Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars lead nominees for MTV's Video Music Awards 2025

Pop singer Lady Gaga and her Die with a Smile collaborator Bruno Mars landed at the top of the list of nominees for this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Gaga scored 12 nominations, including artist of the year and best album for Mayhem. Mars received 11 nods for Die with a Smile, his Grammy-winning song with Gaga, and for APT., a duet with K-pop sensation Rose.

Both Mars collaborations will compete for video of the year against Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish, the Kendrick Lamar diss track Not Like Us, Sabrina Carpenter's Manchild and others.

Superstars Beyonce and Taylor Swift both received nominations for artist of the year. The two women have the most career VMA awards with 30 each. Other nominees in the category are Lamar, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, country singer Morgan Wallen and Canadian pop star The Weeknd.

The VMAs began airing on MTV in 1984 and became known for memorable moments such as an onstage kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears and Lady Gaga's appearance in a raw meat dress.

Fans can vote online in 19 of this year's categories. Winners will be announced on Sept. 7 at a ceremony broadcast live from New York on the CBS network.

New categories were added this year for best country video and best pop artist.

Check out the full list of nominees for the 2025 VMAs below.

Video of the Year

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Records
• Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather – Darkroom/Interscope Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile – Interscope Records
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless – XO/Republic Records

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment        
• Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records 
• Kendrick Lamar – pgLang/Interscope Records  
• Lady Gaga – Interscope Records
• Morgan Wallen – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records      
• Taylor Swift – Republic Records 
• The Weeknd – XO/Republic Records    

Song of the Year

• Alex Warren – Ordinary – Atlantic Records        
• Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather – Darkroom/Interscope Records        
• Doechii – Anxiety – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records  
• Ed Sheeran – Sapphire – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
• Gracie Abrams – I Love You, I’m Sorry – Interscope Records    
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile – Interscope Records          
• Lorde – What Was That – Republic Records      
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records  
• Tate McRae – Sports Car – RCA Records          
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless – XO/Republic Records

Best New Artist

• Alex Warren – Atlantic Records
• Ella Langley – SAWGOD/Columbia Records
• Gigi Perez – Island
• Lola Young – Island
• sombr – SMB Music/Warner Records
• The Marías – Nice Life/Atlantic Records

Best Collaboration

• Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video) – Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA – luther – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile – Interscope Records
• Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton – Pour Me a Drink – Mercury Records
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records
• Selena Gomez, benny blanco – Sunset Blvd – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records

Best Album

• Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Rimas Entertainment
• Kendrick Lamar – GNX – pgLang/Interscope Records      
• Lady Gaga – Mayhem – Interscope Records          
• Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records  
• Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet – Island          
• The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records            

Best Long Form Video

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Records
• Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film) – Rimas Entertainment          
• Damiano David – FUNNY little STORIES – Sony Italy/Arista Records      
• Mac Miller – Balloonerism – Warner Records
• Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful – Columbia Records
• The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records    

Video for Good

• Burna Boy – Higher – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records                  
• Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Atlantic Records
• Doechii – Anxiety – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records                  
• Eminem feat. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records                      
• Selena Gomez, benny blanco – Younger and Hotter Than Me – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records    
• Zach Hood feat. Sasha Alex Sloan – Sleepwalking – Arista Records

MTV Push Performance of the Year

• August 2024 – Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy) – American Dogwood/EMPIRE          
• September 2024 – Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song – Mavin Records/Republic Records        
• October 2024 – Mark Ambor – Belong Together – Hundred Days Records/Virgin Music        
• November 2024 – Lay Bankz – Graveyard – Artist Partner Group Inc.
• December 2024 – Dasha – Bye Bye Bye – Warner Records        
• January 2025 – KATSEYE – Touch – HYBE/Geffen Records  
• February 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – KEHLANI – 300 Entertainment      
• March 2025 – Leon Thomas – YES IT IS – EZMNY Records/Motown Records          
• April 2025 – Livingston – Shadow – Republic Records      
• May 2025 – Damiano David – Next Summer – Sony Italy/Arista Records
• June 2025 – Gigi Perez – Sailor Song – Island  
• July 2025 – ROLE MODEL – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out – Interscope Records          

Best Pop Artist

• Ariana Grande – Republic Records
• Charli xcx – Atlantic Records
• Justin Bieber – Def Jam Recordings
• Lorde – Republic Records
• Miley Cyrus – Columbia Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Island
• Tate McRae – RCA Records

