Cardi B, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have come out on top with the announcement of this year’s MTV VMA nominees.
The 25-year-old breakout rapper has snagged 10 nominations in this year’s race, including artist of the year. Finesse, her duet with Bruno Mars, is up for video of the year and song of the year. Mars, who won six Grammy awards last year, is up for six awards in total.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z, as The Carters, scored eight nominations for their Apeshit video, including video of the year and best collaboration. Childish Gambino’s much-discussed video for This is America also received seven nods.
Other artists recognized included Drake with seven nominations, Camilla Cabello with five and Khalid with four. Ariana Grande is up for five and has tweeted that she is “grateful and excited” for the recognition.
In what could be considered a snub, Taylor Swift, who has previously won seven VMAs, has been nominated for only three awards, all in minor categories: best editing, best visual effects and best art direction. Last year she premiered her video for Look What You Made Me Do during the ceremony.
It’s the second year of the VMAs implementing gender neutral categories, following on from the MTV Movie & TV awards introducing the change.
Last year’s ceremony saw Kendrick Lamar triumph, taking home six trophies. This year’s awards will take handed out on 20 August, returning to Radio City Music Hall in New York, where the inaugural 1984 ceremony took place. It was last hosted there in 2009.
“New York City’s creative energy has always fueled those who live and work here,” New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, said. “This is where music, film, and art collide and where the Video Music Awards were born. There is no better place to host the MTV VMAs than in New York City at one of the most iconic venues in the world.
