Afrobeats stars up for MTV VMAs 2023

First held in 1984, the scheme primarily celebrates outstanding musical accomplishments by American creatives, but over the years it has expanded to welcome musicians from other territories, recently introducing the Best Afrobeats Song category. 

The Best Afrobeats Song category is dominated by Nigerians – Ayra Starr with ‘Rush’, Burna Boy with ‘It’s Plenty’, Davido featuring Musa Keys with ‘Unavailable’, Fireboy DML & Asake with ‘Bandana’, Rema & Selena Gomez with ‘Calm Down’ and Wizkid with ‘2 Sugar’. Cameroonian singer Libianca also earned a nod for her track ‘People’.

Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ has also been shortlisted for Best Collaboration and Song of the Year. 

Meanwhile, American popstars Taylor Swift and SZA lead the nominations with eight and six, respectively. Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith and Kim Petras follow closely with five nominations each.

Below is the full list of nominees: 

Best Afrobeats

• Ayra Starr  –  ‘Rush’
• Burna Boy  –  ‘It’s Plenty’
• Davido ft. Musa Keys  –  ‘Unavailable’
• Fireboy DML & Asake  –  ‘Bandana’
• Libianca  –  ‘People’
• Rema & Selena Gomez  –  ‘Calm Down’
• Wizkid ft. Ayra Starr  –  ‘2 Sugar’ 

Song of the Year

• Miley Cyrus  –  ‘Flowers’
• Olivia Rodrigo  –  ‘Vampire’
• Rema & Selena Gomez  –  ‘Calm Down’
• Sam Smith & Kim Petras  –  ‘Unholy’
• Steve Lacy  –  ‘Bad Habit’
• SZA  –  ‘Kill Bill’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’ 

Best Collaboration

• David Guetta & Bebe Rexha  –  ‘I’m Good (Blue)’
• Post Malone & Doja Cat  –  ‘I Like You (A Happier Song)’
• Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami  –  ‘Gotta Move On’
• KAROL G & Shakira  –  ‘TQG’
• Metro Boomin ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Diddy  –  ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’
• Rema & Selena Gomez  –  ‘Calm Down’

Video of the Year

• Doja Cat  –  ‘Attention’
• Miley Cyrus  –  ‘Flowers’
• Nicki Minaj  –  ‘Super Freaky Girl’
• Olivia Rodrigo  –  ‘Vampire’
• Sam Smith & Kim Petras  –  ‘Unholy’
• 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

• August 2022: Saucy Santana  –  ‘Booty’
• September 2022: Stephen Sanchez  –  ‘Until I Found You’
• October 2022: JVKE  –  ‘golden hour’
• November 2022: Flo Milli  –  ‘Conceited’
• December 2022: Reneé Rapp  –  ‘Colorado’
• January 2023: Sam Ryder  –  ‘All The Way Over’
• February 2023: Armani White  –  ‘GOATED’
• March 2023: Fletcher  –  ‘Becky’s So Hot’
• April 2023: Tomorrow X Together  –  ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
• May 2023: Ice Spice  –  ‘Princess Diana’
• June 2023: FLO  –  ‘Losing You’
• July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith  –  ‘That Part’

Best Pop

• Demi Lovato  –  ‘Swine’
• Dua Lipa  –  ‘Dance the Night’
• Ed Sheeran  –  ‘Eyes Closed’
• Miley Cyrus  –  ‘Flowers’
• Olivia Rodrigo  –  ‘Vampire’
• P!NK  –  ‘Trustfall’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’

Best Hip-Hop

• Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami  –  ‘Gotta Move On’
• DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby  –  ‘STAYING ALIVE’
• GloRilla & Cardi B  –  ‘Tomorrow 2’
• Lil Uzi Vert  –  ‘Just Wanna Rock’
• Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX  –  ‘Kant Nobody’
• Metro Boomin ft. Future  –  ‘Superhero (Heroes and Villains)’
• Nicki Minaj  –  ‘Super Freaky Girl’

Best Rock

• Foo Fighters  –  ‘The Teacher’
• Linkin Park  –  ‘Lost (Original Version)’
• 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 ft. Jon Batiste  –  ‘Candy Necklace’
• Paramore  –  ‘This Is Why’
• Thirty Seconds To Mars  –  ‘Stuck’

Best Latin

• Anitta  –  ‘Funk Rave’
• Bad Bunny  –  ‘Where She Goes’
• Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma  –  ‘Ella Baila Sola’
• Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny  –  ‘un x100to’
• Karol G & Shakira  –  ‘TQG’
• Rosalía  –  ‘Despechá’
• Shakira  –  ‘Acróstico’

Best R&B

• Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye  –  ‘Stay’
• Chlöe ft. Chris Brown  –  ‘How Does It Feel’
• Metro Boomin ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Diddy  –  ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’
• SZA  –  ‘Shirt’
• Toosii  –  ‘Favorite Song’
• Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj  –  ‘Love In The Way’

Best K-Pop

• Aespa  –  ‘Girls’
• Blackpink  –  ‘Pink Venom’
• Fiffty Fifty  –  ‘Cupid’
• Seventeen  –  ‘Super’
• Stray Kids  –  ‘S-Class’
• Tomorrow X Together  –  ‘Sugar Rush Ride’

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’

Best Cinematography

• Adele  –  ‘I Drink Wine’
• Ed Sheeran  –  ‘Eyes Closed’
• Janelle Monae  –  ‘Lipstick Lover’
• Kendrick Lamar  –  ‘Count Me Out’
• Miley Cyrus  –  ‘Flowers’
• Olivia Rodrigo  –  ‘Vampire’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’

Best Direction

• Doja Cat  –  ‘Attention’
• Drake  –  ‘Falling Back’
• Kendrick Lamar  –  ‘Count Me Out’
• Megan Thee Stallion  –  ‘Her’
• Sam Smith & Kim Petras  –  ‘Unholy’
• SZA  –  ‘Kill Bill’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’

Best Art Direction

• Boygenius  –  ‘The Film’
• Blackpink  –  ‘Pink Venom’
• Doja Cat  –  ‘Attention’
• Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste  –  ‘Candy Necklace’
• Megan Thee Stallion  –  ‘Her’
• SZA  –  ‘Shirt’

Best Visual Effects

• Fall Out Boy  –  ‘Love From the Other Side’
• Harry Styles  –  ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’
• Melanie Martinez  –  ‘Void’
• Nicki Minaj  –  ‘Super Freaky Girl’
• Sam Smith & Kim Petras  –  ‘Unholy’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’

Best Choreography

• Blackpink  –  ‘Pink Venom’
• Dua Lipa  –  ‘Dance the Night’
• Jonas Brothers  –  ‘Waffle House’
• Megan Thee Stallion  –  ‘Her’
• Panic! at the Disco  –  ‘Middle of a Breakup’
• Sam Smith & Kim Petras  –  ‘Unholy’

Best Editing

• Blackpink  –  ‘Pink Venom’
• Kendrick Lamar  –  ‘Rich Spirit’
• Miley Cyrus  –  ‘River’
• Olivia Rodrigo  –  ‘Vampire’
• SZA  –  ‘Kill Bill’
• Taylor Swift  –  ‘Anti-Hero’