- The MTV VMAs will take place on September 12.
- The awards show will air live from New Jersey.
- Performers include Demi Lovato, Lil Wayne, Doja Cat and more.
- Nicki Minaj will host and perform.
One of music’s biggest nights of the year will be at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on September 12: the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Demi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin and Stray Kids were announced on August 22 as the first round of stars who will perform at the show. Lil Wayne, Kelsea Ballerini, and more were revealed as new performers on Aug. 31. Nicki Minaj was announced as the host and one of the performers on September 8.
Taylor Swift leads the pack of nominees with eight nominations, followed by SZA, Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, and Nicki Minaj with six nominations apiece. Last year’s VMAs were hosted by Nicki, LL Cool J, and Jack Harlow. The performers included Lizzo, Blackpink, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Bunny, Panic! At The Disco, and more. We don’t know the host yet for the 2023 VMAs, but we do know that the show will feature many mind-blowing performances. Ahead of the 2023 show, here’s a running list of all the amazing acts slated to perform during the event.
BAAAAAARBZ 🗣 @NICKIMINAJ IS PERFORMING AT THE 2023 #VMAs, AND she's our emcee for the night!!
Watch her LIVE ~ TUESDAY at 8p on @MTV 🎀 pic.twitter.com/KoQaaBu6OR
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 8, 2023
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj is reprising her dual role as host and performer at the 2023 VMAs. She is set to perform her new single “Last Time I Saw You” at the show for the first time. Nicki won “Best Hip Hop” and was the recipient of the coveted Video Vanguard Award at the 2022 VMAs. She boasts a total of 25 overall VMA nominations, including six nods this year.
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy will light up the stage at the 2023 VMAs. The multi-platinum rock group first electrified the stage with “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” in 2005 and again two years later with “Shut Up And Drive” featuring Rihanna. Boasting an impressive 16 “VMAs” nods overall, the band will look to add to their trophy collection with nominations for “Best Visual Effects” and “Best Alternative” from their 8th studio album, So Much (For) Stardust.
Metro Boomin
Diamond-certified artist & producer Metro Boomin will mark his first-ever VMAs performance with the broadcast debut of his two hit singles “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” with Future and “Calling” with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee and NAV. Metro Boomin is up for four VMAs this year, including “Album of the Year.”
Peso Pluma
Peso Pluma will the stage for his inaugural VMAs performance and compete for his first Moon Person, contending in three distinguished categories: “Best New Artist,” “Best Latin” and “Song of the Summer.” Peso has the biggest música Mexicana album “Genesis” of all time.
Lil Wayne
The rapper is returning to the VMAs stage for the first time in more than a decade. The 5x Grammy winner will be performing his new single “Kat Food,” which is dropping on Sept. 1. Lil Wayne is a two-two VMAs winner. He won his first Moon Person in 2008, and then his second in 2012. He’s nominated for Best Hip Hop Video this year for his “Kant Nobody” video with Swizz Beatz and DMX.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat will make her return to the VMA stage after hosting the show in 2021. The global superstar is a 4x VMAs winner. The “Been Like This” singer is nominated for 5 awards at this year’s show, including “Best Video of the Year” and “Artist of the Year.” She last took home a Moon Person in 2022 for “Best Choreography.”
Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini will take the MTV stage for a show-stopping performance during the 2023 show. This performance will be the world premiere of one of her tracks off her expanded EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good). Her 2023 performance will be her first-ever appearance on the VMA stage — and also her 30th birthday.
Anitta
Anitta will be performing a medley of hits from her latest release Funk Generation: A Favela Love Story. The global sensation is returning to the VMAs following her first appearance at the iconic awards show last year. She made history with her first VMA win as the only Brazilian to ever take home an MTV Moon Person. Anitta is nominated again this year in the “Best Latin” category.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
The former MTV PUSH artists will perform their brand-new single and make history with their VMAs debut during the 2023 show. They’ll be the first K-pop band to cross-genre for an international performance with Anitta. The group is nominated for “Best K-Pop” and “Push Performance of the Year.”
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato, a 14x nominee, is performing at the VMAs for the first time in six years. She’ll perform at the show three days before the release of her highly anticipated new album, Revamped, which features rock versions of her hit songs. Demi’s many unforgettable VMAs moments include her 2015 stage debut with “Cool for the Summer” and 2017 performance of “Sorry Not Sorry.” She’s up for two categories this year: “Best Pop” and “Video for Good.”
Karol G
Karol G will make her first-ever appearance on MTV’s iconic stage at the 2023 VMAs. The history-making songstress, who holds the title as the first woman to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart with a Spanish-language album, will break from her first-ever stadium tour to compete for her first ‘VMAs’ win after earning 3x nominations this year including “Artist of the Year.”
Måneskin
Måneskin is performing at the VMAs for the second year in a row. The globally dominating rockers are returning to the MTV stage for the world premiere performance of their forthcoming new single “HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?),” releasing September 1st. As their latest album RUSH! is about to surpass the 1 billion streams.
Stray Kids
Global K-Pop mavens Stray Kids will mark their first-ever ‘VMAs’ performance with the US broadcast premiere of “S-CLASS,” off their latest record-breaking #1 album 5-STAR. The group also competes to take home their first MTV Moon Person for “Best K-Pop,” the same category which earned them their first “VMAs” nomination in 2022.
Voting for the 2023 MTV VMAs is now open. Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories, including the highly-coveted “Video of the Year,” presented by Burger King®, by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, September 1st; voting for “Best New Artist” will remain active into the show on Tuesday, September 12th. Nominations for social categories including “Group of the Year” and “Song of Summer” presented by M&M’S®, will be announced at a later date. The MTV VMAs will air live on September 12, 2023, at 8pm ET/PT on MTV.