Entertainment
How Many VMA Categories Are There?
Every year we tune into the MTV Video Music Awards to potentially witness an utterly baffling performance or monumental celebrity shade... and you know, maybe see some videos gain artistic recognition. Yes, it's fair to say the awards at the VMAs usually have to take a back seat to all the tongue-waggling twerking Teddy Bears, not to mention whatever drama Taylor Swift and Kanye Swift are going to get into this year. But, there are in fact golden Moon Men given out year after year, and for those of you who still have emotional stock in who will win accolades for their videos are probably wondering how many awards will be given out at the 2016 VMAs.
In total, there will be 17 awards given out at this years Video Music Awards. The true bread and butter of the awards are the Best Video categories, of which there are eight. Video of the Year is of course the crowning achievement of the night, and I'm particularly eager to find out of Beyonce or Adele will end up Queen of the evening. Even if it's neither, though, that's OK: both divas have nominations in other Best Video categories, such as Best Female Video and Best Pop Video. The Best Video categories are pretty straightforward, each mainstream genre gets a nod, each gender gets a nod, but everyone wants that Video of the Year.
That leaves two more untouched categories — the outliers in the bunch. The first is Best New Artist, an award given out to the break-out star of the year. Up for this Moon Man are the likes of Desiigner, DNCE, Lukas Graham, Zara Larsson and Bryson Tiller. Not sure who has the lead when it comes to this, though; my preference with post-punk probably let these new kids fall beneath the cracks.
The final category, though, is the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. And spoiler alert: Rihanna will be this year's Video Vanguard recipient. In case it's unclear the Video Vanguard Award — also known as the Lifetime Achievement Award — celebrates a particular artist's body of work and contribution to pop culture. You just need to do a quick side glance to last year's "Bitch Better Have My Money" to understand why this year's recipient is so utterly worthy.
The MTV Video Music Awards will start live at 9 p.m. EST, but until then, you can check out the full list of categories (sans Video Vanguard) below... and place your bets accordingly.
Video of the Year:
Adele – “Hello”
Beyonce – “Formation”
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
Justin Bieber – “Sorry”
Kanye West – “Famous”
Best Female Video:
Adele – “Hello”
Beyonce – “Hold Up”
Sia – “Cheap Thrills”
Ariana Grande – “Into You”
Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work” (short version)
Best Male Video:
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
Bryson Tiller – “Don’t”
Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
Kanye West – “Famous”
The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face”
Best Collaboration:
Beyonce ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Freedom”
Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work From Home”
Ariana Grande ft. Lil Wayne – “Let Me Love You”
Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna – “This Is What You Came For”
Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work” (short version)
Best Hip Hop Video:
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
Desiigner – “Panda”
Bryson Tiller – “Don’t”
Chance The Rapper – “Angels”
2 Chainz – “Watch Out”
Best Pop Video:
Adele – “Hello”
Beyonce – “Formation”
Justin Bieber – “Sorry”
Alessia Cara – “Wild Things”
Ariana Grande – “Into You”
Best Rock Video:
All Time Low – “Missing You”
Coldplay – “Adventure Of A Lifetime”
Fall Out Boy ft. Demi Lovato – “Irresistible”
twenty one pilots – “Heathens”
Panic! At The Disco – “Victorious”
Best Electronic Video:
Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”
99 Souls ft. Destiny’s Child & Brandy – “The Girl Is Mine”
Mike Posner – “I Took A Pill In Ibiza”
Afrojack – “SummerThing!”
The Chainsmokers ft. Daya – “Don’t Let Me Down”
Breakthrough Long Form Video:
Florence + The Machine – The Odyssey
Beyonce – Lemonade
Justin Bieber – PURPOSE: The Movement
Chris Brown – Royalty
Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy
Best New Artist:
Bryson Tiller
Desiigner
Zara Larsson
Lukas Graham
DNCE
Best Art Direction:
Beyonce – “Hold Up”
Fergie – “M.I.L.F. $”
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
David Bowie – “Blackstar”
Adele – “Hello”
Best Choreography:
Beyonce – “Formation”
Missy Elliott ft. Pharrell – “WTF (Where They From)”
Beyoncé – “Sorry”
FKA Twigs – “M3LL155X”
Florence + The Machine – “Delilah”
Best Direction:
Beyonce – “Formation”
Coldplay – “Up&Up”
Adele – “Hello”
David Bowie – “Lazarus”
Tame Impala – “The Less I Know The Better”
Best Cinematography:
Beyonce – “Formation”
Adele – “Hello”
David Bowie – “Lazarus”
Alesso – “I Wanna Know”
Ariana Grande – “Into You”
Best Editing:
Beyonce – “Formation”
Adele – “Hello”
Fergie – “M.I.L.F. $”
David Bowie – “Lazarus”
Ariana Grande – “Into You”
Best Visual Effects:
Coldplay – “Up&Up”
FKA Twigs – “M3LL155X”
Adele – “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face”
Zayn – “PILLOWTALK”
Images: Giphy (2)
