Exactly 19 years after Madonna’s iconic onstage kiss with Britney Spears, the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards aired on Sunday night, hoping to recapture the magic and unpredictability of ceremonies past.
Hosted by LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow, the awards show kicked off at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to honor the biggest and boldest names in music over the past year.
Harlow, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X led the pack with seven nominations each, followed closely behind by Doja Cat and Harry Styles with six. The artists faced off against Drake, Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift for the coveted Moon Person trophy for Video of the Year.
The “Evermore” singer ultimately prevailed, picking up the award for her “All Too Well” short film and announcing that fans can expect a new album in October during her acceptance speech.
Minaj, a 17-time VMAs nominee and five-time VMAs winner, received MTV’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the ceremony, in addition to delivering a medley of her greatest hits on stage in her first performance at the show since 2018. She also took home the award in the Best Hip-Hop category for her collaboration with Lil Baby, “Do We Have a Problem?”
And while the night proved to be historic for some ― Swift broke the record for most VOTY wins ― the VMAs were, of course, all about performances.
Performers on the mainstage included Lizzo, Anitta, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Blackpink, Måneskin, Marshmallow and Khalid, Panic! At The Disco, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Harlow, who brought out Fergie to perform “First Class.” There was also a star-studded collab between Snoop Dogg and Eminem, which, for some reason, was set in the metaverse.
Check out the full list of nominees and winners below.
Video Of The Year
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was“ – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby” – Columbia Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Artist Of The Year
WINNER: Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Drake – OVO/Republic
Ed Sheeran – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Lil Nas X – Columbia Records
Lizzo – Atlantic Records
Song Of The Year
Adele – “Easy on Me” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “Stay” – Columbia Records
Best New Artist
Baby Keem – Columbia Records
WINNER: Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records
GAYLE – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
Latto – Streamcut / RCA Records
Måneskin – Arista Records
Seventeen – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Album Of The Year
Adele – “30”
Bad Bunny – “Un Verano Sin Ti”
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
Drake – “Certified Lover Boy”
WINNER: Harry Styles – “Harry’s House”
Push Performance Of The Year
Griff – “One Night” – Warner Records
Remi Wolf – “Sexy Villain” – Island Records
Nessa Barrett – “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – Warner Records
WINNER: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records
Mae Muller – “Better Days” – Capitol Records UK
GAYLE – “abcdefu” – Atlantic Records / Arthouse Records
Sheneesa – “R U That” – Rich Immigrants / Interscope Records
Omar Apollo – “Tamagotchi” – Warner Records
Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue” – Domino Recording Company
Muni Long – “Baby Boo” – Supergiant Records LLC / Def Jam Recording
Doechii – “Persuasive” – Top Dog Entertainment / Capitol Records
Best Collaboration
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO/Republic
Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” – EMI / Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Post Malone & The Weeknd – “One Right Now” – Mercury Records / Republic Records
ROSALÍA ft. The Weeknd – “LA FAMA” – Columbia Records
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best Pop
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor” – Geffen Records
Best Hip-Hop
Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U” – Freebandz / Epic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “Big Energy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records
Pusha T – “Diet Coke” – G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
Best Rock
Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young” – RCA Records
Jack White – “Taking Me Back” – Third Man Records
Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” – Warner Records
WINNER: Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records
Shinedown – “Planet Zero” – Elektra Music Group
Three Days Grace – “So Called Life” – RCA Records
Best Alternative
Avril Lavigne ft. blackbear – “Love It When You Hate Me” – Elektra Music Group / DTA Records
Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy” – KIDinaKORNER / Interscope Records
Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW – “emo girl” – Bad Boy / Interscope Records
WINNER: Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records
Panic! At The Disco – “Viva Las Vengeance” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots – “Saturday” – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
WILLOW, Avril Lavigne ft. Travis Barker – “G R O W” – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation Records
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records
Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó” – Rimas Entertainment
Becky G X KAROL G – “MAMIII” – Kemosabe Records / Sony Music Latin / RCA Records
Daddy Yankee – “REMIX” – Republic Records
Farruko – “Pepas” – Sony Music US Latin
J Balvin & Skrillex – “In Da Getto” – Sueños Globales, LLC /Universal Music Latino / Asylum Records UK
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “City of Gods (Part II)” – AKW
Chlöe – “Have Mercy” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
H.E.R. – “For Anyone” – RCA Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool/RCA Records
Summer Walker, SZA & Cardi B – “No Love (Extended Version)” – LVRN / Interscope Records
WINNER: The Weeknd – “Out Of Time” – XO / Republic Records
Best K-Pop
BTS – “Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)” – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
ITZY – “LOCO” – JYP Entertainment
WINNER: LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
SEVENTEEN – “HOT” – PLEDIS Entertainment/Geffen Records
Stray Kids – “MANIAC” – JYP Entertainment
TWICE – “The Feels” – JYP Entertainment
Group Of The Year
WINNER: Blackpink
BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic
Song of the Summer
Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
Beyoncé – “Break My Soul”
Charlie Puth (featuring Jungkook) – “Left and Right”
Doja Cat – “Vegas”
Future (featuring Drake and Tems) – “Wait for U”
Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking”
WINNER: Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Kane Brown – “Grand”
Latto and Mariah Carey (featuring DJ Khaled) – “Big Energy (Remix)“
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
Marshmello and Khalid – “Numb”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Nicky Youre and dazy – “Sunroof”
Post Malone (featuring Doja Cat) – “I Like You (A Happier Song)“
Rosalía – “Bizcochito”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
Video For Good
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Latto – “P*ssy” – Streamcut / RCA Records
WINNER: Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records
Rina Sawayama – “This Hell” – Dirty Hit
Stromae – ”Fils de joie” – Mosaert Label / The Darkroom / Interscope Records
Best Metaverse Performance
WINNER: BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
BTS | Minecraft – BIGHIT Music / Geffen Records
Charli XCX | Roblox – Atlantic Records
Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience | Wave – Def Jam
Rift Tour ft. Ariana Grande | Fortnite – Republic Records
Twenty One Pilots Concert Experience | Roblox – Fueled By Ramen / Elektra Music Group
Best Longform Video
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Foo Fighters – Studio 666 – RCA Records
Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
Madonna – Madame X – Interscope Records
Olivia Rodrigo – driving home 2 u – Geffen Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Cinematography
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Camila Cabello ft. Ed Sheeran – “Bam Bam” – Epic Records
WINNER: Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Kendrick Lamar – “N95” – pgLang / Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Direction
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Ed Sheeran – “Shivers” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
Best Art Direction
Adele – “Oh My God” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” – OVO / Republic Records
Kacey Musgraves – “simple times” – Interscope Records / MCA Nashville
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Coldplay X BTS – “My Universe” – Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart Part 5” – pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records
WINNER: Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie” – 300 Entertainment
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY” – Columbia Records
Best Choreography
BTS – “Permission to Dance” – BIGHIT Music/Geffen Records
WINNER: Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
FKA twigs ft. The Weeknd – “Tears In The Club” – Atlantic Records
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records
Normani ft. Cardi B – “Wild Side” – Keep Cool / RCA Records
Best Editing
Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar – “family ties” – Columbia Records
Doja Cat – “Get Into It (Yuh)” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal” – Geffen Records
WINNER: ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” – Republic Records
The Weeknd – “Take My Breath” – XO / Republic Records