The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were broadcast live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The program, hosted by Doja Cat, featured performances by Lil Nas X, the winner of the Video of the Year award, Normani, Kacey Musgraves, and others. The full list of winners can be found below.
Justin Bieber stood for most awards with seven nominations for “Holy”, “Peaches” and his appearance in DJ Khaled’s “Pop Star” video. He won two awards: Artist of the Year and Best Pop. Megan Thee Stallion had six nominations, including four for her Cardi-B collaboration “WAP”, but did not take home any awards. Olivia Rodrigo performed “Good 4 U” at the VMAs and won three awards: Best New Artist, Push Performance of the Year and Song of the Year (for “Drivers License”).
The 40th Anniversary Award Ceremony edition returns to a live audience format and features a new Moon Person designed by Kehinde Wiley. Follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the MTV VMAs 2021.
Video of the year
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion]
DJ Khaled / Drake: “Popstar” (with Justin Bieber)
Doja Cat: “Kiss me more” [ft. SZA]
Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits”
WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (call me by your name)”
The Weeknd: “Save Your Tears”
Artist of the year
Ariana Grande
Doja Cat
WINNER: Justin Bieber
Megan Thee stallion
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
Song of the year
24kGoldn: “Mood” [ft. Iann Dior]
BTS: “Dynamite”
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion]
Dua Lipa: “Levitating”
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo: “Driver’s License”
Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the door open”
Best New Artist, Presented by Facebook
24k gold
Giveon
The child Laroi
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
Polo G
Saweetie
Group of the year
Black pink
WINNER: BTS
CNCO
Foo fighters
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5
Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic
Twenty-one pilots
Push performance of the year
September 2020: Wallows – “Are you bored yet?”
October 2020: Ashnikko – “Daisies”
November 2020: Holy Jhn – “Glorious”
December 2020: 24kGoldn – “Coco”
January 2021: JC Stewart – “Break My Heart”
February 2021: Latto – “Sex Lies”
March 2021: Madison Beer – “selfish”
April 2021: The Kid Laroi – “Without you”
WINNER: May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo – “Driving License”
June 2021: girl in red – “Serotonin”
July 2021: Fousheé – “my slime”
August 2021: Jxdn – “Think of me”
Best cooperation
24kGoldn: “Mood” [ft. Iann dior]
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion]
WINNER: Doja Cat: “Kiss me more” [ft. SZA]
Drake: “Laugh now, cry later” [ft. Lil Durk]
Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon]
Miley Cyrus: “Prisoner” [ft. Dua Lipa]
Best pop
Ariana Grande: “Positions”
Billie Eilish: “That’s why I am”
BTS: “Butter”
Harry Styles: “Treat people with kindness”
WINNER: Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon]
Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U”
Shawn Mendes: “Miracles”
Taylor Swift: “Willow”
Best hip hop
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion]
Drake: “Laugh now, cry later” [ft. Lil Durk]
Lil Baby: “On me (remix)” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion]
Moneybagg Yo: “Said Sum”
Polo G: “Rapstar”
WINNER: Travis Scott: “Franchise” [ft. Young Thug and M.I.A.]
Best rock
Evanescence: “Use my voice”
Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame”
WINNER: John Mayer: “Last train home”
The killers: “The warning of my own soul”
Kings of Leon: “The Bandit”
Lenny Kravitz: “Increase Vibration”
Best alternative
Bleacher: “Stop hurting this”
Glass animals: “heat waves”
Imagine dragons: “Follow you”
WINNER: Machine Gun Kelly: “My Ex’s Best Friend” [ft. Blackbear]
Twenty-one pilots: “Shy Away”
Willow: “Transparent soul” [ft. Travis Barker]
Best Latin
Bad Bunny / Jhay Cortez: “Dákiti”
WINNER: Billie Eilish / Rosalía: “You’ll Forget It”
Black Eyed Peas / Shakira: “Girls like me”
J Balvin / Dua Lipa / Bad Bunny / Tainy: “Un Dia (One Day)”
Karol G: “Bichota”
Maluma: “Hawaii”
Best R&B
Beyoncé / Blue Ivy / Saint Jhn / WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl”
Chris Brown / Young Thug: “Get Crazy”
Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary”
SHE: “Come through” [ft. Chris Brown]
WINNER: Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open”
SZA: “Good days”
Best K-Pop
(D) I-dle: “Dumdi Dumdi”
Blbackpink / Selena Gomez: “Ice Cream”
WINNER: BTS: “Butter”
Monsta X: “Player”
Seventeen: “Ready to Love”
Twice: “Alcohol-free”
Song of summer
Billie Eilish: “Happier Than Ever”
WINNER: BTS: “Butter”
Camila Cabello: “Don’t go yet”
DJ Khaled: “Every chance I get” [ft. Lil Baby and Lil Durk]
Doja cat: “Must know”
Dua Lipa: “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits”
Giveon: “Heartbreak Anniversary”
Justin Bieber: “Peaches” [ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon]
The Kid Laroi / Justin Bieber: “Stay”
Lil Nas X / Jack Harlow: “Industrial Baby”
Lizzo: “Rumors” [ft. Cardi B]
