Beyonce leads the MTV Video Music Award nominations, obviously

Established pop sensations dominated this year's nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards, with Beyonce earning eight nominations and Eminem earning seven. Only a few breakout artists were recognized, with newcomers Iggy Azalea and Sam Smith nominated in major categories. Beyonce's "Drunk in Love" will compete against Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX's "Fancy," Pharrell's "Happy," Sia's "Chandelier," and Miley's "Wrecking Ball" for the coveted top prize of Video of the Year. Other artists receiving multiple nominations include Jay Z, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Katy Perry, and Avicii.
The awards ceremony, which will stream live from the Forum in Inglewood, California on Sunday, August 24th at 9 p.m. EST., will feature performances from Ariana Grande, Usher, and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.