doja Cat – “Attention”
Drake – “Falling Back”
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best cinematography
Adele – “I Drink Wine” – Columbia Records
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed”
Janelle Monae – “Lipstick Lover”
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best visual effects
Fall Out Boy – “Love From the Other Side”
Harry Styles – “Music for a Sushi Restaurant”
Melanie Martinez – “VOID”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best choreography
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX)
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)” – Choreography by Charm LaDonna
Jonas Brothers – “Waffle House” – Choreography by Jerry Reece
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Panic! At The Disco – “Middle of a Breakup” – Choreography by Monika Felice Smith
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel
Best art direction
boygenius – “the film” – Art Direction by Jen Dunlap
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Doja Cat – “Attention” – Art Direction by Spencer Graves
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace” – Art Direction by Brandon Mendez
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – Art Direction by Niko Philipides
SZA – “Shirt” – Art Direction by Kate Bunch
Best editing
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” – Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Kendrick Lamar – “Rich Spirit” – Edited by Grason Caldwell
Miley Cyrus – “River” – Edited by Brandan Walter
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel
SZA – “Kill Bill” – Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Edited by Chancler Haynes
