Music

The 2020 MTV VMAs Nominations Are All About Gaga

"Rain On Me" earned 7 nominations.

2020 Video Music Award nominations
Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

The coronavirus pandemic may have basically shut down, well, everything, but for the VMAs, the show must go on. On Thursday, July 30, MTV announced the 2020 Video Music Awards nominations, and fans can vote online for their favorites starting right now. And it looks like this year is going to be all about Gaga.

Lady Gaga is ahead of the pack with nine nominations, including seven nominations for her hit collaboration with Ariana Grande, "Rain On Me." Grande, is also up for nine awards. And it's looking like they'll be giving Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Eminem ft. Juice WRLD, and Future ft. Drake, a run for their money in the highly competitive Video Of The Year category.

Meanwhile, new artists also got some love, with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion both picking up nominations for Song of the Year. However, one new group who did not make the cut was the K-pop sensation BLACKPINK, who didn't even get a nod for Best K-Pop.

The VMAs have always been revered for their zeitgeist-y, and at times controversial, pop culture moments, and this year's show is sure to be one to remember — if only for the fact that no one knows how this will work. The 2020 MTV VMAs will be held in-person on Sunday, Aug. 30 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center — the setting of Miley Cyrus' iconic 2013 twerk-a-thon. The event has been approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo, but under strict health guidelines, including a limited to no audience, and all plans are subject to change to ensure the health and safety of all involved. As of now, the VMAs are planning to feature performances from all of New York City's five boroughs, though no performers have been confirmed quite yet. And that's not the only change MTV has made to reflect the pandemic. The VMAs introduced two new categories this year: Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance.

Regardless of how the actual show plays out, these awards will be handed out one way or another. Read the full list of nominations below.

Video Of The Year

  • Billie Eilish — "Everything I Wanted"
  • Eminem ft. Juice WRLD — "Godzilla"
  • Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain on Me”
  • Taylor Swift – “The Man”
  • The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”

Artist Of The Year

  • DaBaby
  • Justin Bieber
  • Lady Gaga
  • Megan Thee Stallion
  • Post Malone
  • The Weeknd

Song Of The Year

  • Billie Eilish – “Everything I Wanted”
  • Doja Cat – “Say So”
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
  • Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage”
  • Post Malone – “Circles”
  • Roddy Ricch – “The Box”

Best Collaboration

  • Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U”
  • Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin – “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
  • Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid – “Beautiful People”
  • Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
  • Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – “Tusa”
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain on Me”

Best New Artist

  • Doja Cat
  • Jack Harlow
  • Lewis Capaldi
  • Roddy Ricch
  • Tate McRae
  • YUNGBLUD

Best Pop

  • BTS – “On”
  • Halsey – “You Should Be Sad”
  • Jonas Brothers – “What a Man Gotta Do”
  • Justin Bieber ft. Quavo – “Intentions”
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
  • Taylor Swift – “Lover”

Best Hip-Hop

  • DaBaby – “BOP”
  • Eminem ft. Juice WRLD – “Godzilla”
  • Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
  • Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage”
  • Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
  • Travis Scott – “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM”

Best Rock

  • blink-182 – “Happy Days”
  • Coldplay – “Orphans”
  • Evanescence – “Wasted on You”
  • Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean – “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”
  • Green Day – “Oh Yeah!”
  • The Killers – “Caution”

Best Alternative

  • The 1975 – “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
  • All Time Low – “Some Kind Of Disaster”
  • FINNEAS – “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”
  • Lana Del Rey – “Doin’ Time”
  • Machine Gun Kelly – “Bloody Valentine”
  • Twenty One Pilots – “Level of Concern”

Best Latin

  • Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin – “China”
  • Bad Bunny – “Yo Perreo Sola”
  • Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul – “MAMACITA”
  • J Balvin – “Amarillo”
  • Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – “Tusa”
  • Maluma ft. J Balvin – “Qué Pena”

Best R&B

  • Alicia Keys – “Underdog”
  • Chloe x Halle – “Do It”
  • H.E.R. ft. YG – “Slide”
  • Khalid ft. Summer Walker – “Eleven”
  • Lizzo – “Cuz I Love You”
  • The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”

Best K-Pop

  • (G)I-DLE – “Oh My God”
  • BTS – “On”
  • EXO – “Obsession”
  • Monsta X – “SOMEONE’S SOMEONE”
  • Tomorrow X Together – “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”
  • Red Velvet – “Psycho”

Video For Good

  • Anderson .Paak – “Lockdown”
  • Billie Eilish – “All the Good Girls Go to Hell”
  • Demi Lovato – “I Love Me”
  • H.E.R. – ”I Can’t Breathe”
  • Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
  • Taylor Swift – “The Man”

Best Music Video From Home

  • 5 Seconds of Summer – “Wildflower”
  • Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U”
  • blink-182 – “Happy Days”
  • Drake – “Toosie Slide”
  • John Legend – “Bigger Love”
  • Twenty One Pilots – “Level of Concern”

Best Quarantine Performance

  • Chloe & Halle – “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-athon
  • CNCO – Unplugged At Home
  • DJ D-Nice – Club MTV presents #DanceTogether
  • John Legend – #togetherathome Concert Series
  • Lady Gaga – “Smile” from One World: Together At Home
  • Post Malone – Nirvana Tribute

Best Direction

  • Billie Eilish – “Xanny” – Directed by Billie Eilish
  • Doja Cat – “Say So” – Directed by Hannah Lux Davis
  • Dua Lipa – “Don’t Start Now” – Directed by Nabil
  • Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Directed by Dave Meyers
  • Taylor Swift – “The Man” – Directed by Taylor Swift
  • The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Directed by Anton Tammi

Best Cinematography

  • 5 Seconds of Summer – “Old Me” – Cinematography by Kieran Fowler
  • Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby – “My Oh My” – Syco Music / Epic Records – Cinematography by Dave Meyers
  • Billie Eilish – “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” – Cinematography by Christopher Probst
  • Katy Perry – “Harleys In Hawaii” – Cinematography by Arnau Valls
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Cinematography by Thomas Kloss
  • The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Cinematography by Oliver Millar

Best Art Direction

  • A$AP Rocky – “Babushka Boi” – Polo Grounds Music / RCA Records – Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee Cohen
  • Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogu ́
  • Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks
  • Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Art Direction by Christian Stone
  • Selena Gomez – “Boyfriend” – Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter
  • Taylor Swift – “Lover” – Art Direction by Ethan Tobman

Best Visual Effects

  • Billie Eilish – “All the Good Girls Go to Hell” – Visual Effects by Drive Studios
  • Demi Lovato – “I Love Me” – Visual Effects by Hoody FX
  • Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Visual Effects by EIGHTY4
  • Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Visual Effects by Mathematic
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain on Me” – Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios
  • Travis Scott – “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM” – Visual Effects by ARTJAIL, SCISSOR FILMS & FRENDER

Best Choreography

  • BTS – “On” – Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun
  • CNCO & Natti Natasha – “Honey Boo” – Choreography by Kyle Hanagami
  • DaBaby – “BOP” – Choreography by Dani Leigh and Cherry
  • Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Choreography by Charm La’Donna
  • Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Choreography by Richy Jackson
  • Normani – “Motivation” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

Best Editing

  • Halsey – “Graveyard” – Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
  • James Blake – “Can’t Believe the Way We Flow” – Edited by Frank Lebon
  • Lizzo – “Good As Hell” – Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia Kerpan
  • Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico
  • ROSALÍA – “A Palé” – Edited by Andre Jones
  • The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana