Their strategic collaborations earned them the nods.
The 2024 MTV Video Music Award (VMA), announced Tuesday, has Taylor Swift leading the nominations with ten nods and Usher, Giveon and Chris Brown bagging 'Best Afrobeats Video' nominations for collaborating with Nigerian music heavyweights.
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats Video award was first introduced at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023, with Rema and Selena Gomez - "Calm Down" claiming the title.
Chris Brown's Sensational, featuring Davido and Lojay, earned him the nod just as Usher's collaboration with Nigerian beatmaker Pheelz in 'Ruin' secured him the spot in the coveted category hitherto dominated by Nigerian musicians.
Other nominees in the category include Ayra Starr featuring another American singer, Giveon - 'Last Heartbreak Song', Burna Boy -- 'City Boys', Tems -- 'Love Me JeJe' and Tyla -- 'Water'.
Ariana Grande, Eminem, and Sabrina Carpenter have six nominations each, Megan Thee Stallion and SZA have five each, and Olivia Rodrigo, LISA, and Teddy Swims are also up for four nominations.
Voting for the MTV VMAs, which will be held on 10 September at UBS Arena, New York, begins on Wednesday and lasts until 30 August.
Check out the complete list of nominations below.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande -- "We can't be friends (wait for your love)."
Billie Eilish -- "LUNCH"
Doja Cat -- "Paint The Town Red"
Eminem -- "Houdini"
SZA -- "Snooze"
Taylor Swift ft. 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 ft. 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 ft. Sexyy Red & SZA -- "Rich Baby Daddy"
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion -- "Wanna Be"
Jessie Murph ft. Jelly Roll -- "Wild Ones"
Jung Kook ft. Latto -- "Seven"
Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen -- "I Had Some Help"
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight"
BEST POP
Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
BEST HIP-HOP
Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA -- "Rich Baby Daddy"
Eminem -- "Houdini"
GloRilla -- "Yeah Glo!"
Gunna -- "fukumean"
Megan Thee Stallion -- "BOA"
Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti -- "FE!N"
BEST R&B
Alicia Keys -- "Lifeline"
Muni Long -- "Made For Me"
SZA -- "Snooze"
Tyla -- "Water"
USHER, 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 AFROBEATS
Ayra Starr ft. Giveon -- "Last Heartbreak Song"
Burna Boy -- "City Boys"
Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay -- "Sensational"
Tems -- "Love Me JeJe"
Tyla -- "Water"
USHER, Pheelz -- "Ruin"
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 K-POP
Jung Kook ft. 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 -- "feelslikeimfallinginlove"
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)" -- Directed by Christian Breslauer
Bleachers -- "Tiny Moves" -- Directed by Alex Lockett and Margaret Qualley
Eminem -- "Houdini"- Directed by Rich Lee
Megan Thee Stallion -- "BOA" -- Directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.
Sabrina Carpenter -- "Please Please Please" -- Directed by Bardia Zeinali
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight" -- Directed by Taylor Swift
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ariana Grande -- "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" -- Cinematography by Anatol Trofimov
Charli xcx -- "Von dutch" -- Cinematography by Jeff Bierman
Dua Lipa -- "Illusion" -- Cinematography by Nikita Kuzmenko
Olivia Rodrigo -- "obsessed" -- Cinematography by Marz Miller
Rauw Alejandro -- "Touching The Sky" -- Cinematography by Camilo Monsalve
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight" -- Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
BEST EDITING
Anitta -- "Mil Veces" -- Editing by Nick Yumul
Ariana Grande -- "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" -- Editing by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Eminem -- "Houdini" -- Editing by David Checel
LISA -- "Rockstar" -- Editing by Nik Kohler
Sabrina Carpenter -- "Espresso" -- Editing by Jai Shukla
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight" -- Editing by Chancler Haynes
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Bleachers -- "Tiny Moves" -- Choreography by Margaret Qualley
Dua Lipa -- "Houdini" -- Choreography by Charm La'Donna
LISA -- "Rockstar" -- Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Rauw Alejandro -- "Touching The Sky" -- Choreography by Felix 'Fefe' Burgos
Tate McRae -- "Greedy" -- Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Troye Sivan -- "Rush" -- Choreography by Sergio Reis, Mauro Van De Kerkhof
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande -- "the boy is mine" -- Visual effects by Digital Axis
Eminem -- "Houdini" -- Visual effects by Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic, Flawless Post
Justin Timberlake -- "Selfish" -- Visual effects by Candice Dragonas
Megan Thee Stallion -- "BOA" -- Visual effects by Mathematic
Olivia Rodrigo -- "get him back!" -- Visual effects by Cooper Vacheron, Preston Mohr, Karen Arakelian, Justin Johnson
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight" -- Visual effects by Parliament
BEST ART DIRECTION
Charli xcx -- "360" -- Art direction by Grace Surnow
LISA -- "Rockstar" -- Art direction by Pongsan Thawatwichian
Megan Thee Stallion -- "BOA" -- Art direction by Brittany Porter
Olivia Rodrigo -- "bad idea right?" -- Art direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Sabrina Carpenter -- "Please Please Please" -- Art direction by Nicholas des Jardins
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone -- "Fortnight" -- Art direction by Ethan Tobman
