Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion lead MTV VMA nominations. See the full list of nominees
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- Justin Bieber leads the nods with seven, including artist of the year and video of the year for âPopstar,â with DJ Khaled and Drake.
- Megan Thee Stallion has six, including one for artist of the year.
- Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo each have five nominations.
- VMAs will return to a live production at Barclays Center in New York at 8 p.m. ET Sept. 12.
A high-profile cameo in âPopstarâ and his own No. 1 hit âPeachesâ launched Justin Bieber to the top of the nominations list for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
Bieber leads the lineup with seven nominations, including artist of the year and video of the year for âPopstar,â his collaboration with DJ Khaled and Drake.
Nipping at Bieberâs tally is Megan Thee Stallion with six nods, also including one for artist of the year. The majority of the rapperâs nominations are for âWAP,â her saucy pairing with Cardi B; the duoâs performance of the song on the Grammy Awards in March courted both controversy and praise for its raunchy display.
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The VMAs will return to a live production from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, at 8 p.m. ET Sept. 12. Last year, the show was originally scheduled to take place at the venue until rising COVID-19 cases forced producers to call an audible and stage some performances outdoors and some in front of a green screen.
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With the current surge of the coronavirus causing more uncertainty, show officials will announce additional protocols closer to the event.
Following the leading nominations from Bieber and Megan Thee Stallion are a slew of chart-toppers with five nods each â Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and breakthrough darling Olivia Rodrigo.
Perennial favorite Taylor Swift will vie for four awards, including artist of the year and three for "Willow," while other familiar VMA artists â Ariana Grande, BeyonceÌ, Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Ed Sheeran â scooped up three nominations each.
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Fans can vote for their favorite artists in 14 gender-neutral categories, including video of the year, artist of the year and best collaboration, through Sept. 3 at vma.mtv.com. Voting for the best new artist award will continue into the live show.
Complete List if 2021 VMA nominees:
Video of the year
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion â âWAPâ
DJ Khaled ft. Drake â âPOPSTARâ (Starring Justin Bieber)
Doja Cat ft. SZA â âKiss Me Moreâ
Ed Sheeran â âBad Habitsâ
Lil Nas X â âMONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)â
The Weeknd â âSave Your Tearsâ
Artist of the year
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
Justin Bieber
Megan Thee Stallion
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
Song of the year
24kGoldn ft. iann dior â âMoodâ
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic â âLeave The Door Openâ
BTS â âDynamiteâ
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion â âWAPâ
Dua Lipa â âLevitatingâ
Olivia Rodrigo â âdrivers licenseâ
Best new artist
24kGoldn
Giveon
The Kid LAROI
Olivia Rodrigo
Polo G
Saweetie
Push performance of the year
September 2020: Wallows â "Are You Bored Yet?"
October 2020: Ashnikko â "Daisy"
November 2020: SAINt JHN â "Gorgeous"
December 2020: 24kGoldn â "Coco"
January 2021: JC Stewart â "Break My Heart"
February 2021: Latto â "Sex Lies"
March 2021: Madison Beer â "Selfish"
April 2021: The Kid LAROI â "WITHOUT YOU"
May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo â "drivers license"
June 2021: girl in red "Serotonin"
July 2021: FousheeÌ â "my slime"
August 2021: jxdn â âThink About Meâ
Best collaboration
24kGoldn ft. iann dior â âMoodâ
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion â âWAPâ
Doja Cat ft. SZA â âKiss Me Moreâ
Drake ft. Lil Durk â âLaugh Now Cry Laterâ
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon â âPeachesâ
Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa â âPrisonerâ
Best pop
Ariana Grande â âpositionsâ
Billie Eilish â âTherefore I Amâ
BTS â âButterâ
Harry Styles â âTreat People With Kindnessâ
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon â âPeachesâ
Olivia Rodrigo â âgood 4 uâ
Shawn Mendes â âWonderâ
Taylor Swift â âwillowâ
Best hip-hop
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion â âWAPâ
Drake ft. Lil Durk â âLaugh Now Cry Laterâ
Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion â âOn Me (remix)â
Moneybagg Yo â âSaid Sumâ
Polo G â âRAPSTARâ
