MTV VMAs 2023 Nominations: Taylor Swift, SZA, Doja Cat, BLACKPINK, and More

September 12, 2023

Pop culture's biggest night is almost here. The MTV Video Music Awards are tonight, September 12, and the full list of MTV VMAs 2023 nominations proves that it's a year of femme power: women and non-binary artists have scored the most nominations by far. In fact, no men are nominated for two of the biggest categories of the night, Video of the Year or Artist of the Year.

Leading the pack regardless of gender is Taylor Swift, who is clearly in her winning era. The singer-songwriter is the most nominated artist of the year with a total of 8 nominations, landing nods in almost every eligible category including the coveted Artist of the Year and Video of the Year brackets. According to MTV, Swift could make history as the only artist to win VOTY four times.

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SZA is close behind with the second-most nominations, earning 6 nods for “Kill Bill” and “Shirt” from her critically-acclaimed sophomore album SOS. Then, tied with 5 nominations each are Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sam Smith. (Doja Cat and Rodrigo impressively made the ranks of top contenders despite releasing their nominated videos only two months before the awards show.)

Last year, the MTV VMAs boasted 26 first-time nominees. They shattered their own record this year with a total of 35 first-timers, including stars like Teen Vogue cover stars Ayra Starr, Ice Spice, and Saucy Santana, Reneé Rapp, GloRilla, Yung Miami, Boygenius, Kim Petras, Peso Pluma, Metro Boomin, PinkPantheress, Toosii, Burna Boy, Davido, aespa, and Rema.

Fans were able to vote across all 15 gender-neutral categories — including this year's new grouping, Best Afrobeats — by visiting vote.mtv.com and voting through Friday, September 1. The polls are now effectively closed; however, the polls for Best New Artist will remain open until the award is announced live during the show, as will a few more of the other social categories — Show of the Summer, Group of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Album of the Year — listed below. (Social categories are denoted with an asterisk.)

But what about the biggest award of the night, you ask? The 2022 Video Vanguard Award went to Nicki Minaj; the recipient of this year's Video Vanguard Award is none other than global superstar Shakira. The Colombian icon will make history as the first South American artist to receive the night's most prestigious honor. As part of her acceptance, Shakira will perform on the VMAs stage for the first time in 17 years.

The 2023 MTV VMAs will be broadcast live globally on Tuesday, September 12 at 8 p.m. ET / PT from Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center. Superstar Nicki Minaj will return to host under the official title of “show emcee,” and you can expect award presenters like Coco Jones, Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, Emrata, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline, Sabrina Carpenter, and many more. Keep scrolling to read the complete list of MTV VMAs 2023 nominations.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR, Presented by Burger King®

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

SHOW OF THE SUMMER*

Beyoncé
BLACKPINK
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Karol G
Taylor Swift

GROUP OF THE YEAR*

BLACKPINK
FIFTY FIFTY
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Måneskin
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW x TOGETHER

SONG OF THE SUMMER*

Beyoncé – “Cuff It”
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture Barbie)”
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Doechii ft. Kodak Black – “What It Is (Block Boy)”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)”
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid”
Gunna – “fukumean”
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice– “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice – “Karma”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers – “Do It Like That”
Luke Combs – “Fast Car”
Troye Sivan – “Rush”
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – "La Bebe (Remix)"

ALBUM OF THE YEAR*

(Voting for this social category opens on September 11 at 11 a.m. ET on MTV's Instagram Story. There will be one round, tap to vote. Voting ends on September 12 at 11 a.m. ET.)

Beyoncé – Renaissance
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS
Taylor Swift – Midnights

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

August 2022: Saucy Santana – “Booty”
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You”
October 2022: JVKE – “golden hour”
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 COLLABORATION

David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I'm Good (Blue)”
Post Malone, Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier 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 – “Kant Nobody”
Metro Boomin ft Future – “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”

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”
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”
Grupo Frontera Bad Bunny – “un x100to”
KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG”
ROSALÍA – “DESPECHÁ”
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”

BEST DIRECTION

Doja Cat — “Attention” — Directed by Tanu Muiño
Drake — “Falling Back” — Directed by Director X (Julien Christian Lutz)
Kendrick Lamar — “Count Me Out” — Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Megan Thee Stallion — “Her” — Directed by Colin Tilley
Sam Smith, Kim Petras — “Unholy” — Directed by Floria Sigismondi
SZA — “Kill Bill” — Directed by Christian Breslauer
Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero” — Directed by Taylor Swift

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Adele — “I Drink Wine” — Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Ed Sheeran — “Eyes Closed” — Cinematography by Natasha Baier
Janelle Monae — “Lipstick Lover” — Cinematography by Allison Anderson
Kendrick Lamar — “Count Me Out” — Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Miley Cyrus — “Flowers” — Cinematography by Marcell Rev
Olivia Rodrigo — “vampire” — Cinematography by Russ Fraser
Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero” — Cinematography by Rina Yang

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Fall Out Boy — “Love From The Other Side” — Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner
Harry Styles — “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” — Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios
Melanie Martinez — “VOID” — Visual Effects by Carbon
Nicki Minaj — “Super Freaky Girl” — Visual Effects by Max Colt and Sergio Mashevskyi
Sam Smith, Kim Petras — “Unholy” — Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER
Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero” — Visual Effects by Parliament

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