MTV Video Music Awards
Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter Dominate 2025 MTV VMAs Nominations
Among the major categories, “Die With a Smile” by Gaga and Mars is up for Video of the Year, facing stiff competition from Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” and The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless.” This marks a potential changing of the guard, as Taylor Swift, who has dominated the Video of the Year category for the past three years, is notably absent from this year’s nominees.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are shaping up to be a night of intense competition and historic showdowns, with Lady Gaga leading the pack with 12 nominations. The pop icon’s powerhouse album Mayhem and chart-topping collaborations with Bruno Mars, including the smash hit “Die With a Smile,” have placed her in a prime position to sweep the awards on September 7 at UBS Arena in New York.
Bruno Mars follows closely with 11 nods, while Kendrick Lamar, a VMA veteran, stands strong with 10 nominations, thanks to his critically acclaimed track “Not Like Us.” Sabrina Carpenter, riding high on the success of her viral hit “Manchild” and her album Short n’ Sweet, has earned an impressive eight nominations, tying with K-Pop sensation ROSÉ.
This year’s Artist of the Year category is a star-studded battlefield. Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, and The Weeknd will vie for the coveted Moonman. Notably, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who are tied for the most VMA wins at 30 apiece, have only one nomination each this year, signaling a shift in the VMA landscape as a new wave of artists like Sabrina Carpenter and ROSÉ emerge as frontrunners.
Among the major categories, “Die With a Smile” by Gaga and Mars is up for Video of the Year, facing stiff competition from Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” and The Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless.” This marks a potential changing of the guard, as Taylor Swift, who has dominated the Video of the Year category for the past three years, is notably absent from this year’s nominees.
The MTV VMAs have expanded their genre-specific categories, introducing Best Country Artist. Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson are among the nominees. Additionally, categories like Best K-Pop, Best Afrobeats, and Best Latin continue to highlight the global influence of non-Western artists.
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Ariana Grande’s visual epic “brighter days ahead” is competing in both Video of the Year and Best Long Form Video, a category that has historically honored groundbreaking projects like Beyoncé’s Lemonade and Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film.
Fan voting is now open across 19 categories, allowing audiences to play a direct role in determining the night’s big winners. For the first time, voting incentives through Instagram interactions and daily “Power Hour” sessions are driving unprecedented fan engagement.
With the show airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, the 2025 MTV VMAs ( MTV Video Music Awards) are poised to deliver record-breaking viewership and social media buzz. Whether Gaga will close the gap on Swift and Beyoncé’s all-time wins, or if newcomers like Sabrina Carpenter will steal the spotlight, this year’s VMAs promises unforgettable moments.
