When are the VMAs, How to Watch, Nominees & More

Can’t seem to get that hit single or your favorite music video from the last year out of your head? Chances are, you’re not the only one, and it might have been catchy enough to get a nod at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Fans are voting for their favorite performances in the music video medium, and we’ll find out which artists took the top spot in each category on September 7th, 2025! Get all the information you need to watch your favorite artist bring home the iconic moon person trophy this year.

Watch the VMAs on DIRECTV — and so much more!

---

When are the VMAs?

The 2025 MTV VMAs are back and better than ever. The event will take place live at New York’s UBS Arena, but even if you can’t be there live, you can still tune in from the comfort of your couch on Sunday, September 7th, at 8 p.m. ET.

How to Watch the MTV Video Music Awards in 2025

Fans have more options than ever to watch the VMAs this year. In addition to the event airing on MTV (DIRECTV Channel 331), 2025 will be the first year the event is being carried by CBS! Those with Paramount+ can watch the event live on the streaming platform.

It has also been announced that Paramount Media Networks will broadcast an hour-long pre-show event starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Who is Hosting the 2025 VMAs?

The one and only LL Cool J will be the host of the 2025 VMAs.

As fans well know, the VMAs have always been the birthplace of unforgettable pop culture moments — the kind that dominate headlines and live in internet lore forever. With his legendary charisma as both a rapper and actor, LL Cool J is set to command the stage, keep the energy high and most importantly, guide us through every jaw-dropping, can’t-believe-it moment the night is bound to deliver.

Who Is Performing at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards?

What would a music video awards ceremony be without some musical performances? Here’s the full list of iconic performers that will be taking the stage at the MTV VMAs this year:

• Mariah Carey (Video Vanguard Award Recipient)
• Busta Rhymes (MTV VMA Rock The Bells Visionary Award Honoree)
• Ricky Martin (MTV VMA Latin Icon Award Honoree)
• Alex Warren
• Conan Gray
• DJ Snake
• Doja Cat
• J Balvin
• Jelly Roll
• Post Malone
• Sabrina Carpenter
• sombr
• Tate McRae

---

2025 MTV VMA Nominations

Fans have the opportunity to support their favorite artists by voting ahead of the live show. Besides the popular fan-voted categories — which there are two more of this year, Best Country Artist and Best Pop Artist — there are six “professional categories” judged by experts, focusing on aspects like video editing, visual effects and choreography. Artists can win in both their nominated and professional categories.

Lady Gaga is leading the nomination count with 12 nominations, followed shortly behind by Bruno Mars (11) and Kendrick Lamar (10).

Here’s a look at all of the categories for this year’s VMAs, along with the nominees.

Video of the Year (Presented by Burger King)

• Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
• Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
• Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”
• Rosé and Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
• The Weeknd and Playboi Carti – “Timeless”

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny
• Beyoncé
• Kendrick Lamar
• Lady Gaga
• Taylor Swift
• Morgan Wallen
• The Weeknd

Song of the Year

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
• Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
• Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”
• Rosé and Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
• Tate McRae – “Sports Car”

Best New Artist

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

Best Pop Artist

• Ariana Grande
• Charli XCX
• Justin Bieber
• Lorde
• Miley Cyrus
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Tate McRae

Push Performance of the Year (Presented by Bacardi)

• August 2024: Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
• September 2024: Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song”
• October 2024: Mark Ambor – “Belong Together”
• November 2024: Lay Bankz – “Graveyard”
• December 2024: Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye”
• January 2025: Katseye – “Touch”
• February 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 (Presented by Under Armour)

• Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs – “Backup Plan”
• Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “Luther”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”
• Post Malone featuring Blake Shelton – “Pour Me a Drink”
• Rosé and Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
• Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco – “Sunset Blvd”

Best Pop

• Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
• Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
• Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
• Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”
• Rosé and Bruno Mars – “Apt.”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”

Best Hip Hop

• Doechii – “Anxiety”
• Drake – “Nokia”
• Eminem featuring Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”
• GloRilla featuring Sexyy Red – “Whatchu Kno About Me”
• Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
• LL Cool J featuring Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”
• Travis Scott – “4×4”

Best R&B

• Chris Brown – “Residuals”
• Leon Thomas and Freddie Gibbs – “Mutt (Remix)”
• Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous”
• PartyNextDoor – “No Chill”
• SZA – “Drive”
• Summer Walker – “Heart of a Woman”
• The Weeknd and Playboi Carti – “Timeless”

Best Alternative

• Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
• Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up”
• Lola Young – “Messy”
• MGK and 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 and Netón Vega – “La Patrulla”
• Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos – “Khé?”
• Shakira – “Soltera”

Best K-Pop

• Aespa – “Whiplash”
• Jennie – “Like Jennie”
• Jimin – “Who”
• Jisoo – “Earthquake”
• Lisa featuring Doja Cat and Raye – “Born Again”
• Rosé – “Toxic Till the End”
• Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom”

Best Afrobeats

• Asake and Travis Scott – “Active”
• Burna Boy and Travis Scott – “TaTaTa”
• Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea – “Shake It to the Max (Fly) (remix)”
• Rema – “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
• Tems and Asake – “Get It Right”
• Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
• Wizkid and Brent Faiyaz – “Piece of My Heart”

Best Country

• Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m in Love with You”
• Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You”
• Jelly Roll – “Liar”
• Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?”
• Morgan Wallen – “Smile”
• Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU”

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 featuring Billie Eilish – “Guess”
• Doechii – “Anxiety”
• Eminem featuring Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”
• Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco – “Younger and Hotter Than Me”
• Zach Hood featuring Sasha Alex Sloan – “Sleepwalking”

Where to Vote

Fans can vote for their favorite artists 10 times every day leading up to the event on September 7th. Get started here: Vote Now – Nominees for 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.

---

Special Awards

In addition to the fan awards given out at the VMAs, there are also a variety of professional categories and special awards! The recipients of this year’s special awards are as follows:

• Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Mariah Carey
• Rock the Bells Visionary Award: Busta Rhymes
• Latin Icon Award: Ricky Martin

Witness all three honorees take the stage at the 2025 VMAs, where they are expected to both receive their awards and perform!

---

Stream the VMAs Live on DIRECTV!

There you have it, the nominees and special award winners for the 2025 VMAs, along with all the information you need to watch the event live.

And make sure you have DIRECTV so you can watch the winners accept their awards live! Plus, you don’t want to miss any performances from the night – after all, at least one of them will likely going down in pop-culture history.

DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.