MTV VMAs 2023 Nominations: Women Lead Top Categories; See Details

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift topped the nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards 2023. She leads with eight — seven for her “Anti-Hero” music video and a nod in the Artist of the Year category — followed by SZA, who has six noms, MTV announced on Tuesday.

Swift currently has 14 VMAs to her name, placing her behind Beyoncé, who has 28 (two with Destiny’s Child), Madonna, who has 20 awards, and Lady Gaga, who has 19.

The Year Of Women Power

However, it's a year of femme power — women and non-binary artists have scored the most nominations by far. 

Women account for six of the seven nominees for Video of the Year – Doja’s 'Attention', Miley Cyrus’ 'Flowers', Nicki Minaj’s 'Super Freaky Girl', Olivia Rodrigo’s 'vampire', SZA’s 'Kill Bill' and Swift’s 'Anti-Hero'. 

The seventh nod is for a history-making collab – Sam Smith & Petras’ 'Unholy', which made Smith and Petras the first openly non-binary and openly transgender solo artists, respectively, to have a No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

Meanwhile, in other firsts, there are 35 first-time nominees, which include Saucy Santana, Ice Spice, Burna Boys and Lauren Spencer Smith.

MTV VMAs 2023: Swift's ‘Anti-Hero’ Surges Ahead

Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ has been nominated for the Video of the Year as well as the Song of the Year. Swift is also competing for the Artist of the Year award. Other than that ‘Anti Hero’ has also been nominated for the best direction award. Cinematographed by Rina Yan, ‘Anti Hero’ is in the race for the best cinematography award as well. It has received the nod for the best visual effect also.

SZA is close behind with the second-most nominations, earning 6 nods for 'Kill Bill' and 'Shirt' from her sophomore album SOS. 

The MTV annual celebrations will take place in New Jersey on Tuesday, September 12.

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