MTV VMAs 2023: How To Watch, Who's Performing, Who’s Hosting And Who Are The Nominees

12 September 2023, 16:15 | Updated: 13 September 2023, 09:20

Cardi B Trolls Audience At VMAs With A Fake Baby

By Capital FM

@CapitalOfficial

It's a very special MTV Video Music Awards as the ceremony celebrates its 40th anniversary.

MTV launched way back in the summer of 1981, and within a few years cemented its position with the first ever MTV Video Music Awards.

It was an instant success. Madonna writhed around in a bustier wedding gown for 'Like A Virgin' and Cyndi Lauper won Best Female Video for 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun'.

MTV VMAs: The 23 BEST Video Music Awards Moments So Far

The 2023 ceremony marks the 40th anniversary of the MTV VMAs, so the channel and all the stars in attendance will be sure to pull out all the stops.

The ceremony will be broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Wondering how you can watch the show in the UK, who will be hosting and performing, and which artists have been nominated for a moonperson? We've got all your questions answered below.

How do I watch the MTV VMAs 2023?

VMA Nominations Revealed | MTV VMA 2023

The MTV VMAs will be broadcast live on MTV in the US (of course), but if you're in the UK it's not so simple.

The show takes place from 1am-3am in the early hours of 13th September, and not only will you have to stay up a bit or set yourself an alarm, you'll have to tune in on Paramount+ to catch it live.

Music fans based in the US will watch it as it happens at a much more genial 8pm ET/7pm Central, and tune in either on the main MTV channel, or across MTV's sister networks.

If you're based in the UK and you value your beauty sleep, you can instead watch it after the fact on the MTV UK channel at 9pm on Wednesday 13th September.

Who is hosting the MTV VMAs 2023?

After doing a stellar job last year alongside Jack Harlow and LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj is returning as the main host of the 40th anniversary MTV VMAs – and this time she's doing it all on her own.

If we we're being very picky, we'd point out that MTV haven't referred to Nicki as a host, but instead as an "MC" for the night.

As they put it: "Nicki Minaj will reprise her dual role at the VMAs as show emcee and performer for the 2023 live event from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, September 12.

"For the second consecutive year, Minaj will announce the show's star-studded lineup of performers, presenters and winners and is expected to present the world premiere performance of her newest single, 'Last Time I Saw You'."

Helping Nicki out as award presenters during the main show is an all-star cast of special guests, including Bebe Rexha, Charli D'Amelio, Coco Jones, Dixie D'Amelio, Emily Ratajkowski, French Montana, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Jared Leto, Madelyn Cline, Rita Ora and Sabrina Carpenter.

Who is performing at the MTV VMAs 2023?

The VMAs are ostensibly about which artists win those shiny moonpersons, and all the arguments about whether it was the right reason and who's been snubbed, but in truth the biggest draw year after year are the unique live performances.

The crowd will be warmed up by pre-show performers NLE Choppa and Sabrina Carpenter before things get serious with the show proper.

Here's the full list of who's booked for the main ceremony Prudential Center stage:

• Anitta
• Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion
• Demi Lovato
• Diddy
• DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj [Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Medley]
• Doja Cat
• Fall Out Boy
• Karol G
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Lil Wayne
• Måneskin
• Metro Boomin, Swae Lee, Nav, Future and A Boogie wit da Hoodie
• Nicki Minaj
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Peso Pluma
• Shakira
• Stray Kids
• Tomorrow X Together and Anitta

We don't know what they'll all be playing just yet, but we do know Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will be playing new single 'Bongos', that Diddy will play a Global Icon Medley, and that Shakira will perform a Video Vanguard Medley

Who has been nominated for the MTV VMAs 2023?

Celebrating Shakira | Video Vanguard | 2023 MTV VMAs

While it's not got quite as many categories as the Grammys (over 100 at its peak, slimmed down to 78 in 2012, and slowly back up to 94 categories next year), there are still plenty of gongs being given out left, right and centre at the VMAs.

Two stars who are already confirmed winners are Shakira, who'll pick up the Video Vanguard Award, and Diddy, who'll receive the Global Icon Award.

