The MTV Video Music Awards 2023, also known as the VMAs, lit up the night as the music industry’s brightest stars gathered to celebrate and honor the best in the business.
Taylor Swift led the pack with a whopping eight nominations, followed closely by SZA with six, and Doja Cat with five. Other prominent artists earning multiple nods included Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sam Smith.
One of the most highly anticipated categories of the night was Video of the Year, featuring some of the year’s most iconic music videos. Nominees in this category included Doja Cat’s “Attention,” Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers,” Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s “Unholy,” SZA’s “Kill Bill,” and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” These tracks also contended for another top VMA prize, Song of the Year.
Swift, Doja Cat, and Minaj were not only competing against each other for Video of the Year but also vying for the prestigious Artist of the Year award, alongside Karol G, Shakira, and Beyoncé.
The 2023 VMAs also showcased a wealth of first-time nominees, with artists like Kim Petras, Metro Boomin, Boygenius, Fletcher, Rema, Arya Starr, Burna Boy, and Davido earning well-deserved recognition. Notably, the last four artists mentioned were all nominated in the newly introduced Best Afrobeats genre category. Several of these emerging talents also found themselves in contention for the VMA’s Best New Artist category, which featured GloRilla, Ice Spice, Kaliii, Peso Pluma, PinkPantheress, and Reneé Rapp.
This year’s MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with the spotlight shining brightly on the artists who’ve made significant impacts in the music industry.
Here’s a list of the night’s winners:
Best New Artist
- GloRilla – CMG / Interscope Records
- Ice Spice – 10K Projects / Capitol Records
- Kaliii – Atlantic Records
- Peso Pluma – Double P Records
- PinkPantheress – 300 Entertainment
- Reneé Rapp – Interscope Records
Best Direction
- Doja Cat – “Attention” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Directed by Tanu Muiño
- Drake – “Falling Back” – OVO/Republic Records – Director X (Julien Christian Lutz)
- Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records – Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
- Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” – 300 Entertainment – Directed by Colin Tilley
- Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records – Directed by Floria Sigismondi
- SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records – Directed by Christian Breslauer
- Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” – Republic Records – Directed by Taylor Swift
Best Collaboration
- David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)” – Warner Records
- Post Malone, Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
- Diddy feat. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On” – Motown Records
- KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG” – Universal Music Latino
- Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)” – Boominati / Republic Records
- Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
Best Hip-Hop
- Diddy feat. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On” – Motown Records
- DJ Khaled feat. Drake & Lil Baby – “STAYING ALIVE” – We The Best / Epic Records
- GloRilla & Cardi B – “Tomorrow 2” – CMG / Interscope Records
- Lil Uzi Vert – “Just Wanna Rock” – Atlantic Records / Generation Now
- Lil Wayne feat. Swizz Beatz & DMX – “Kant Nobody” – Young Money Records
- Metro Boomin feat. Future – “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)” – Boominati / Republic Records
- Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” – Republic Records
Best Afrobeats
- Ayra Starr – “Rush” – Mavin Global Holdings
- Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty” – Atlantic Records / Spaceship Entertainment Ltd.
- Davido feat. Musa Keys – “UNAVAILABLE” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
- Fireboy DML & Asake – ”Bandana” – Empire Distribution
- Libianca – “People” – Sony Music U.K. / RCA Records
- Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
- Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– “2 Sugar” – Starboy / RCA Records
Best Latin
- Anitta – “Funk Rave” – Republic Records
- Bad Bunny – “WHERE SHE GOES” – Rimas Entertainment
- Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola” – DEL Records Inc. / Prajin Parlay, Inc. Grupo Frontera Bad Bunny – “un x100to” – Rimas Entertainment
- KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG” – Universal Music Latino
- ROSALÍA – “DESPECHÁ” – Columbia Records
- Shakira – “Acróstico” – Sony Music US Latin
Best R&B
- Alicia Keys feat. Lucky Daye – “Stay” – RCA Records
- Chlöe feat. Chris Brown – “How Does It Feel” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia
- Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)” – Boominati / Republic Records
- SZA – “Shirt” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
- Toosii – “Favorite Song” – South Coast Music Group / Capitol Records
- Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – “Love in the Way” – Empire Distribution
Song of the Year
- Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” – Columbia Records
- Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” – Geffen Records
- Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / SMG Music / Interscope Records
- Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” – Capitol Records
- Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit” – L-M Records / RCA Records
- SZA – “Kill Bill” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records Records