Best Pop

• Alex Warren – Ordinary – Atlantic Records        
• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Record              
• Ed Sheeran – Sapphire – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records    
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile – Interscope Records          
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records  
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island

Best Hip-Hop

• Doechii – Anxiety – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records  
• Drake – NOKIA – OVO/Santa Anna/Republic  
• Eminem feat. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records      
• GloRilla feat. Sexyy Red – WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME – CMG/Interscope Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records    
• LL COOL J feat. Eminem – Murdergram Deux – Def Jam Recordings          
• Travis Scott – 4X4 – Cactus Jack/Epic Records

Best R&B

• Chris Brown – Residuals – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records    
• Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – MUTT (REMIX) – EZMNY Records/Motown Records      
• Mariah Carey – Type Dangerous – gamma.        
• PARTYNEXTDOOR – N o C h i l l – OVO Sound
• Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman – LVRN/Interscope Records          
• SZA – Drive – Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records    
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless – XO/Republic Records

Best Alternative

• Gigi Perez – Sailor Song – Island          
• Imagine Dragons – Wake Up – KIDinaKorner/Interscope Records            
• Lola Young – Messy – Island
• mgk & Jelly Roll – Lonely Road – EST 19XX/Interscope Records 
• sombr – back to friends – SMB Music/Warner Records
• The Marías – Back to Me – Nice Life/Atlantic Records  

Best Rock

• Coldplay – All My Love – Atlantic Records
• Evanescence – Afterlife (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry) – Netflix Music          
• Green Day – One Eyed Bastard – Reprise Records/Warner Records
• Lenny Kravitz – Honey – ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH
• Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine – Warner Records
• twenty one pilots – The Contract – Fueled By Ramen 

Best Latin

• Bad Bunny – BAILE INoLVIDABLE – Rimas Entertainment          
• J Balvin – Rio – Capitol Records
• KAROL G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
• Peso Pluma – LA PATRULLA – Double P Records              
• Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – Khé? – Sony Music US Latin
• Shakira – Soltera – Sony Music US Latin

Best K-Pop

• aespa – Whiplash – SM Entertainment/Virgin Music Group        
• JENNIE – like JENNIE – OA Entertainment/Columbia Records  
• Jimin – Who – BIGHIT MUSIC
• JISOO – earthquake – Warner Records
• LISA feat. Doja Cat & RAYE – Born Again – Lloud Co./RCA Records
• Stray Kids – Chk Chk Boom – JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic    
• ROSÉ – toxic till the end – Atlantic Records    

Best Afrobeats

• Asake & Travis Scott – Active – YBNL Nation/EMPIRE    
• Burna Boy feat. Travis Scott – TaTaTa – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records    
• MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix) – gamma.            
• Rema – Baby (Is It a Crime) – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / Interscope Records    
• Tems feat. Asake – Get It Right – RCA Records/Since ’93
• Tyla – PUSH 2 START – FAX Records/Epic Records        
• Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz – Piece Of My Heart – Starboy/RCA Records

Best Country

• Chris Stapleton – Think I’m In Love With You – Mercury Nashville        
• Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – I’m Gonna Love You – CoJo Music / Warner Music Nashville      
• Jelly Roll – Liar – BBR Music Group/BMG/Republic Records        
• Lainey Wilson – 4x4xU – Broken Bow Records 
• Megan Moroney – Am I Okay? – Columbia Records    
• Morgan Wallen – Smile – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records 

Best Direction

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Records
• Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Atlantic Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island

Best Art Direction

• Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Atlantic Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• Lorde – Man Of The Year – Republic Records
• Miley Cyrus – End of the World – Columbia Records
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records

Best Cinematography

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Records
• Ed Sheeran – Sapphire – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• Miley Cyrus – Easy Lover – Columbia Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island

Best Editing

• Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Atlantic Records
• Ed Sheeran – Sapphire – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island
• Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie) – Atlantic Records

Best Choreography

• Doechii – Anxiety – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
• FKA twigs – Eusexua – Atlantic Records
• Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us – pgLang/Interscope Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• Tyla – PUSH 2 START – FAX Records/Epic Records
• Zara Larsson – Pretty Ugly – Epic Records

Best Visual Effects

• Ariana Grande – brighter days ahead – Republic Records
• Lady Gaga – Abracadabra – Interscope Records
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – APT. – Atlantic Records
• Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild – Island
• Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie) – Atlantic Records
• The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records