Skip to main content

Home Music Music News

Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X lead 2022 VMA nominations

Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Doja Cat and Billie Eilish are among the other nominees for this year’s ceremony

By Kat Bouza

VMA
Kendrick Lamar (Picture: pgLang)

Some of the biggest names in hip-hop could head home with their very own Moonman trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards, as Jack HarlowKendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X top this year’s list of nominees.

The three artists each boast seven nominations, and are followed closely behind by Doja Cat and Harry Styles, who both received six nominations. Taylor SwiftOlivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Rosalía and Ed Sheeran are counted among the other nominees.

The performance roster for the annual awards show, which takes place 28 August, has yet to be announced — but VMA organisers promise fans “show-stopping surprises,” according to a release.

Harlow and Lil Nas X are recognised for the jail-themed video for their chart-topping collaboration ‘Industry Baby’, while Lamar’s nominations mark the first time the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers rapper was recognised by the VMAs since 2018. Swift received five nominations — including Best Longform Video — for her epic, self-directed ‘All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)’ short film, which stars actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien.

Other notable categories included this year are Best Metaverse Performance and Best K-Pop Video.

Madonna also received a nod for Madame X — her 69th overall — making her the only artist to receive a VMA nomination in each decade since the award show’s conception. (The ‘Material Girl’ singer is also the most-awarded artist in VMA history, with 20 wins under her belt.)

Fan voting on the awards begins today at vote.mtv.com. See the full list of nominees below.

2022 MTV Video Music Award Nominees

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Doja Cat – ‘Woman’
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – ‘Way 2 Sexy’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Shivers’
Harry Styles – ‘As It Was’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Brutal’
Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well’ (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bad Bunny
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
Jack Harlow
Lil Nas X
Lizzo

SONG OF THE YEAR
Adele – ‘Easy On Me’
Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Doja Cat – ‘Woman’
Elton John and Dua Lipa – ‘Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)’
Lizzo – ‘About Damn Time’
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’

BEST NEW ARTIST
Baby Keem
Dove Cameron
Gayle
Latto
Måneskin
Seventeen

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
September 2021: Griff – ‘One Night’
October 2021: Remi Wolf – ‘Sexy Villain’ – Island Records
November 2021: Nessa Barrett – ‘i hope ur miserable until ur dead’
December 2021: Seventeen – ‘Rock With You’
January 2021: Mae Muller – ‘Better Days’
February 2022: Gayle – ‘abcdefu’
March 2022: Sheneesa – ‘R U That’
April 2022: Omar Apollo – ‘Tamagotchi’
May 2022: Wet Leg – ‘Chaise Longue’
June 2022: Muni Long – ‘Baby Boo’
July 2022: Doechii – ‘Persuasive’

BEST COLLABORATION
Drake ft. Future and Young Thug – ‘Way 2 Sexy’
Elton John and Dua Lipa – ‘Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – ‘Sweetest Pie’
Post Malone and The Weeknd – ‘One Right Now’
Rosalía ft. The Weeknd – ‘La Fama’
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’

BEST POP
Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Doja Cat – ‘Woman’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Shivers’
Harry Styles – ‘As It Was’
Lizzo – ‘About Damn Time’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Traitor’

BEST HIP-HOP
Eminem and Snoop Dogg – ‘From The D 2 The LBC’
Future ft. Drake, Tems – ‘Wait For U’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘N95’
Latto – ‘Big Energy’
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – ‘Do We Have A Problem?’
Pusha T – ‘Diet Coke’

BEST ROCK
Foo Fighters – ‘Love Dies Young’
Jack White – ‘Taking Me Back’
Muse – ‘Won’t Stand Down’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Black Summer’
Shinedown – ‘Planet Zero’
Three Days Grace – ‘So Called Life’

BEST ALTERNATIVE
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – ‘Love It When You Hate Me’
Imagine Dragons and JID – ‘Enemy’
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – ‘Emo Girl’
Måneskin – ‘I Wanna Be Your Slave’
Panic! At The Disco – ‘Viva Las Vengeance’
Twenty One Pilots  – ‘Saturday’
Willow and Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – ‘Grow’

BEST LATIN
Anitta – ‘Envolver’
Bad Bunny – ‘Tití Me Preguntó’
Becky G and Karol G – ‘Mamiii’
Daddy Yankee – ‘Remix’
Farruko – ‘Pepas’
J Balvin and Skrillex – ‘In Da Getto’

BEST R&B
Alicia Keys – ‘City of Gods (Part II)’
Chlöe – ‘Have Mercy’
H.E.R. – ‘For Anyone’
Normani ft. Cardi B – ‘Wild Side’ – Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA and Cardi B – ‘No Love (Extended Version)’
The Weeknd – ‘Out Of Time’

BEST K-POP
BTS – ‘Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)’
Itzy – ‘Loco’ – JYP Entertainment
LISA – ‘Lalisa’
Seventeen – ‘Hot’
Stray Kids – ‘Maniac’
Twice – ‘The Feels’

VIDEO FOR GOOD
Kendrick Lamar – ‘The Heart Part 5’
Latto – ‘Pussy’
Lizzo – ‘About Damn Time’
Rina Sawayama – ‘This Hell’
Stromae – ‘Fils de joie’

BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE
Blackpink The Virtual – PUBG
BTS – Minecraft
Charli XCX – Roblox
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience – Wave
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande – Fortnite
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience – Roblox

BEST LONGFORM VIDEO
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
Foo Fighters – Studio 666
Kacey Musgraves – Star-Crossed
Madonna – Madame X
Olivia Rodrigo – Driving Home 2 U
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – ‘Family Ties’
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – ‘Bam Bam’
Harry Styles – ‘As It Was’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘N95’
Normani ft. Cardi B – ‘Wild Side’
Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well’ (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

BEST DIRECTION
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – ‘Family Ties’
Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Shivers’
Harry Styles – ‘As It Was’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well’ (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)

BEST ART DIRECTION
Adele – ‘Oh My God’
Doja Cat – ‘Get Into It (Yuh)’
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – ‘Way 2 Sexy’
Kacey Musgraves – ‘Simple Times’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – ‘Sweetest Pie’

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish – ‘Happier Than Ever’
Coldplay and BTS – ‘My Universe’
Kendrick Lamar – ‘The Heart Part 5’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – ‘Sweetest Pie’
The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
BTS – ‘Permission to Dance’
Doja Cat – ‘Woman’
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – ‘Tears In The Club’
Harry Styles – ‘As It Was’
Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow – ‘Industry Baby’
Normani ft. Cardi B – ‘Wild Side’

BEST EDITING
Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar – ‘Family Ties’
Doja Cat – ‘Get Into It (Yuh)’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Brutal’
Rosalía – ‘Saoko’
Taylor Swift – ‘All Too Well’ (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
The Weeknd – ‘Take My Breath’

This article first appeared on Rolling Stone.