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Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems Lead Afrobeats Charge at 2025 MTV VMAs (Full List)

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Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems Lead Afrobeats Charge at 2025 MTV VMAs (Full List)

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are putting Afrobeats front and center, with Nigerian heavyweights Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Asake, and Rema all landing major nominations. The newly introduced Best Afrobeats category makes its debut this year, a move that reflects the genre’s explosive global rise and the growing dominance of Nigerian artists on the world stage.

Burna Boy leads the pack with three nominations: Best Afrobeats for TaTaTa featuring Travis Scott, Video for Good for Higher, and Best Visual Effects for his part in The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow. Wizkid earns a spot in the Best Afrobeats category as well, thanks to his collaboration with Brent Faiyaz on Piece Of My Heart.

Tems and Asake are both recognized for their joint track Get It Right, while Asake also secures a second nomination for Active, a collaboration with Travis Scott. Rema joins the Best Afrobeats nominees with his vibrant single Baby (Is It A Crime). These nominations highlight Afrobeats’ growing influence and showcase just how deeply Nigerian music is resonating with global audiences.

The 2025 MTV VMAs will air live on September 7, 2025.

Scroll down for the full list of nominees across all categories.

CategoryNominees
Video of the YearAriana 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 YearBad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the YearAlex 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 ArtistAlex Warren
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
sombr
The Marías
Best Pop ArtistAriana Grande
Charli xcx
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
MTV Push Performance of the YearAug. 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 CollaborationBailey 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 PopAlex 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-HopDoechii – “Anxiety”
Drake – “NOKIA”
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “Watch Kno About Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”
Travis Scott – “4X4”
Best R&BChris 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 AlternativeGigi 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 RockColdplay – “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 LatinBad 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-Popaespa – “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 AfrobeatsAsake & 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 CountryChris 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 AlbumBad 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 VideoAriana 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 GoodBurna 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 DirectionAriana 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 DirectionCharli 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 CinematographyAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Miley Cyrus – “Easy Lover”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best EditingCharli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”
Best ChoreographyDoechii – “Anxiety”
FKA twigs – “Eusexua”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Tyla – “PUSH 2 START”
Zara Larsson – “Pretty Ugly”
Best Visual EffectsAriana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching”
The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow”
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Aperoja Taofeek, known as Tao, is a blogger, developer, and the CEO of Trackloaded, a verified digital platform covering entertainment, news, and culture.

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