Lil Nas X Snags 5 MTV VMA Nominations

We’re nearly a month away from the 2019 MTV VMAs and the nominations are officially in.

This year’s ceremony finds Cardi B, Drake, 21 Savage, Lil Nas X, Solange, and more rounding out the nominees, with X leading that pack. The “Old Town Road” breakout star has scored a total of five nods, in the categories of Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Collaboration and Best Hip Hop.

Cardi received four nominations, while Drake has three and 21 has two. All three will go head-to-head in the Best Hip Hop category: They’re nominated for, respectively, “Money,” “Sicko Mode” and “A Lot.”

21’s “A Lot” is also up for the most prestigious award, “Video of the Year,” where it will compete against clips by Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, The Jonas Brothers and Lil Nas X.

Drake is set to face off against X’s “Old Town Road” for the Song of the Year; he’s nominated for his record-breaking hit “In My Feelings.”

In addition, H.E.R and Lizzo are both up for Best New Artist and MTV PUSH Artist of the Year. H.E.R. and Ella Mai are up for Best R&B, as are Alicia Keys, Anderson. Paak and Childish Gambino.

The leading nominees are Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, both of whom have 10 nods each.

Here are the nominees:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot” – Epic Records
Billie Eilish – “bad guy” – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next” – Republic Records
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Republic Records
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cardi B – Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Halsey – Astralwerks/Capitol Records
Jonas Brothers – Republic Records
Shawn Mendes– Island Records

BEST NEW ARTIST, presented by Taco Bell®
Ava Max – Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish – Darkroom/Interscope Records
H.E.R. – MBK/RCA Records
Lil Nas X – Columbia Records
Lizzo – Atlantic Records
ROSALÍA – Columbia Records

BEST HIP-HOP
2 Chainz ft. Ariana Grande – “Rule the World” – 2 Chainz Ps/Def Jam
21 Savage ft. J. Cole – “a lot” – Epic Records
Cardi B – “Money” – Atlantic Records
DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend – “Higher” – We The Best/Epic Records
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records
Travis Scott ft. Drake – “SICKO MODE” – Epic Records/Grand Hustle/Cactus Jack

BEST R&B
Anderson .Paak ft. Smokey Robinson – “Make It Better” – Aftermath Ent/12 Tone Music
Childish Gambino – “Feels Like Summer” – RCA Records
H.E.R. ft. Bryson Tiller – “Could’ve Been” – MBK/RCA Records
Alicia Keys – “Raise A Man” – RCA Records
Ella Mai – “Trip” – 10 Summers/Interscope Records
Normani ft. 6lack – “Waves” – Keep Cool/RCA Records

BEST POP
5 Seconds of Summer – “Easier” – Interscope Records
Cardi B & Bruno Mars – “Please Me” – Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy” – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next” – Republic Records
Khalid – “Talk” – Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Republic Records
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records

BEST COLLABORATION
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – “Shallow” – Interscope Records
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – Island Records
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco – “ME!” – Republic Records
Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – “I Don’t Care” – Atlantic Records
BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” – Columbia Records

PUSH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bazzi – Atlantic Records
CNCO – RCA Records
Billie Eilish – Darkroom/Interscope Records
H.E.R. – MBK/RCA Records
Lauv – LAUV/AWAL
Lizzo – Atlantic Records

BEST POP
5 Seconds of Summer – “Easier” – Interscope Records
Cardi B & Bruno Mars – “Please Me” – Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish – “bad guy” – Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande – “thank u, next” – Republic Records
Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Republic Records
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records

BEST DANCE
The Chainsmokers ft. Bebe Rexha – “Call You Mine” – Disruptor/Columbia Records
Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato – “Solo” – Big Beat/Atlantic Records
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B – “Taki Taki” – DJ Snake Music Productions Ltd/Geffen
David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin – “Say My Name” – Big Beat/Atlantic Records
Marshmello & Bastille – “Happier” – Capitol Records
Silk City & Dua Lipa – “Electricity” – Columbia Records

BEST ROCK
The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It” – Dirty Hit/Interscope Records
Fall Out Boy – “Bishops Knife Trick” – Island Records
Imagine Dragons – “Natural” – KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records
Lenny Kravitz – “Low” – BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes” – Elektra Music Group
Twenty One Pilots – “My Blood” – Elektra Music Group

VIDEO FOR GOOD
Halsey – “Nightmare” – Astralwerks/Capitol Records
The Killers – “Land of the Free” – Island
Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey ft. Gallant – “Runaway Train” – Interscope Records
John Legend – “Preach” – Columbia Records
Lil Dicky – “Earth” – Dirty Burd, Inc./Commission/BMG
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records

BEST DIRECTION
Billie Eilish – “bad guy” – Darkroom/Interscope Records – Directed by Dave Meyers
FKA twigs – “Cellophane” – Young Turks – Directed by Andrew Thomas Huang
Ariana Grande – “thank you, next” – Republic Records – Directed by Hannah Lux Davis
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records – Directed by Calmatic
LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo – “No New Friends” – Columbia Records – Directed by Dano Cerny
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records – Directed by Drew Kirsch & Taylor Swift

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish – “when the party’s over”
FKA twigs – “Cellophane”
Ariana Grande – “God is a Woman”
DJ Khaled ft. SZA – “Just Us”
LSD ft. Labrinth, Sia, Diplo – “No New Friends”
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco – “ME!”

BEST EDITING
Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)”
Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
Ariana Grande – “7 Rings”
Solange – “Almeda”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints”
Billie Eilish – “hostage”
Ariana Grande – “thank you, next”
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
Solange – “Almeda”
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco – “ME!”