Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
To answer the immortal words of returning VMAs emcee Nicki Minaj, “What’s good?” A lot at the MTV show this year — starting with the nominees. Taylor Swift led the pack with 9 wins, largely for her self-directed “Anti-Hero” video, and has a repeat Video of the Year win after taking the top award last year for her “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” short film. She’s now second to Beyoncé for most overall wins at the VMAs. Also among the top nominees: SZA, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Minaj, Blackpink, and Olivia Rodrigo, many of whom will also be performing. It’s a banner year for women and nonbinary artists at the awards, who make up the entire slate of nominees for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year for the first time. Speaking of firsts, there’s also the debut of the Best Afrobeats category. And this year’s ceremony is set to present two lifetime achievement awards: the Video Vanguard Award to Shakira and the Global Icon Award to Diddy.
The Moon People will start to fly when the preshow begins at 6: 30 p.m. ET, followed by the main show at 8 p.m. Below, a full list of winners for the 2023 MTV VMAs.
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
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 New Artist
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Push Performance of the Year
Saucy Santana – “Booty”
Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You”
JVKE – “golden hour”
Flo Milli – “Conceited”
Reneé Rapp – “Colorado”
Sam Ryder – “All the Way Over”
Armani White – “GOATED”
FLETCHER – “Becky’s So Hot”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Ice Spice – “Princess Diana”
FLO – “Losing You”
Lauren Spencer Smith – “That Part”
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 with the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best Pop
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)”
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 & Villains)”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – “Stay”
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – “How Does It Feel”
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
SZA – “Shirt”
Toosii – “Favorite Song”
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – “Love In The Way”
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 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 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 K-Pop
aespa – “Girls”
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid”
SEVENTEEN – “Super”
Stray Kids – “S-Class”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
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”
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”
Show of the Summer
Beyoncé
BLACKPINK
Drake
Ed Sheeran
KAROL G
Taylor Swift
Group of the Year
BLACKPINK
FIFTY FIFTY
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Måneskin
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Album of the Year
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS
Taylor Swift – Midnights
Song of the Summer
Beyoncé – “Cuff It”
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For? (From Barbie The Album)”
Doechii ft. Kodak Black – “What It Is (Block Boy)”
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)”
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid (Twin Ver.)”
Gunna – “fukumean”
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
Luke Combs – “Fast Car”
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice – “Karma”
Tomorrow X Together and Jonas Brothers – “Do It Like That”
Troye Sivan – “Rush”
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – “La Bebe (Remix)”
Best Direction
Doja Cat – “Attention” (Directed by Tanu Muiño)
Drake – “Falling Back” (Directed by Director X (Julien Christian Lutz))
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” (Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar)
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” (Directed by Colin Tilley)
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” (Directed by Floria Sigismondi)
SZA – “Kill Bill” (Directed by Christian Breslauer)
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Directed by Taylor Swift)
Best Cinematography
Adele – “I Drink Wine” (Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra)
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed” (Cinematography