With 12 nominations for Lady Gaga and 11 for Bruno Mars, this year's awards bring huge surprises, while Kendrick Lamar, ROSÉ, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd also participate dynamically.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are coming in stronger than ever, with Lady Gaga leading the nominations this year with 12 total, followed by Bruno Mars with 11, showing that pop and R&B continue to shape the image of the modern music industry. This year's awards show has a renewed energy and the biggest names on the planet are on the list of top performers, from Kendrick Lamar and ROSÉ to Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd.
Lady Gaga makes history as she leads the nominations for the third time (after 2010 and 2020), and is now one breath away from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé's record for most overall VMAs wins. Bruno Mars, with an impressive two nominations for Video of the Year for "Die With a Smile" and "APT." with ROSÉ, becomes only the fourth artist to achieve this feat in a single year.
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Kendrick Lamar is back in the spotlight with 10 nominations, and “Not Like Us” is up for Video of the Year, having already swept this year’s Grammys. Blackpink star ROSÉ has eight nominations, while Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande follow with eight and seven, respectively. This year’s list reveals the power of new names, with Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and others filling out the main categories. The Weeknd enters the fray with seven nominations, confirming his steady presence at the top of the charts.
For the first time in years, Taylor Swift is not on the shortlist for Video of the Year, leaving room for new names and more suspense in the top category. Billie Eilish's "Birds of a Feather," Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild," The Weeknd's "Timeless" featuring Playboi Carti, Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," and Bruno Mars' two nominations make up one of the most lopsided lineups of the year.
The Artist of the Year category is also hotly contested, with Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd all vying for the top honor. Highlights include Van Toffler returning as producer of the event after a decade and this year's awards broadcast on CBS, MTV and Paramount+.
The event, which remains gender-neutral for the ninth year, brings fresh categories such as Best Country, with the participation of artists such as Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen, while Bad Bunny stands out as the biggest name in the Latin category with four nominations.
There are no shortage of surprises, as Blackpink's ROSÉ, JENNIE and JISOO, as well as BTS' Jimin, make their solo debuts on the big lists of nominations, with ROSÉ also winning eight individual awards. Indie pop band Marías is the only group with more than one nomination.
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Fans have already begun the digital “battle” on social media, with voting open for 19 major categories and participation doubling each day during the “Power Hour.” With last year’s VMAs setting records for viewership and digital engagement, everyone is expecting one of the most interactive events in recent years.
The big night will take place on Sunday, September 7, at the UBS Arena in New York City, with all the lights on the superstars vying for their place in MTV VMAs 2025 history. From Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, to Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, ROSÉ and Billie Eilish, this year's event promises to be full of surprises, performances and true star power.
