And so, Taylor Swift once again topped this year’s nominees at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Her Fortnight, a collaboration with Post Malone bagged a total of 10 noms, five of them for technical excellence, direction, cinematography, visual effects, art direction and editing.
And so, Taylor will set a new record again if she wins the much-coveted Video of the Year Award at the UBS Arena in New York’s Long Island on Sept. 11, as the first artist to win that Moonman five times, two of them and maybe three during consecutive years.
Taylor first won Video of the Year in 2015 for Bad Blood, which features Kendrick Lamar. Then she got it again in 2019 for You Need to Calm Down. In 2022, she won for All Too Well, the short film and then got it again in 2023 for Anti-Hero.
Competition is quite tough this year for the Video of the Year. The nominees are Ariana Grande, we can’t be friends (wait for ur love); Billie Eilish, LUNCH; Doja Cat, Paint the Town Red; Eminem, Houdini; SZA, Snooze; and then, Taylor Swift & Post Malone for Fortnight, which might set that new record.
Truth to tell news about Taylor winning that or excelling in that or etc., is starting to get boring. Still, one cannot really fault the girl for taking her work so seriously and constantly striving for perfection. And mind you, without ever antagonizing her fans who will surely vote with all their might for Taylor to win in the 2024 Video Music Awards.
But I was happy to find Eminem and his Houdini with six nominations. The rap king is back. I was also glad to see familiar names in the rock and alternative categories. Who says rock music is dead? Check out these names, Bon Jovi, U2, Linkin Park, Imagine Dragons and others, who all recently released new rock recordings with videos to match.
And now the rest of the nominees.
•Artist of the Year: Ariana Grande; Bad Bunny; Eminem; Sabriana Carpenter; SZA; and Taylor Swift.
•Song of the Year: Texas Hold ‘em, Beyoncé; Lovin’ on Me, Jack Harlow; Not Like Us, Kendrick Lamar; Espresso, Sabrina Carpenter; Fortnight, Taylor Swift and Post Malone; Lose Control, Teddy Swims.
•New Artist of the Year: Benson Boone; Chappell Roan; Gracie Abrams; Shaboozey; Teddy Swims; Tyla.
•MTV Push Performance: August 2023 Kaliii, Area Codes; September 2023 GloRIlla Lick or Swim; October 2023 Benson Boone, In the Stars; November 2023 Coco Jones, ICU; December 2023 Victoria Monet, On My Mama; January 2024 Jessie Murph, Wild Ones; February 2024 Teddy Swims, Lose Control; March 2024 Chappell Roan, Red Wine Supernova; April 2024 Flyana Boss, yeaaa; May 2024 Laufey, Goddess; June 2024, LE SSERAFIM, Easy; July 2024, The Warning Automatic Sun.
•Best Collaboration: Drake ft. Sexxy Red & SZA, Rich Baby Daddy; GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion, Wanna Be; Jessie Murph ft. Jelly Roll, Wild Ones; Jung Kook and Latto, Seven; Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, I Had Some Help; Taylor Swift and Post Malone, Fortnight.
•Best Pop: Camila Cabello; Dua Lipa; Olivia Rodrigo; Sabrina Carpenter; Tate McCrae; Taylor Swift.
•Best Hip-Hop: Drake ft. Sexxy Red & SZA, Rich Baby Daddy; Eminem, Houdini; GloRilla, Yeah Glo!; Gunna, fukumean; Megan Thee Stallion, BOA; Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti, Fein.
•Best R&B: Alicia Keys, Lifeline; Muni Long, Made for Me; SZA, Snooze; Tyla, Water; USHER, Summer Walker & 21 Savage, Good Good; Victoria Monet, On My Mama.
•Best Alternative: Benson Boone, Beautiful Things; Bleachers, Tiny Moves; Hozier, Too Sweet; Imagine Dragons, Eyes Closed; Linkin Park, Friendly Fire; Teddy Swims, Lose Control (Live).
•Best Rock: Bon Jovi, Legendary; Coldplay, feelslikeimfallinginlove; Green Day, Dilemma; Kings of Leon, Mustang; Lenny Kravitz, Human; U2, Atomic City.
•Best Latin: Anitta, Mil Veces; Bad Bunny, Monaco; KAROL G, Mi EX TENIA RAZON; Myke Towers, LALA; Peso Pluma & Anitta, BELLKEO; Rauw Alejandro, Touching the Sky; Shakira & Cardi B, Punteria.
•Best K-Pop: Jung Kook ft. Latto, Seven; LISA, Rockstar; NCT DREAM, Smoothie; NewJeans, Super Shy; Stray Kids, LALALALA; TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Déjà vu.
•Best Afrobeats: Ayra Starr ft. Giveon, Last Heartbreak Song; Burna Boy, City Boy; Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay, Sensational; Tems, Love Me JeJe; Tyla, Water; USHER, Pheelz, Ruin.
•Video for Good: Alexander Stewart, If You Only Knew; Billie Eilish, What Was I Made For from the motion picture Barbie; Coldplay, feelslikeimfallinginlove; Joyner Lucas and Jelly Roll, Best for Me; RAYE, Genesis; Tyler ChiIders, In Your Love.