2022 MTV VMAs: Hip-hop stars dominate with seven nominations each

The nominees for the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were announced on Tuesday 26 July with American rappers Lil Nas X, Kendrick Lamar and Jack Harlow leading the pack with seven nods each. The awards are set to take place on Sunday 28 August at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. 

ALSO READ: ‘Guitar Songs’: Billie Eilish surprises fans with two new singles [listen]

LIL NAS X, KENDRICK LAMAR AND JACK HARLOW DOMINATE VMAS 

Lil Nas X, Kendrick Lamar and Jack Harlow lead the way at the MTV VMAs with seven nominations each. Jack Harlow and Lil Nas X, who collaborated on their chart-topping single Industry Baby in 2021, are both nominated for Artist of the Year. 

The rappers are also nominated for Video of the Year and Best Collaboration for their chart-topping single, Industry Baby. 

Kendrick Lamar is nominated in the Best Hip-Hop category for his single N95. The Grammy-winning rapper is up against some fierce competition with Future, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem also up for the award. 

FULL LIST NOMINEES FOR MTV VMAS

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

• Doja Cat – Woman
• Drake featuring Future and Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
• Ed Sheeran – Shivers
• Harry Styles – As It Was
• Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
• Olivia Rodrigo – Brutal
• Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

• Bad Bunny 
• Drake 
• Ed Sheeran 
• Harry Styles 
• Jack Harlow
• Lil Nas X 
• Lizzo 

BEST NEW ARTIST

• Baby Keem
• Dove Cameron 
• GAYLE 
• Latto 
• Måneskin 
• SEVENTEEN

SONG OF THE YEAR

• Adele – Easy On Me
• Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
• Doja Cat – Woman
• Elton John and Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)
• Lizzo – About Damn Time
• The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – Stay

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

• September 2021: Griff – One Night
• October 2021: Remi Wolf – Sexy Villain
• November 2021: Nessa Barrett – I hope Ur miserable until ur dead
• December 2021: Seventeen – Rock With You
• January 2021: Mac Muller – Better Days
• February 2022: Gayle – abcdefu
• March 2022: Sheneesa – R U That
• April 2022: Omar Apollo – Tamagotchi
• May 2022: Wet Leg: Chaise Longue
• June 2022: Muni Long: Baby Boo
• July 2022: Doechii – Persuasive

BEST COLLABORATION

• Drake featuring Future and Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
• Elton John and Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)
• Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
• Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
• Post Malone and The Weeknd – One Right Now
• Rosalía featuring The Weeknd – La Fama
• The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – Stay

BEST POP

• Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
• Doja Cat – Woman
• Ed Sheeran – Shivers
• Harry Styles – As It Was
• Lizzo – About Damn Time
• Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor

BEST HIP-HOP

• Eminem and Snoop Dogg – From The D 2 The LBC
• Future featuring Drake and Tems – Wait For U
• Kendrick Lamar – N95
• Latto – Big Energy
• Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Baby – Do We Have A Problem?
• Pusha T – Diet Coke

BEST ROCK

• Foo Fighters – Love Dies Young
• Jack White – Taking Me Back
• Muse – Won’t Stand Down
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Black Summer
• Shinedown – Planet Zero
• Three Days Grace – So Called Life

BEST ALTERNATIVE

• Avril Lavigne featuring blackbear – Love It When You Hate Me
• Imagine Dragons and JID – Enemy
• Machine Gun Kelly featuring Willow – Emo Girl
• Måneskin – I Wanna Be Your Slave
• Panic! At The Disco – Viva Las Vengeance
• Twenty One Pilots – Saturday
• Willow and Avril Lavigne featuring Travis Barker – G R O W

BEST LATIN

• Anitta – Envolver
• Bad Bunny – Tití Me Preguntó
• Becky G and Karol G – Mamiii
• Daddy Yankee – Remix
• Farruko – Pepas
• J Balvin and Skrillex – In Da Getto

BEST R&B

• Alicia Keys – City of Gods (Part II)
• Chlöe – Have Mercy
• H.E.R – For Anyone
• Normani featuring Cardi B- Wild Side
• Summer Walker, SZA and Cardi B – No Love (Extended Version)
• The Weeknd – Out Of Time

BEST K-POP

• BTS – Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)
• Itzy – Loco
• Lisa – LaLisa
• Seventeen – Hot
• Stray Kids – Maniac
• Twice – The Feels

VIDEO FOR GOOD

• Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
• Latto – P*ssy
• Lizzo – About Damn Time
• Rina Sawayama – This Hell
• Stromae – Fils de joie

BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE

• Blackpink The Virtual – PUBG
• BTS – Minecraft
• Charli XCX – Roblox
• Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience: Wave
• Rift Tour featuring Ariana Grande – Fortnite
• Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience – Roblox

BEST LONGFORM VIDEO

• Billie Eilish –Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter To Los Angeles
• Foo Fighters – Studio 666
• Kacey Musgraves – Star-crossed
• Madonna – Madame X
• Olivia Rodrigo – Driving Home 2 U
• Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – Family Ties
• Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran – Bam Bam
• Harry Styles – As It Was
• Kendrick Lamar – N95
• Normani featuring Cardi B – Wild Side
• Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

BEST ART DIRECTION

• Adele – On My God
• Doja Cat – Get Into It (Yuh)
• Drake featuring Future and Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy
• Kacey Musgraves – Simple Times
• Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
• Megan Thee Stallion featuring Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
• Coldplay and BTS – My Universe
• Kendrick Lamar – The Heart Part 5
• Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
• Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
• The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – Stay

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

• BTS – Permission to Dance
• Doja Cat – Woman
• FKA twigs featuring the Weeknd – Tears In The Club
• Harry Styles – As It Was
• Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – Industry Baby
• Normani featuring Cardi B – Wild Side

BEST EDITING

• Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – Family Ties
• Doja Cat – Get Into It (Yuh)
• Olivia Rodrigo – Brutal
• Rosalía – Saoko
• Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
• The Weeknd – Take My Breath

ALSO READ: SA to New York! Zädok goes BIG with Lil Nas X at MTV VMAs [watch]