With Justin Bieber in the lead, the nominations for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were announced Wednesday. Justin followed closely by Megan Thee Stallion.
Bieber earns seven nods, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for “POPSTAR” with DJ Khaled and Drake, as well as Best Pop and Best Collaboration for “Peaches” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon.
Megan Thee Stallion scores six nominations including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Hip-Hop for the Cardi B-assisted “WAP.” The Houston hottie is also nominated for a second time for Best Hip-Hop for Lil Baby’s “On Me (Remix).”
Drake, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Giveon, Billie Eilish, BTS, and Olivia Rodrigo each have five nominations, while Cardi B, 24kGoldn, Dua Lipa, and Taylor Swift follow with four. Other multiple nominees include Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Bruno Mars with three apiece.
In the Video of the Year category, the nominees include Cardi B’s “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, DJ Khaled’s “POPSTAR” featuring Drake and Bieber, Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA, Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits,” Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” and The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears.”
The 2021 VMAs will return to New York City, airing live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will simulcast across CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1 and The CW Network.
Well as September 3, 2021 is the voting deadline, fans are now free vote for their favorites across 14 gender-neutral categories by visiting vma.mtv.com.
Below are the 2021 MTV VMA NOMINEES
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
The Weeknd – Save Your Tears
Cardi B featuring Megan thee Stallion – WAP
DJ Khaled featuring Drake – Popstar (starring Justin Bieber)
Doja Cat featuring SZA – Kiss Me More
Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits
Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Justin Bieber
Megan thee Stallion
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
SONG OF THE YEAR
24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior – Mood
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open
BTS – Dynamite
Cardi B featuring Megan thee Stallion – WAP
Dua Lipa – Levitating
Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers License
BEST NEW ARTIST (Presented by Facebook)
24kGoldn
Giveon
The Kid LAROI
Olivia Rodrigo
Polo G
Saweetie
PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
September 2020: Wallows – Are You Bored Yet?
October 2020: Ashnikko – Daisy
November 2020: SAINt JHN – Gorgeous
December 2020: 24kGoldn – Coco
January 2021: JC Stewart – Break My Heart
February 2021: Latto – Sex Lies
March 2021: Madison Beer – Selfish
April 2021: The Kid LAROI – Without You
May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license
June 2021: girl in red – Serotonin
July 2021: Fousheé – my slime
August 2021: jxdn – Think About Me
BEST COLLABORATION
24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior – Mood
Cardi B featuring Megan thee Stallion – WAP
Doja Cat featuring SZA – Kiss Me More
Drake featuring Lil Durk – Laugh Now Cry Later
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar, Giveon – Peaches
Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa – Prisoner
BEST POP
Ariana Grande – Positions
Billie Eilish – Therefore I Am
BTS – Butter
Harry Styles – Treat People With Kindness
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar, Giveon – Peaches
Olivia Rodrigo – Good 4 U
Shawn Mendes – Wonder
Taylor Swift – Willow
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B featuring Megan thee Stallion – WAP
Drake featuring Lil Durk – Laugh Now Cry Later
Lil Baby featuring Megan thee Stallion – On Me (remix)
Moneybagg Yo – Said Sum
Polo G – RAPSTAR
Travis Scott featuring Young Thug & MIA – Franchise
BEST ROCK
Evanescence – Use My Voice
Foo Fighters – Shame Shame
John Mayer – Last Train Home
The Killers – My Own Soul’s Warning
Kings Of Leon – The Bandit
Lenny Kravitz – Raise Vibration
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Bleachers – Stop Making This Hurt
Glass Animals – Heat Waves
Imagine Dragons – Follow You
Machine Gun Kelly featuring Blackbear – My Ex’s Best Friend
Twenty One Pilots – Shy Away
Willow featuring Travis Barker – Transparent Soul
Related: MTV Looking to Hosting a Live Audience at this Year’s VMAs
BEST LATIN
Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez – Dákiti
Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA – Lo Vas A Olvidar
Black Eyed Peas and Shakira – Girl Like Me
J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy – Un Dia (One Day)
Karol G – Bichota
Maluma – Hawái
BEST R&B
Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – Brown Skin Girl
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open
Chris Brown and Young Thug – Go Crazy
Giveon – Heartbreak Anniversary
HER ft. Chris Brown – Come Through
SZA – Good Days
BEST K-POP
(G)I-DLE – DUMDi DUMDi
BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez – Ice Cream
BTS – Butter
Monsta X – Gambler
SEVENTEEN – Ready to love
TWICE – Alcohol-Free
VIDEO FOR GOOD
Billie Eilish – Your Power
Demi Lovato – Dancing With the Devil
HER – Fight For You
Kane Brown – Worldwide Beautiful
Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
Pharrell Williams featuring JAY Z – Entrepreneur
BEST DIRECTION
Billie Eilish – Your Power – Directed by: Billie Eilish
DJ Khaled featuring Drake – Popstar (starring Justin Bieber) – Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X
Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino
Taylor Swift – Willow – Directed by: Taylor Swift
Travis Scott featuring Young Thug & MIA – Franchise – Directed by: Travis Scott
Tyler the Creator – Lumberjack – Directed by: Wolf Haley
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – Brown Skin Girl – Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, Mohammed Atta Ahmed, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant
Billie Eilish – Therefore I Am – Cinematography by: Rob Witt
Foo Fighters – Shame Shame – Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez
Justin Bieber featuring Chance The Rapper – Holy –Cinematography by: Elias Talbot
Lady Gaga – 911 – Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth
Lorde – Solar Power – Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud
BEST ART DIRECTION
Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – Already – Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos
Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits – Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz
Lady Gaga – 911 – Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus
Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Art Direction by: John Richoux
Saweetie featuring Doja Cat – Best Friend – Art Direction by: Art Haynes
Taylor Swift – willow – Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Doja Cat & The Weeknd – You Right – Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr
Bella Poarch – Build a Bitch – Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova
Coldplay – Higher Power – Visual Effects by: Mathematic
Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel
Glass Animals – Tangerine – Visual Effects by: Ronan Fourreau
Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Visual Effects by: Mathematic
P!NK – All I Know So Far – Visual Effects by: Dave Meyers, Freenjoy Inc
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Ariana Grande – 34+35 – Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson
BTS – Butter – Choreography by: Son Sung Deuk with BHM Performance Directing Team
Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits – Choreography by: Natricia Bernard
Foo Fighters – Shame Shame – Choreography by: Nina McNeely
Harry Styles – Treat People With Kindness – Choreography by: Paul Roberts
Marshmello & Halsey – Be Kind – Choreography by: Dani Vitale
BEST EDITING
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open – Editing by: Troy Charbonnet
BTS – Butter – Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens
Drake – What’s Next – Editing by: Noah Kendal
Harry Styles – Treat People With Kindness – Editing by: Claudia Wass
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar, Giveon – Peaches – Editing by: Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs
Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa – Prisoner
