Ayra Starr, Tems, Davido among contenders in Best Afrobeats category
Six Nigerian Artists Nominated for 2024 MTV Video Music Awards
BY Alo Folakemi
September 3, 2024
8:22 am
MTV announced the nominees for the 2024 Video Music Awards (VMAs), with six Nigerian artists securing nominations in the Best Afrobeats category.
Ayra Starr, Tems, Davido, Burna Boy, Lojay, and Pheelz will compete for the award at the upcoming ceremony, scheduled for September 11, 2024, at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
Grammy winners Burna Boy and Tems received nods for “City Boys” and “Love Me Jeje,” respectively. Ayra Starr earned her second VMA nomination with “Last Heartbreak Song,” featuring Giveon.
Pheelz secured his first-ever nomination for “Ruin,” featuring Usher. Lojay, another first-time nominee, is recognized for “Sensational,” a collaboration with Chris Brown and Davido.
In the overall nominations, American pop star Taylor Swift leads with ten nods, followed by Post Malone with nine. Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Eminem each received six nominations, while SZA and Megan Thee Stallion garnered five each.
The VMAs celebrate artists who have produced music with global appeal and created masterful music videos. The Best Afrobeats category continues to recognize the genre’s growing popularity.
View the full list of nominations here.
Video of the Year,
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
Billie Eilish – “Lunch”
Doja Cat – “Pain the Town Red”
Eminem – “Houdini”
SZA – “Snooze”
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
Eminem
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Jack Harlow -” Lovin on Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Tyla
MTV Push Performance of the Year
August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes”
September 2023: Glorilla – “Lick or Sum”
October 2023: Benson Boone – “In the Stars”
November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU”
December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones”
February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova”
April 2024: Flyana Boss – “Yeaaa”
May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess”
June 2024: Le Sserafim – “Easy”
July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun”
Best Collaboration
Drake Featuring Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy”
Glorilla & Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be”
Jessie Murph Featuring Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones”
Jung Kook Featuring Latto – “Seven”
Post Malone Featuring Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help”
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best Pop
Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
Best Hip-Hop
Drake Featuring Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy”
Eminem – “Houdini”
Glorilla – “Yeah Glo!”
Gunna – “Fukumean”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa”
Travis Scott Featuring Playboi Carti – “Fe!n”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “Lifeline”
Muni Long – “Made for Me”
SZA – “Snooze”
Tyla – “Water”
Usha, Summer Walker & 21 Savage – “Good Good”
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
Best Alternative
Benson Boone -” Beautiful Things”
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves”
Hozier – “Too Sweet”
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed”
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)
Best Rock
Bon Jovi – “Legendary”
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Green Day – “Dilemma”
Kings of Leon – “Mustang”
Lenny Kravitz – “Human”
U2 – “Atomic City”
Best Latin
Anitta – “Mil Veces”
Bad Bunny – “Monaco”
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Myke Towers – “Lala”
Peso Pluma & Anitta – “Bellakeo”
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky”
Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería”
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr Featuring Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Burna Boy – “City Boys”
Chris Brown Featuring Davido and Lojay – “Sensational”
Tems – “Love Me JeJe”
Tyla – “Water”
Usher & Pheelz – “Ruin”
Best K-Pop
Jung Kook Featuring Latto – “Seven”
Lisa – “Rockstar”
NCT Dream – “Smoothie”
NewJeans – “Super Shy”
Stray Kids – “Lalalala”
Tomorrow X Together – “Deja Vu’
Video for Good
Alexander Stewart – “If You Only Knew:
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For?” (From The Motion Picture “Barbie”)
Coldplay – “Felslikeimfallinginlove”
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best for Me”
Raye – “Genesis”
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Bleachers – Tiny Moves
Eminem – Houdini
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Charli XCX – Von Dutch
Dua Lipa – Illusion
Olivia Rodrigo – Obsessed
Rauw Alejandro – Touching the Sky
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Best Editing
Anitta – Mil Veces
Ariana Grande – We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)
Eminem – Houdini
Lisa – Rockstar
Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Best Choreography
Bleachers – Tiny Moves
Dua Lipa – Houdini
Lisa – Rockstar
Rauw Alejandro – Touching the Sky
Tate McRae – Greedy
Troye Sivan – Rush
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – The Boy Is Mine
Eminem – Houdini
Justin Timberlake – Selfish
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Olivia Rodrigo – Get Him Back!
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – 360
Lisa – Rockstar
Megan Thee Stallion – Boa
Olivia Rodrigo – Bad Idea Right?
Sabrina Carpenter – Please Please Please
Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – Fortnight