LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 2: Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga at The 67th Annual Grammy Awards, airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, Feb. 2 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/5:00-8:30 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.* (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)  © Getty

AWARDS SEASON

MTV Video Music Awards 2025 full nomination list: Lady Gaga leads the pack followed by Bruno Mars

Who are you hoping wins the most awards this year?


Senior Writer
AUGUST 5, 2025 6:36 PM EDT

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are next month, and the full nomination list has arrived. As always, it’s packed with the biggest names in music from a variety of genres, spanning from hip-hop, rock, Latin, K-Pop, and coveted awards like Video of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Leading the pack with nominations is the one and only Lady Gaga with 12, including Video of the Year, Best Direction, Best Collaboration, and Best Pop. Her track "Abracadabra" has 6 nominations, followed by her collaboration with Bruno Mars, "Die with a Smile," which has 4. Mars follows second with 11 nominations and is the most-nominated male artist of the year. He's closely followed by Kendrick Lamar, who has 10 nominations, with his viral track “Not Like Us” sitting at the top with 7 nominations. Sabrina Carpenter and ROSÉ follow with eight nods, and Ariana Grande sits near the top with 7. Check out the full list below. 

The VMA trophy known as "Moon Person" © Getty
The VMA trophy known as "Moon Person"

Video of the Year

  • Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Billie Eilish: "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: "Die with a Smile"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"
  •  The Weeknd, Playboi Carti: "Timeless"

Artist of the Year

© Getty
Bad Bunny has 4 nominations
  • Bad Bunny
  •  Beyoncé
  •  Kendrick Lamar
  •  Lady Gaga
  •  Morgan Wallen
  •  Taylor Swift
  •  The Weeknd

Song of the Year

  •  Alex Warren: "Ordinary"
  •  Billie Eilish: "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
  •  Doechii: "Anxiety"
  •  Ed Sheeran: "Sapphire"
  •  Gracie Abrams: "I Love You, I'm Sorry"
  •  Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: "Die with a Smile"
  •  Lorde: "What Was That"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Tate McRae: "Sports Car"
  •  The Weeknd, Playboi Carti: "Timeless"

Best New Artist

  • Alex Warren
  •  Ella Langley
  •  Gigi Perez
  •  Lola Young
  •  sombr
  •  The Marías


Best Pop Artist (new category)

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Sabrina Carpenter has an impressive 8 nominations
  • Ariana Grande
  •  Charli xcx
  •  Justin Bieber
  •  Lorde
  •  Miley Cyrus
  •  Sabrina Carpenter
  •  Tate McRae

MTV Push Performance of the Year

  • Aug. 2024: Shaboozey: "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"
  •  Sept. 2024: Ayra Starr: "Last Heartbreak Song"
  •  Oct. 2024: Mark Ambor: "Belong Together"
  •  Nov. 2024: Lay Bankz: "Graveyard"
  •  Dec. 2024: Dasha: "Bye Bye Bye"
  •  Jan. 2025: KATSEYE: "Touch"
  •  Feb. 2025: Jordan Adetunji: "KEHLANI"
  •  March 2025: Leon Thomas: "YES IT IS"
  •  April 2025: Livingston: "Shadow"
  •  May 2025: Damiano David: "Next Summer"
  •  June 2025: Gigi Perez: "Sailor Song"
  •  July 2025: ROLE MODEL: "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out"

Best Collaboration

  • Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs: "Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)"
  •  Kendrick Lamar & SZA: "luther"
  •  Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: "Die with a Smile"
  •  Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton: "Pour Me a Drink"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Selena Gomez, benny blanco: "Sunset Blvd"

Best Pop

  • Alex Warren: "Ordinary"
  •  Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Ed Sheeran: "Sapphire"
  •  Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: "Die with a Smile"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"

Best Hip-Hop

  • Doechii: "Anxiety"
  •  Drake: "NOKIA"
  •  Eminem ft. Jelly Roll: "Somebody Save Me"
  •  GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red: "WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  LL COOL J ft. Eminem: "Murdergram Deux"
  •  Travis Scott: "4X4"

