Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry e The Weeknd dominano le nomination, anticipate sui social, degli MTV Video Music Awards 2017, che si terranno il 27 agosto a Los Angeles, in California, al Forum di Inglewood. Il rapper guida il podio di questa edizione con 8 candidature per il suo video "Humble". La Perry è la prima donna tra le nominate, in una lista in cui il genere femminile sembra molto svantaggiato.
Katy Perry e The Weeknd seguono infatti a pari merito al secondo posto con cinque nomination ciascuno. Per il rapper Lamar un anno fortunato: con "DAMN." ha già raggiunto l'importante record di album più venduto dell'anno. Alcune grosse novità per l'edizione di quest'anno della leggendaria manifestazione musicale riguardano l'eliminazione delle categorie di genere e la fusione quindi del "Best Female Video" e "Best Male Video" in un'unica categoria "asessuata": "Artista dell'anno". Inoltre è stata aggiunta una sezione dai connotati socio-politici, ovvero "Best Fight Against the System", i miglior video ispirati dalla lotta contro il sistema e per la giustizia.
Gli MTV Video Music Awards sono un evento ormai cult per i tanti ospiti celebri che vi partecipano e per le performance stravaganti, destinate ad essere ricordate per molto tempo, che vengono presentate: il twerking di Miley Cyrus a Robin Thicke nel 2013 ha avuto luogo proprio sul palco della kermesse, così come il bacio tra Madonna e Britney Spears dieci anni prima...
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
The Weeknd – “Reminder”
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bruno Mars
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Ariana Grande
The Weeknd
Lorde
BEST NEW ARTIST (Presented by Taco Bell®)
Khalid
Kodak Black
SZA
Young M.A
Julia Michaels
Noah Cyrus
BEST COLLABORATION
Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – “Feels”
Zayn & Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”
BEST POP
Shawn Mendes – “Treat You Better”
Ed Sheeran – “Shape Of You”
Harry Styles – “Sign Of The Times”
Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down”
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm”
Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”
BEST HIP HOP
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Big Sean – “Bounce Back”
Chance the Rapper – “Same Drugs”
D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Bad & Boujee”
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne – “I’m The One”
BEST DANCE
Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”
Kygo x Selena Gomez – “It Ain’t Me”
Calvin Harris – “My Way”
Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ – “Cold Water”
Afrojack ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Gone”
BEST ROCK
Coldplay – “A Head Full Of Dreams”
Fall Out Boy – “Young And Menace”
Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul”
Green Day – “Bang Bang”
Foo Fighters – “Run”
BEST FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM
Logic ft. Damian Lemar Hudson – “Black SpiderMan”
The Hamilton Mixtape – “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)”
Big Sean – “Light”
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
Taboo ft. Shailene Woodley – “Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL”
John Legend – “Surefire”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Cinematographer: Scott Cunningham)
Imagine Dragons – “Thunder” (Cinematographer: Matthew Wise)
Ed Sheeran – “Castle On The Hill” (Cinematographer: Steve Annis)
DJ Shadow ft. Run The Jewels – “Nobody Speak” (Cinematographer: David Proctor)
Halsey – “Now Or Never” (Cinematographer: Kristof Brandl)
BEST DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Directors: Dave Meyers, The Little Homies)
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm” (Director: Mathew Cullen)
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” (Directors: Cameron Duddy, Bruno Mars)
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful” (Director: Aaron A)
The Weeknd – “Reminder” (Director: Glenn Michael)
BEST ART DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Production Designer: Spencer Graves)
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” (Production Designer: Alex Delgado)
Katy Perry ft. Migos – “Bon Appetit” (Production Designer: Natalie Groce)
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts” (Production Designer: Damian Fyffe)
The Weeknd – “Reminder” (Production Designers: Lamar C Taylor, Christo Anesti)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Company: Timber/Lead: Jonah Hall)
A Tribe Called Quest – “Dis Generation” (Company: Bemo/Lead: Brandon Hirzel)
KYLE ft. Lil Yachty – “iSpy” (Company: Gloria FX/Leads: Max Colt & Tomash Kuzmytskyi)
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm” (Company: MIRADA)
Harry Styles – “Sign
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Kanye West – “Fade” (Choreographers: Teyana Taylor, Guapo, Jae Blaze, Derek ‘Bentley’ Watkins)
Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – “Side To Side” (Choreographers: Brian & Scott Nicholson)
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.” (Choreographer: Dave Meyers)
Sia – “The Greatest” (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington)
Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down” (Choreographer: Sean Bankhead)
BEST EDITING
Future – “Mask Off” (Editor: Vinnie Hobbs of VHPost)
Young Thug – “Wyclef Jean” (Editors: Ryan Staake, Eric Degliomini)
Lorde – “Green Light” (Editor: Nate Gross of Exile Edit)
The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer” (Editor: Jennifer Kennedy)