Top Artists Dominating 2025 MTV VMAs Nominees

MTV Moon Man attends the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on August 26, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

It’s almost time to hand out Moonmen again. MTV has revealed the full list of nominations for the 2025 Video Music Awards, and once again, Lady Gaga is sitting pretty at the top. With 12 nominations to her name, Gaga leads the pack, just like she did in 2023 and 2024.

Hot on her heels? Bruno Mars with 11 nominations and Kendrick Lamar with 10. They’re the only three artists to crack double digits this year.

Who Else Made Noise?

Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter both scored eight nods, making big statements heading into VMA season. Ariana Grande and The Weeknd follow with seven nominations each, while Billie Eilish picked up six, and Charli xcx grabbed five. Heavy hitters like Bad Bunny, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus, and Tate McRae all earned four.

Video of the Year Is Stacked

The coveted Video of the Year category is a who's who of pop and hip-hop royalty. Here’s who’s in the running:

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"

This category alone could be a concert lineup.

Artist of the Year? It’s Anybody’s Game

In Artist of the Year, Gaga will face off against Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd.

And for those watching who’s next, Best New Artist nominees include Alex Warren, Ella Langley, Gigi Perez, Lola Young, Sombr, and The Marías.

New Categories Alert

This year introduces two fresh categories: Best Pop Artist and Best Country. With the explosion of genre crossovers and viral country-pop hits, it was probably time.

Some Standout Matchups

Here are a few more eye-catching categories and nominees:

Song of the Year includes Gaga & Mars’ Die with a Smile, Eilish’s "Birds of a Feather," and Rosé & Mars’ "Apt."
Best Collaboration sees Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Luther facing off with Gaga & Mars, Rosé & Mars, and Selena Gomez with Benny Blanco.
Best Hip-Hop has a big-name lineup with Drake ("Nokia"), Eminem with Jelly Roll ("Somebody Save Me"), and Lamar’s "Not Like Us"—again.
Best K-Pop? Rosé, Jennie, Lisa, and Jimin are all in the mix, so expect fans to show up in full force.

The Big Night

The VMAs will air live from New York City’s UBS Arena on September 7. You can catch it on CBS and MTV, and stream it on Paramount+.

Take a look at the full list of nominees here.

MTV MTV VMAS

Kayla MorganWriter

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.