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A. â âFRANCHISEâ
Best rock
Evanescence â âUse My Voiceâ
Foo Fighters â âShame Shameâ
John Mayer â âLast Train Homeâ
The Killers â âMy Own Soul's Warningâ
Kings Of Leon â âThe Banditâ
Lenny Kravitz â âRaise Vibrationâ
Best alternative
Bleachers â âStop Making This Hurtâ
Glass Animals â âHeat Wavesâ
Imagine Dragons â âFollow Youâ
Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear â âmy exâs best friendâ
twenty one pilots â âShy Awayâ
WILLOW ft. Travis Barker â ât r a n s p a r e n t s o u lâ
Best Latin
Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez â âDaÌkitiâ
Billie Eilish & ROSALIÌA â âLo Vas A Olvidarâ
Black Eyed Peas and Shakira â âGIRL LIKE MEâ
J. Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy â âUN DIA (ONE DAY)â
Karol G â âBichotaâ
Maluma â âHawaÌiâ
Best R&B
BeyonceÌ, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid â âBROWN SKIN GIRLâ
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic â âLeave The Door Openâ
Chris Brown and Young Thug â âGo Crazyâ
Giveon â âHEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARYâ
H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown â âCome Throughâ
SZA â âGood Daysâ
Best K-pop
(G)I-DLE â âDUMDi DUMDiâ
BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez â âIce Creamâ
BTS â âButterâ
Monsta X â âGamblerâ
SEVENTEEN â âReady to loveâ
TWICE â âAlcohol-Freeâ
Video for good
Billie Eilish â âYour Powerâ
Demi Lovato â âDancing With The Devilâ
H.E.R. â âFight For Youâ
Kane Brown â âWorldwide Beautifulâ
Lil Nas X â âMONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)â
Pharrell Williams ft. JAY-Z â âEntrepreneurâ
Best direction
Billie Eilish â âYour Powerâ Directed by: Billie Eilish
DJ Khaled ft. Drake â âPOPSTAR (Starring Justin Bieber)â Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X
Lil Nas X â âMONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)â Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino
Taylor Swift â âwillowâ Directed by: Taylor Swift
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A â âFranchiseâ Directed by: Travis Scott
Tyler, The Creator â âLUMBERJACKâ Directed by: Wolf Haley
Best cinematography
BeyonceÌ, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid â âBROWN SKIN GIRLâ Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, MOHAMMAED ATTA AHMED, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant
Billie Eilish â âTherefore I Amâ Cinematography by: Rob Witt
Foo Fighters â âShame Shameâ Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez
Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper â âHolyâ Cinematography by: Elias Talbot
Lady Gaga â â911â Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth
Lorde â âSolar Powerâ Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud
Best art direction
BeyonceÌ, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer â âALREADYâ Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos
Ed Sheeran â âBad Habitsâ Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz
Lady Gaga â â911â Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus
Lil Nas X â âMONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)â Art Direction by: John Richoux
Saweetie ft. Doja Cat â âBest Friendâ Art Direction by: Art Haynes
Taylor Swift â âwillowâ â Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez
Best visual effects
Bella Poarch â âBuild A B----â Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova
Coldplay â âHigher Powerâ Visual Effects by: Mathematic
Doja Cat & The Weeknd â âYou Rightâ Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel
Glass Animals â âTangerineâ Visual Effects by: Ronan Fourreau
Lil Nas X â âMONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)â Visual Effects by: Mathematic
P!NK â âAll I Know So Farâ Visual Effects by: Dave Meyers, Freenjoy Inc
Best choreography
Ariana Grande â â34+35â Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson
BTS â âButterâ Choreography by: Son Sung Deuk With BHM performance directing team
Ed Sheeran â âBad Habitsâ Choreography by: Natricia Bernard
Foo Fighters â âShame Shameâ Choreography by: Nina McNeely
Harry Styles â âTreat People With Kindnessâ Choreography by:Paul Roberts
Marshmello & Halsey â âBe Kindâ Choreography by: Dani Vitale
Best editing
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic â âLeave The Door Openâ Editing by: Troy Charbonnet
BTS â âButterâ Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens
Drake â âWhat's Nextâ Editing by: Noah Kendal
Harry Styles â âTreat People With Kindnessâ Editing by: Claudia Wass
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon âPeachesâ Editing by: Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs
Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa âPrisonerâ