Where: On MTV televised live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ
It was another fun-filled, star-studded awards ceremony honoring the year's top music videos -- when the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards aired from the East Coast on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 8PM ET/PT live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Hosting the 2023 MTV VMAs was Nicki Minaj, repeating her dual role as host AND performer at last year's show.
...and the nominees are:
2023 MTV VMA nominees (also see WINNERS, below) had Taylor Swift leading the pack with 11 nods, followed by SZA with eight nominations.
Taylor Swift led the pack with 8 nominations followed by SZA with six nods.
Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith received five nods with BLACKPINK, Diddy and Shakira scoring four nominations each.
For the first time in VMA history all nominees for Artist of the Year were women this year -- including Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Karol G, Nicki Minaj, Shakira and Taylor Swift. This year also features a record 35 first-time VMAs nominees, including Kim Petras with five, Metro Boomin and Rema with three, and Ayra Starr, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Peso Pluma, Reneé Rapp and Yung Miami with two nods each.
Performers and presenters
Shakira was honored with this
year's MTV Video Vanguard Award.
Live performances during the broadcast included Olivia Rodrigo, Demi Lovato, Fall Out Boy, Måneskin, Doja Cat, Anitta, Lil Wayne and Tomorrow X Together, along with VMA debut performances by Kelsea Ballerini, Peso Pluma, South Korean boy band Stray Kids and Colombian pop star Karol G.
Metro Boomin also performed with Future, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Nav and Swae Lee.
Superstar Shakira, honored with this year's MTV Video Vanguard Award, made her her first appearance at the VMAs in 17 years (while becoming the first South American artist to receive the show's highest honor).
This year's recipient of the MTV Global Icon Award is rapper and record producer Diddy.
Presenters handing out Moonman award statues on awards night included Bebe Rexha, Charli & Dixie D’Amelio, Coco Jones, Dixie D’Amelio, Emily Ratajkowski, French Montana, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Jared Leto, Madelyn Cline, Rita Ora and Sabrina Carpenter.
Also in the presenter lineup were French Montana, Emily Ratajkowski, Anuel AA, Billy Porter, Dove Cameron, Fat Joe, Reneé Rapp, Nelly Furtado, Wyclef Jean, Timbaland, Thalia, Tiffany Haddish, Saweetie, and Shenseea.
Just up ahead, check out the complete list of 2023 MTV VMA nominees and WINNERS plus fun facts, videos, and related resources about the MTV's music video "Oscars"...
Sean Cosgrave is a frequent editorial contributor to Chiff.com.
• More than a two dozen categories have been dropped by the VMA lineup over the years, including Best Artist Website and Best Video Game Soundtrack (and does anyone remember Ringtone of the Year?)
• The award for Quadruple Threat of the Year was given out just once, in 2007, to Justin Timberlake.
• Madonna is the winning-est music artist of all time with 20 Moonmen, more than Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson combined.
• American audiences were stunned by the twerkfest by Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the 2013 VMA's, wracking up more than 150 formal complaints to the FCC for their naughtier-than-thou performance.
• The first nominees for music videos in Spanish were announced at the 2005 VMAs that also featured live performances by Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Tego Calderon.
• The most awarded music video of all time is Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," which took home a total of nine Moonmen at the 1987 VMAs.
