Taylor Swift has 10 nominations.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem, and Sabrina Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo, and Teddy Swims (four each).
“Fortnite” is nominated for video of the year, where it faces Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” Billie Eilish’s “Lunch,” Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” Eminem’s “Houdini,” and SZA’s “Snooze.” This is Eminem’s record-extending ninth nod in the category (counting one he received with D12). It’s Swift’s seventh nod in the category; the fourth for Grande and Doja Cat; the third for Eilish and SZA, and, surprisingly, the first for Post Malone.
Swift has won a record four times for video of the year, for “Bad Blood” (2015), “You Need to Calm Down” (2019), “All Too Well: The Short Film” (2022), and “Anti-Hero” (2023). She is seeking to extend her record for most wins and to become the first person to win three years running.
Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa, and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Eilish, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Rauw Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher, and Victoria Monét, with two each.
Those nomination tallies are surprisingly low for Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. Both artists blew up near the end of the eligibility period (June 22, 2023, to June 20, 2024). That also explains why Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is missing in the video of the year and best hip-hop categories. The video was released on July 4. Nominations in social-only categories, including song of the summer, will be revealed in the next couple of weeks, which could give late-breaking artists another chance at some VMAs love.
Boone, Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, and Tyla are nominated for best new artist. Four of these artists are likely to also be in the running for best new artist when the Grammy nominees are announced on Nov. 8. Abrams and Tyla cannot be. Abrams was nominated in that category at the Grammys on Feb. 4. Tyla won in another category (best African music performance). The VMAs did not nominate Carpenter or Sexyy Red in this category.
If Swift wins four VMAs, she’ll tie Beyoncé as the top winner in the show’s history (unless Bey adds to her Moonperson collection with a song of the year win for “Texas Hold ’Em.” If Eminem wins one award, he will break out of a tie with Peter Gabriel as the man with the most VMAs in history (13).
Swift directed the “Fortnight” video, which is nominated for best direction. Swift has won in that category in three of the last four years (for videos she personally directed) – for “The Man,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” and “Anti-Hero.” Swift’s friend and producer Jack Antonoff will have divided loyalties in this category: His band Bleachers is nominated for “Tiny Moves” – which was co-directed by his wife, Margaret Qualley, and Alex Lockett. (Qualley was also nominated for best choreography for that video.)
Art director Nicholas des Jardins has two of the six nominees for best art direction – Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” and Carpenter’s “Please Please Please.”
In a VMAs quirk, the best pop award is awarded to an artist for overall work during the year, not for a specific video. All of the other genre awards – best hip-hop, best R&B, best alternative, best rock, best Latin, best Afrobeats, and best K-pop – are for a specific video. Go figure.
Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.
The 2024 VMAs return to New York live on the East Coast from UBS Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be held just four days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is the executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Here’s the complete list of 2024 VMAs nominees:
Video of the year
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records
Billie Eilish – “Lunch” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Artist of the year
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Eminem – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
SZA – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song of the year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – “Lovin on Me” – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records
(And so on, including categories like Best New Artist, Best Collaboration, Best Pop, Best Hip-Hop, Best R&B, Best Alternative, Best Rock, Best Latin, Best Afrobeats, Best K-pop, Video for Good, MTV Push Performance of the Year, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction.)
