Entertainment

Cardi B leads the way at MTV VMAs with Aretha Franklin tribute planned

The Video Music Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The Video Music Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Video Music Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Cardi B leads the way in nominations ahead of the MTV Video Music Awards.

The rapper, who is up for prizes including video and artist of the year, is expected to perform at the ceremony, which takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Monday.

Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin There will be a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards (Ian West/PA)

Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Lopez – who will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award – are also set to take to the stage.

The main prize at the VMAs, which does not separate categories by gender, is Artist Of The Year. Cardi B is up for the award alongside Grande, Bruno Mars, Drake, Camila Cabello and Post Malone.

Elsewhere, the Carters – also known as Beyonce and Jay-Z – have eight nominations for their surprise release Everything Is Love.

Organisers confirmed there would be a tribute to Queen Of Soul Aretha Franklin, who died on August 16 aged 76.

It is unknown what form the tribute will take and the VMA’s  executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic told The Associated Press that his team is “working on a lot of different options”.