LIST: Nominees, MTV VMAs 2017

NEW YORK, USA– MTV has rid itself of gender-specific categories as the network revealed nominees Tuesday, July 25, for this year’s Video Music Awards, in which rapper Kendrick Lamar is in the lead.

In the age of President Donald Trump and the fierce backlash he has generated among cultural leaders, MTV also announced a new category of “Best Fight Against the System” to recognize activist music.

The awards will air worldwide from Los Angeles on August 27. Reflecting its social media push, the music and youth culture network announced the nominations through posts by well-followed figures on Instagram.

Lamar, one of the most acclaimed figures in hip-hop, received the most nominations at 8, including Video of the Year for “HUMBLE.” – an ironic look at fame in which he appears clad as the pope and as Jesus in “The Last Supper.”

Tied for second with 5 nominations are Katy Perry for her sci-fi amusement park fantasy “Chained to the Rhythm” and The Weeknd for his star-studded “Reminder.”

The Video Music Awards for the first time will not divide by gender with a new Artist of the Year prize incorporating the top male and female categories. 

The network said in a statement that it was out to “break barriers” and had a positive response when it eliminated gender groups at this year’s MTV Movie and TV Awards.

Nominees for Artist of the Year include 4 men – Lamar and The Weeknd, along with Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran – and two women, Ariana Grande and Lorde.

Virtually all major US awards including the Grammys and Oscars have separate male and female categories. 

The rare awards that mix male and female nominees include the Mercury Prize – which, with an arthouse sensibility, recognizes the top British or Irish album each year – and the Juno Awards for Canadian artists.

Serious notes for gala party 

Winners in the major categories are determined by voting by fans through the awards’ website, vma.mtv.com.

The Video Music Awards have usually been more about the spectacle than the ultimate winners, with the network gladly offering a global platform to celebrities.

Pop culture moments of past galas have included Lady Gaga wearing a dress of raw meat, Madonna making out on stage with Britney Spears and Beyonce showing off a baby bump for her first child with Jay-Z.

But taking a serious turn, MTV announced the new “Best Fight Against the System” award to celebrate videos “that inspire viewers to stand up and fight injustice.”

The nominees include John Legend’s “Surefire,” whose video dramatizes anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States, and the celebratory “Immigrants: We Get the Job Done” from the blockbuster musical Hamilton.

Other nominees are the diversity-hailing “Black SpiderMan” by biracial rapper Logic, Big Sean’s “Light” about overcoming adversity including racial discrimination and Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful” about body image.

Also in the running is “Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL,” a hip-hop anthem led by Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo to rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline opposed by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe on environmental and cultural grounds.

Nominees for Best New Artist – often a sign of fast-rising stardom π were R&B singers SZA and Khalid, rappers Kodak Black and Young M.A., pop songwriter Julia Michaels and Noah Cyrus, the 17-year-old actress and sister of Miley Cyrus who is readying her debut album.

Here’s the list of nominees:

Video of the Year

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
• Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
• Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
• DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
• The Weeknd – “Reminder”

 

Artist of the Year 

 

• Bruno Mars
• Kendrick Lamar
• Ed Sheeran
• Ariana Grande
• The Weeknd
• Lorde

 

Best New Artist 

 

• Khalid
• Kodak Black
• SZA
• Young M.A
• Julia Michaels
• Noah Cyrus

 

Best Collaboration 

 

• Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
• DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
• D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
• The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
• Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – “Feels”
• Zayn & Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”

 

Best Pop

 

• Shawn Mendes – “Treat You Better”
• Ed Sheeran – “Shape Of You”
• Harry Styles – “Sign Of The Times”
• Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down”
• Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm”
• Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”

 

Best Hip Hop 

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
• Big Sean – “Bounce Back”
• Chance the Rapper – “Same Drugs”
• D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
• Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Bad & Boujee”
• DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne – “I’m The One”

 

Best Dance 

 

• Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”
• Kygo x Selena Gomez – “It Ain’t Me”
• Calvin Harris – “My Way”
• Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ – “Cold Water”
• Afrojack ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Gone”

 

Best Rock 

 

• Coldplay – “A Head Full Of Dreams”
• Fall Out Boy – “Young And Menace”
• Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul”
• Green Day – “Bang Bang”
• Foo Fighters – “Run”

 

Best Fight Against the System 

 

• Logic ft. Damian Lemar Hudson – “Black SpiderMan”
• The Hamilton Mixtape – “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)”
• Big Sean – “Light”
• Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
• Taboo ft. Shailene Woodley – “Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL”
• John Legend – “Surefire”

 

Best Cinematography 

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Cinematographer: Scott Cunningham)
• Imagine Dragons – “Thunder” (Cinematographer: Matthew Wise)
• Ed Sheeran – “Castle On The Hill” (Cinematographer: Steve Annis)
• DJ Shadow ft. Run The Jewels – “Nobody Speak” (Cinematographer: David Proctor)
• Halsey – “Now Or Never” (Cinematographer: Kristof Brandl)

 

Best Direction

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Directors: Dave Meyers, The Little Homies)
• Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm” (Director: Mathew Cullen)
• Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” (Directors: Cameron Duddy, Bruno Mars)
• Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful” (Director: Aaron A)
• The Weeknd – “Reminder” (Director: Glenn Michael)

 

Best Art Direction 

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Production Designer: Spencer Graves)
• Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” (Production Designer: Alex Delgado)
• Katy Perry ft. Migos – “Bon Appetit” (Production Designer: Natalie Groce)
• DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts” (Production Designer: Damian Fyffe)
• The Weeknd – “Reminder” (Production Designers: Lamar C Taylor, Christo Anesti)

 

Best Visual Effects 

 

• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Company: Timber/Lead: Jonah Hall)
• A Tribe Called Quest – “Dis Generation” (Company: Bemo/Lead: Brandon Hirzel)
• KYLE ft. Lil Yachty – “iSpy” (Company: Gloria FX/Leads: Max Colt & Tomash Kuzmytskyi)
• Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm” (Company: MIRADA)
• Harry Styles – “Sign Of The Times” (Company: ONE MORE/Lead: Cédric Nivoliez)

 

Best Choreography 

 

• Kanye West – “Fade” (Choreographers: Teyana Taylor, Guapo, Jae Blaze, Derek ‘Bentley’ Watkins)
• Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – “Side To Side” (Choreographers: Brian & Scott Nicholson)
• Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Choreographer: Dave Meyers)
• Sia – “The Greatest” (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington)
• Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down” (Choreographer: Sean Bankhead)

 

Best Editing 

• Future – “Mask Off” (Editor: Vinnie Hobbs of VHPost)
• Young Thug – “Wyclef Jean” (Editors: Ryan Staake, Eric Degliomini)
• Lorde – “Green Light” (Editor: Nate Gross of Exile Edit)
• The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer” (Editor: Jennifer Kennedy)
• The Weeknd – “Reminder” (Editor: Red Barbaza)

– Rappler.com