Best R&B

  • Chris Brown: "Residuals"
  •  Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs: "MUTT (REMIX)"
  •  Mariah Carey: "Type Dangerous"
  •  PARTYNEXTDOOR: "N o C h i l l"
  •  Summer Walker: "Heart of a Woman"
  •  SZA: "Drive"
  •  The Weeknd, Playboi Carti: "Timeless"

Best Alternative

© Getty
The Marias, which is fronted by Puerto Rican Maria Zardoya, is representing with 2 nominations
  •  Gigi Perez: "Sailor Song"
  •  Imagine Dragons: "Wake Up"
  •  Lola Young: "Messy"
  •  mgk & Jelly Roll: "Lonely Road"
  •  sombr: "back to friends"
  •  The Marías: "Back to Me"

Best Rock

  • Coldplay: "ALL MY LOVE"
  •  Evanescence: "Afterlife (From the Netflix Series 'Devil May Cry')"
  •  Green Day: "One Eyed Bastard"
  •  Lenny Kravitz: "Honey"
  •  Linkin Park: "The Emptiness Machine"
  •  twenty one pilots: "The Contract"

Best Latin

  • Bad Bunny: "BAILE INoLVIDABLE"
  •  J Balvin: "Rio"
  •  KAROL G: "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido"
  •  Peso Pluma: "LA PATRULLA"
  •  Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos: "Khé?"
  •  Shakira: "Soltera"

Best K-Pop

  • aespa: "Whiplash"
  •  JENNIE: "like JENNIE"
  •  Jimin: "Who"
  •  JISOO: "earthquake"
  •  LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE: "Born Again"
  •  Stray Kids: "Chk Chk Boom"
  •  ROSÉ: "toxic till the end"

Best Afrobeats

  • Asake & Travis Scott: "Active"
  •  Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott: "TaTaTa"
  •  MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea: "Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)"
  •  Rema: "Baby (Is It a Crime)"
  •  Tems ft. Asake: "Get It Right"
  •  Tyla: "PUSH 2 START"
  •  Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz: "Piece of My Heart"

Best Country (new category)

  • Chris Stapleton: "Think I'm in Love with You"
  •  Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood: "I'm Gonna Love You"
  •  Jelly Roll: "Liar"
  •  Lainey Wilson: "4x4xU"
  •  Megan Moroney: "Am I Okay?"
  •  Morgan Wallen: "Smile"

Best Album

  • Bad Bunny: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
  •  Kendrick Lamar: GNX
  •  Lady Gaga: Mayhem
  •  Morgan Wallen: I'm the Problem
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: Short n' Sweet
  •  The Weeknd: Hurry Up Tomorrow

Best Long Form Video

  • Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Bad Bunny: "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)"
  •  Damiano David: "FUNNY little STORIES"
  •  Mac Miller: "Balloonerism"
  •  Miley Cyrus: "Something Beautiful"
  •  The Weeknd: "Hurry Up Tomorrow"

Video for Good

  •  Burna Boy: "Higher"
  •  Charli xcx: "Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
  •  Doechii: "Anxiety"
  •  Eminem ft. Jelly Roll: "Somebody Save Me"
  •  Selena Gomez, benny blanco: "Younger and Hotter Than Me"
  •  Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan: "Sleepwalking"

Best Direction

  • Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Charli xcx: "Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"

Best Art Direction

  • Charli xcx: "Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  Lorde: "Man of the Year"
  •  Miley Cyrus: "End of the World"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."

Best Cinematography

  • Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Ed Sheeran: "Sapphire"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  Miley Cyrus: "Easy Lover"
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"


Best Editing

  • Charli xcx: "Guess featuring Billie Eilish"
  •  Ed Sheeran: "Sapphire"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"
  •  Tate McRae: "Just Keep Watching (from 'F1® The Movie')"

Best Choreography

  • Doechii: "Anxiety"
  •  FKA twigs: "Eusexua"
  •  Kendrick Lamar: "Not Like Us"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  Tyla: "PUSH 2 START"
  •  Zara Larsson: "Pretty Ugly"

Best Visual Effects

  •  Ariana Grande: "brighter days ahead"
  •  Lady Gaga: "Abracadabra"
  •  ROSÉ & Bruno Mars: "APT."
  •  Sabrina Carpenter: "Manchild"
  •  Tate McRae: "Just Keep Watching (from 'F1® The Movie')"

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