Megan Thee Stallion: “Thot Shit”
Normani: “Wild side” [ft. Cardi B]
Olivia Rodrigo: “Good 4 U”
Shawn Mendes / Tainy: “Summer of Love”
Video for the better
WINNER: Billie Eilish: “Your Power”
Demi Lovato: “Dancing with the Devil”
SHE: “Fight for you”
Kane Brown: “Beautiful all over the world”
Lil Nas X: “Montero (call me by your name)”
Pharrell Williams: “Entrepreneur” [ft. Jay-Z]
Best direction
Billie Eilish: “Your Power” (Directed by Billie Eilish)
DJ Khaled ft. Drake: “Popstar” (Director X)
WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (call me by your name)” (Ed. Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino)
Taylor Swift: “Willow” (R. Taylor Swift)
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & MIA: “Franchise” (Directed by Travis Scott)
Tyler, the creator: “Lumberjack” (R. Wolf Haley)
Best camera
WINNER: Beyoncé / Blue Ivy / Saint Jhn / WizKid: “Brown Skin Girl” (Camera: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, MOHAMMAED ATTA AHMED, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant)
Billie Eilish: “That’s what I am for” (camera: Rob Witt)
Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” (Cinema: Santiago Gonzalez)
Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper: “Holy” (Camera: Elias Talbot)
Lady Gaga: “911” (Camera: Jeff Cronenweth)
Lorde: “Solar Power” (Camera: Andrew Stroud)
Best art direction
Beyoncé / Shatta Wale / Major Lazer: “Already” (Art Direction: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos)
Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” (Art Direction: Alison Dominitz)
Lady Gaga: “911” (Art Direction: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus)
Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (Art Direction: John Richoux)
WINNER: Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: “Best Friend” (Art Direction: Art Haynes)
Taylor Swift: “Willow” (Art Direction: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez)
Best visual effects
Bella Poarch: “Build a Bitch” (visual effects: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova)
Coldplay: “Higher Power” (visual effects: math)
Doja Cat / The Weeknd: “You Right” (visual effects: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel)
Glass animals: “Tangerine” (visual effects: Ronan Fourreau)
WINNER: Lil Nas X: “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” (Visual Effects: Mathematic)
P! Nk: “Everything I know so far” (visual effects: Dave Meyers, Freenjoy Inc)
Best choreography
Ariana Grande: “34 + 35” (Choreography: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson)
BTS: “Butter” (Choreography: SON SUNG DEUK with BHM PERFORMANCE DIRECTING TEAM)
Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits” (Choreography: Natricia Bernard)
Foo Fighters: “Shame Shame” (Choreography: Nina McNeely)
WINNER: Harry Styles: “Treat people with kindness” (Choreography: Paul Roberts)
Marshmello / Halsey: “Be Kind” (Choreography: Dani Vitale)
Best processing
BTS: “Butter” (arrangement: Yong Seok Choi von Lumpens)
Drake: “What’s next” (Editor: Noah Kendal)
Harry Styles: “Treat people with kindness” (Editor: Claudia Wass)
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: “Peaches” (Editing: Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs)
Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: “Prisoner” (Editor: William Town at Modern Post)
WINNER: Bruno Mars / Anderson .Paak / Silk Sonic: “Leave the Door Open” (Editor: Troy Charbonnet)
US Global Icon Award
Foo fighters
Best breakthrough song
Masked wolf: “astronaut in the ocean”
WINNER: Claire Rosinkranz: “Backyard Boy”
Bella Poarch: “Build a B * tch”
Yung Baby Tate: “I am” [ft. Flo Milli]
Whoheem: “Let’s Link”
Best comeback song
WINNER: Aly & AJ: “Potential Break-Up Song”
Destiny’s Child: “Bills, Bills, Bills”
Fleetwood Mac: “Dreams”
Simple plan: “I’m just a kid”
Boney M .: “Rasputin”
Missy Elliott: “Work with it”
Best Artist x Creator Collaboration
WINNER: Mustard Watermelon by @Lizzo x @yayayayummy
“Blackbird” duet by @joejonas x @itsbenhorsburgh
Fan duet by @charlieputh x @jvke
Soup song by @johnmayer x @itsjamiebiotch
Mom, it was never a phase from @alltimelow x @yungricepatty
“Unwritten” dance by @natashabedingfield x @rony_boyy
Best audio mashup
WINNER: “Shaxicula” (“Toxic” x “Love Shack” x “Dragula”) by Britney Spears / The B-52’s / Rob Zombie x @djcummerbund
“Baby One More Time x Levitating” by Britney Spears / Dua Lipa x @adamusic_
“Castaways x Dilemma” by The Backyardigans / Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland x @djbabyq
“Good 4 U x Misery Business” by Olivia Rodrigo / Paramore x @nikjaay
“Watermelon Sugar x Seaside” by Harry Styles / SEB x @SEBS_LOVESONGS
Best viral dance
WINNER: “Twerkulator” by City Girls x @layzchipz
“Adderall (Corvette Corvette)” by Popp Hunna x @yvnggprince
“Gimme More” by Britney Spears x @jaedengomezz & @karaleighcannella
“Ooowwweee” by Peewee Longway & Money Man x @ thats.so.bre
“Savage” by Megan Thee stallion x @ keke.janajah
“Up” by Cardi B x @theemyanicole and @cchrvs
This article was originally published on Sunday, September 12th at 7:51 pm Eastern. It was last updated on September 12 at 11:28 PM Eastern.
