MTV VMA Nominations: Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Kendrick Lamar Lead Field

Kris Avalon
Aug 5
7 min read

Lady Gaga is the frontrunner for MTV’s Video Music Awards, as the singer racked up a leading 12 nods in nominations announced Tuesday for the 2025 ceremony, set to air live on CBS Sept. 7.

via: Vibe

Leading the pack is Lady Gaga with 12 nominations total, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Album, and more. The 39-year-old is the top overall nominee for the third time and claims 18 career wins.

Bruno Mars closely follows his collaborator with 11 nominations total. Kendrick Lamar has the third most nominations with 10. ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter are tied with eight nominations each. Additional top contenders at this year’s ceremony include Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Charli xcx, Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus, and Tate McRae.

First-time nominees include Leon Thomas, Freddie Gibbs, Lay Bankz, and Brent Faiyaz. Additionally, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift continue their race for most-ever VMAs with fresh nominations for the 2025 event.

As described in a press statement, the VMAs have been a pop culture juggernaut for more than four decades, celebrating the best music videos of the year with history-making performances, iconic tributes, culture-defining moments, and the biggest surprises from the world’s biggest superstars.

The 2025 VMAs are set to broadcast live from UBS Arena on Sunday, September 7th at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, simulcast on MTV, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. Fan voting is now open for THE 19 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Sept. 5, except Best New Artist, which remains active into the awards show.

View the 2025 Video Music Awards nominations below.

2025 “VMAs” NOMINEES:

Nominees in each category are listed in alphabetical order by first name.

(**) = New Category

VIDEO OF THE YEAR, presented by Burger King®

Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records
Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar – pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga – Interscope Records
Morgan Wallen – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
The Weeknd – XO/Republic Records

SONG OF THE YEAR

Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry” – Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records
Lorde – “What Was That” – Republic Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Tate McRae – “Sports Car” – RCA Records
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records

BEST NEW ARTIST

Alex Warren – Atlantic Records
Ella Langley – SAWGOD/Columbia Records
Gigi Perez – Island
Lola Young – Island
sombr – SMB Music/Warner Records
The Marías – Nice Life/Atlantic Records

BEST POP ARTIST **

Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Charli xcx – Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber – Def Jam Recordings
Lorde – Republic Records
Miley Cyrus – Columbia Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Tate McRae – RCA Records

MTV PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR, presented by BACARDÍ® Rum

Aug 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Sept 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin Records/Republic Records
Oct 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together” – Hundred Days Records/Virgin Music
Nov 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard” – Artist Partner Group Inc.
Dec 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye” – Warner Records
Jan 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch” – HYBE/Geffen Records
Feb 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “KEHLANI” – 300 Entertainment
Mar 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records
Apr 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow” – Republic Records
May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer” – Sony Italy/Arista Records
June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island
July 2025 – ROLE MODEL – “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” – Interscope Records

BEST COLLABORATION, presented by Under Armour

Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)” – Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther” – pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me A Drink” – Mercury Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records

BEST POP

Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Record
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island

BEST HIP-HOP

Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Drake – “NOKIA” – OVO/Santa Anna/Republic
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – CMG/Interscope Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records
LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux” – Def Jam Recordings
Travis Scott – “4X4” – Cactus Jack/Epic Records

BEST R&B

Chris Brown – “Residuals” – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records
Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous” – gamma.
PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l” – OVO Sound
Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman” – LVRN/Interscope Records
SZA – “Drive” – Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island
Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up” – KIDinaKorner/Interscope Records
Lola Young – “Messy” – Island
mgk & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road” – EST 19XX/Interscope Records
sombr – “back to friends” – SMB Music/Warner Records
The Marías – “Back To Me” – Nice Life/Atlantic Records

BEST ROCK

Coldplay – “ALL MY LOVE” – Atlantic Records
Evanescence – “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series “Devil May Cry”)” – Netflix Music
Green Day – “One Eyed Bastard” – Reprise Records/Warner Records
Lenny Kravitz – “Honey” – ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH
Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine” – Warner Records
twenty one pilots – “The Contract” – Fueled By Ramen

BEST LATIN

Bad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Rimas Entertainment
J Balvin – “Rio” – Capitol Records
KAROL G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Peso Pluma – “LA PATRULLA” – Double P Records
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?” – Sony Music US Latin
Shakira – “Soltera“ – Sony Music US Latin

BEST K-POP

aespa – “Whiplash” – SM Entertainment/Virgin Music Group
JENNIE – “like JENNIE” – OA Entertainment/Columbia Records
Jimin – “Who” – BIGHIT MUSIC
JISOO – “earthquake” – Warner Records
LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again” – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom” – JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic
ROSÉ – “toxic till the end” – Atlantic Records

BEST AFROBEATS

Asake & Travis Scott – “Active” – YBNL Nation/EMPIRE
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)” – gamma.
Rema – “Baby (Is It A Crime)” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / Interscope Records
Tems ft. Asake – “Get It Right” – RCA Records/Since ’93
Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece Of My Heart” – Starboy/RCA Records

BEST COUNTRY **

Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m In Love With You” – Mercury Nashville
Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You” – CoJo Music / Warner Music Nashville
Jelly Roll – “Liar” – BBR Music Group/BMG/Republic Records
Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU” – Broken Bow Records
Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?” – Columbia Records
Morgan Wallen – “Smile” – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records

BEST ALBUM

Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Rimas Entertainment
Kendrick Lamar – GNX – pgLang/Interscope Records
Lady Gaga – Mayhem – Interscope Records
Morgan Wallen – I’m The Problem – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet – Island
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records

BEST LONG FORM VIDEO

Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)” – Rimas Entertainment
Damiano David – “FUNNY little STORIES” – Sony Italy/Arista Records
Mac Miller – “Balloonerism” – Warner Records
Miley Cyrus – “Something Beautiful” – Columbia Records
The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – XO/Republic Records

VIDEO FOR GOOD

Burna Boy – “Higher” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Younger And Hotter Than Me” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – “Sleepwalking” – Arista Records