MTV VMAs snubs and shocks: See who was left out of nominations

The MTV Video Music Award nominations are out, in a comprehensive list featuring 33 first-time nominees.
Not many artists will have something to complain about. Pop juggernauts Taylor Swift and Beyoncé were both nominated for artist of the year, despite not releasing any music videos during the eligibility period from June 20, 2024, to June 18, 2025. And Bruno Mars received 11 nominations, the second most behind Lady Gaga, and they're all for collaborations he did for other artists.
But a few standouts in music videos couldn't seem to get on the award show's radar. "All The Way," a cross-genre track from rap breakout BigXthaPlug and rising country singer Bailey Zimmerman, got no love despite standing at over 32 million views. The same goes for R&B songstress Mariah the Scientist, whose breakout hit "Burning Blue" stands at 21 million views notched in the three months since its release.
Here are the most notable snubs for the 2025 MTV VMAs, which will air live at 8 p.m. Sept. 7 from New York's UBS Arena.
Lisa featuring Rosalía 'New Woman' and Lisa featuring Tyla 'When I'm with You'
Lisa boasts a nomination at this year's award show for her Doja Cat and Raye collaboration "Born Again." But the Blackpink star only managed to receive one nomination in the best K-pop category despite several hit videos, including two that could have at least gotten a mention in the best collaboration conversation: "New Woman" with Spanish sensation Rosalía and "When I'm with You" with South African star Tyla.
"New Woman" brought together two major women in music for a high-concept video debuting with more than 40 million views in its first week. "When I'm with You," with its sensual, dance-heavy treatment, also did extraordinarily well on views, at upwards of 21 million. Given the praise for Rosé and Bruno Mars megahit "Apt.," it appears the category only had room for one Blackpink breakout.
The Weeknd 'Dancing in the Flames'
The Weeknd is not hurting for nominations, but hear us out. Yes, his Playboi Carti-assisted hit "Timeless" received three nominations, including video and song of the year, and "Hurry Up Tomorrow" got a nomination for best long-form video. But that leaves another hit from this album, "Dancing in the Flames," without any love, despite a dramatic video treatment that sees the crooner get hit by a semitruck and miraculously recover. The video was heavily noted as being shot on the iPhone 16 Pro and has 70 million views on YouTube.
Kesha 'Boy Crazy' and 'Joyride'
Kesha is in her comeback era, but MTV has yet to welcome her back with open arms. Though the "Die Young" hitmaker just released the provocative self-directed treatment for "Boy Crazy" in June to modest viewership, the video has been widely shared on social media for its feminist message. The video follows the buzz around "Joyride," released in November 2024, another campy, action-packed video featuring gunfire and a car-track-helicopter chase through the desert, which also flew under the radar.