Entertainment

Taylor Swift leads nominations for MTV Video Music Awards 2023

Taylor Swift (Ian West/PA)
Taylor Swift (Ian West/PA) Taylor Swift (Ian West/PA)
By Naomi Clarke, PA Entertainment Reporter

Taylor Swift leads the pack for this year’s MTV Video Music Awards with eight nominations as she continues to dazzle fans with her global Eras Tour.

The pop superstar has received seven nods for her Anti-Hero music video as well as a nomination in the artist of the year category alongside musical titans Beyonce, Doja Cat, Karol G, Nicki Minaj and Shakira.

Swift currently has 14 VMAs to her name and picked up the video of the year award last year for All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version), which made her the first artist to win the coveted award three times.

This year the category will see Doja Cat’s Attention, Miley Cyrus’s Flowers, Minaj’s Super Freaky Girl, Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire, Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ Unholy and SZA’s Kill Bill go up against Swift’s lead single from her tenth studio album Midnights.

Last year Anti-Hero helped Swift secure the coveted double-chart domination after it landed at number one on the Official Charts.

She is currently showcasing the song alongside an array of hits from her back catalogue during her The Eras Tour which is travelling around the US before she takes it overseas.

Following Swift is US R&B singer SZA who has secured six VMA nominations while Doja Cat, Petras, Cyrus, Minaj, Rodrigo and Smith are tied at five nods.

Blackpink, Diddy and Shakira each received four nominations.

This year also boasts a record number of first-time VMA nominees with 35 artists recognised including Ice Spice, Petras and PinkPantheress.

Indie rock supergroup Boygenius, consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, are also among those receiving first-time nods as well as Burna Boy, Stephen Sanchez and Renee Rapp.

Fan voting begins next Tuesday across 15 gender-neutral categories, including the new best Afrobeats category, and ends Friday, September 1.

Voting in the best new artist category will remain active throughout the award show which will be held at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey on September 12.