The 2022 Video Music Awards nominations are here, and Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X are leading the pack with seven nods each. Following closely behind them are Doja Cat and Harry Styles (with six each), as well as Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd (with five apiece).
Harlow and Lil Nas X are standouts because of their breakout hit “Industry Baby,” which premiered live on a global stage for the first time at the awards ceremony last year. Lamar, who made a triumphant return to music with his fifth studio album “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” is nominated for the first time since 2018, which saw nods for his Pulitzer Prize-winning magnum opus “Damn.”
Other notable recognitions include Madonna, who reigns as the most awarded artist in MTV history with 20 wins and has become the sole musician to be nominated in each of the VMA’s five decades, from the ’80s to the 2020s. She earns her 69th nomination for her album “Madame X.”
This year also sees 26 first-time nominees, including rapper Baby Keem, MTV PUSH artist Gayle, Kacey Musgraves and Måneskin. Also making the cut with first-time nods are Anitta, Becky G, Dove Cameron, Karol G, ITZY, JID, Muni Long, Tems, Wet Leg and more.
The 2022 VMAs will return to celebrate the biggest names in music on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center. The show will be airing across MTV’s linear and digital platforms and will be simulcast on The CW for the third consecutive year. You can also watch the ceremony on BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TVLand and VH1.
Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorite artists across 22 gender-neutral categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration and inaugural entries Best Longform Video and Best Metaverse Performance. Votes can be cast through Friday, Aug. 19 (excluding Best New Artist, where voting will remain active into the show). Nominations for social categories like Group of the Year and Song of Summer will be announced at a later date.