2023 MTV VMA Nominees & WINNERS
Video of the Year
Doja Cat – “Attention”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Olivia Rodrigo – “Vampire”
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – “Unholy”
SZA – “Kill Bill” Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Song of the Year
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “Vampire”
Rema and Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – “Unholy”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
SZA – “Kill Bill” Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Artist of the Year
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Karol G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira Taylor Swift
Best New Artist
GloRilla Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Push Performance of the Year
Saucy Santana – “Booty”
Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You”
Jvke – “Golden Hour”
Flo Milli – “Conceited”
Reneé Rapp – “Colorado”
Sam Ryder – “All the Way Over”
Armani White – “Goated”
Fletcher – “Becky’s So Hot” Tomorrow X Together – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Ice Spice – “Princess Diana”
Flo – “Losing You”
Lauren Spencer-Smith – “That Part”
Best Collaboration
David Guetta and Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
Post Malone and Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Diddy (featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami) – “Gotta Move On” Karol G and Shakira – “TQG”
Metro Boomin (featuring the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy) – “Creepin'” (remix)
Rema and Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best Pop
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night”
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “Vampire”
Pink – “Trustfall” Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Best Hip-Hop
Diddy (featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami) – “Gotta Move On”
DJ Khaled (featuring Drake and Lil Baby) – “Staying Alive”
GloRilla and Cardi B – “Tomorrow 2”
Lil Uzi Vert – “Just Wanna Rock”
Lil Wayne (featuring Swizz Beatz & DMX) – “Kant Nobody”
Metro Boomin (featuring Future) – “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys (featuring Lucky Daye) – “Stay”
Chlöe (featuring Chris Brown) – “How Does It Feel”
Metro Boomin (featuring the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy) – “Creepin'” (remix) SZA – “Shirt”
Toosii – “Favorite Song”
Yung Bleu and Nicki Minaj – “Love in the Way”
Best K-Pop
Aespa – “Girls”
Blackpink – “Pink Venom”
Fifty Fifty – “Cupid”
Seventeen – “Super” Stray Kids – “S-Class”
Tomorrow X Together – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Best Latin Anitta – “Funk Rave”
Bad Bunny – “Where She Goes”
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola”
Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny – “Un x100to”
Karol G and Shakira – “TQG”
Rosalía – “Despechá”
Shakira – “Acróstico”
Best Rock
Foo Fighters – “The Teacher”
Linkin Park – “Lost” (original)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Tippa My Tongue” Måneskin – “The Loneliest”
Metallica – “Lux Æterna”
Muse – “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween”
Best Alternative
Blink-182 – “Edging”
Boygenius – “The Film”
Fall Out Boy – “Hold Me Like a Grudge” Lana Del Rey (featuring Jon Batiste) – “Candy Necklace”
Paramore – “This Is Why”
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Stuck”
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr – “Rush”
Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty”
Davido (featuring Musa Keys) – “Unavailable”
Fireboy DML and Asake – “Bandana”
Libianca – “People” Rema and Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Wizkid (featuring 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”
Show of the Summer
Beyoncé
Blackpink
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Karol G Taylor Swift
Group of the Year Blackpink
Fifty Fifty
Flo
Jonas Brothers
Maneskin
NewJeans
Seventeen
Tomorrow X Together
Album of the Year
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS Taylor Swift – Midnights
Song of Summer
Beyoncé – “Cuff It”
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For?” (from the motion picture Barbie)
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Doechii (featuring Kodak Black) – “What It Is (Block Boy)”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night” (from the motion picture Barbie)
Fifty Fifty – “Cupid”
Gunna – “Fukumean” Jungkook (featuring Latto) – “Seven”
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua – “Barbie World” (from the motion picture Barbie)
Olivia Rodrigo – “Vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift (featuring 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)
Best Direction
Doja Cat – “Attention” (Director: Tanu Muiño)
Drake – “Falling Back” (Director: Julien Christian Lutz)
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” (Director: Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar)
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” (Director: Colin Tilley)
Sam Smith and Kim Petras – “Unholy” (Director: Floria Sigismondi)
SZA – “Kill Bill” (Director: Christian Breslauer) Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Director: Taylor Swift)
More about the MTV VMA's around the Web:
Elsewhere on the Web, check out major links to star profiles, red carpet fashion photos, and lots of history & fun facts behind the MTV Video Music Awards.
2023 MTV Video Music Awards - The official site with complete list of this year's nominees, winners, presenters and performers, photo galleries and video clips.
MTV Video Music Awards - Wikipedia - The online encyclopedia with a complete history of the awards, hyperlinks to lists of winners by year dating back to 1984, and related resources.
When: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 8 PM ET/PT