We'll skip the Professional Categories (Best Visual Effects, Best Editing, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Choreography and Best Cinematography) decided by the pros, and jump straight into the categories voted for by you the public.

They are:

Video of the Year

• Doja Cat – 'Attention'
• Miley Cyrus – 'Flowers'
• Nicki Minaj – 'Super Freaky Girl'
• Olivia Rodrigo – 'Vampire'
• Sam Smith and Kim Petras – 'Unholy'
• SZA – 'Kill Bill'
• Taylor Swift – 'Anti-Hero'

Song of the Year

• Miley Cyrus – 'Flowers'
• Olivia Rodrigo – 'Vampire'
• Rema and Selena Gomez – 'Calm Down'
• Sam Smith and Kim Petras – 'Unholy'
• Steve Lacy – 'Bad Habit'
• 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

• 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 and Bebe Rexha – 'I'm Good (Blue)'
• Post Malone and Doja Cat – 'I Like You (A Happier Song)'
• Diddy (featuring Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, and Yung Miami) – 'Gotta Move On'
• Karol G and Shakira – 'TQG'
• Metro Boomin (featuring the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy) – 'Creepin'' (remix)
• Rema and Selena Gomez – 'Calm Down'

Best Pop

• Demi Lovato – 'Swine'
• Dua Lipa – 'Dance the Night'
• Ed Sheeran – 'Eyes Closed'
• Miley Cyrus – 'Flowers'
• Olivia Rodrigo – 'Vampire'
• Pink – 'Trustfall'
• Taylor Swift – 'Anti-Hero'

Best Hip Hop

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

Best R&B

• Alicia Keys (featuring Lucky Daye) – 'Stay'
• Chlöe (featuring Chris Brown) – 'How Does It Feel'
• Metro Boomin (featuring the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy) – 'Creepin'' (remix)
• SZA – 'Shirt'
• Toosii – 'Favorite Song'
• Yung Bleu and Nicki Minaj – 'Love in the Way'

Best K Pop

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

Best Latin

• Anitta – 'Funk Rave'
• Bad Bunny – 'Where She Goes'
• Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma – 'Ella Baila Sola'
• Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny – 'Un x100to'
• Karol G and Shakira – 'TQG'
• Rosalía – 'Despechá'
• Shakira – 'Acróstico'

Best Rock

• Foo Fighters – 'The Teacher'
• Linkin Park – 'Lost'
• 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 (featuring Jon Batiste) – 'Candy Necklace'
• Paramore – 'This Is Why'
• Thirty Seconds to Mars – 'Stuck'

Best Afrobeats

• Ayra Starr – 'Rush'
• Burna Boy – 'It's Plenty'
• Davido (featuring Musa Keys) – 'Unavailable'
• Fireboy DML and Asake – 'Bandana'
• Libianca – 'People'
• Rema and Selena Gomez – 'Calm Down'
• Wizkid (featuring 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
• Maneskin
• NewJeans
• Seventeen
• Tomorrow X Together

Song of the Summer

• Beyoncé – 'Cuff It'
• Billie Eilish – 'What Was I Made For?' (from the motion picture Barbie)
• Doja Cat – 'Paint the Town Red'
• Doechii (featuring Kodak Black) – 'What It Is (Block Boy)'
• Dua Lipa – 'Dance the Night' (from the motion picture Barbie)
• Fifty Fifty – 'Cupid'
• Gunna – 'Fukumean'
• Jungkook (featuring Latto) – 'Seven'
• Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua – 'Barbie World' (from the motion picture Barbie)
• Olivia Rodrigo – 'Vampire'
• SZA – 'Kill Bill'
• Taylor Swift (featuring Ice Spice) – 'Karma'
• Tomorrow X Together and Jonas Brothers – 'Do It Like That'
• Luke Combs – 'Fast Car'
• Troye Sivan – 'Rush'
• Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – 'La Bebe' (remix)

Album of the Year

• Beyoncé – Renaissance
• Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss
• Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
• Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
• SZA – SOS
• Taylor Swift – Midnights