It’s a woman’s world at the MTV Video Music Awards – Philstar.com

Summer is nearing its end. It means that for pop music buffs, the event to look forward to is almost here. That is the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), which will be held on Sept. 12 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

This means that we get to watch on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 13 on the MTV channel.  This is always a fun show and I have a feeling it will be extra special this year now that the COVID-19 restrictions have all been lifted.

So, I checked out the nominations. And what is this I see? This year’s VMAs is all about the girls. You know it is often said that music is a male-dominated industry, but one look at the list of nominees and it is very clear that the girls are on top and providing the best and most commercial goodies. Ed Sheeran has one nod and there are rappers and rockers, but those in contention for the top plum are the females.

Take a look at those up for the Video of the Year Moonman trophy. Doja Cat, Attention; Miley Cyrus, Flowers; Nicki Minaj, Super Freaky Girl; Olivia Rodrigo, Vampire; Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Unholy; SZA, Kill Bill; and Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero.

Well, Sam made it but the singer doesn’t classify as male, but non-binary (with pronouns they/them) while singing partner Kim from Germany is trans. So, I am now asking, where is Justin Bieber or Harry Styles or those boys who call themselves BTS or even Lil Nas X? Come to think of it though, I have to check if Lil Nas X also identifies as non-binary.

It is also all girls doing battle for Artist of the Year. Peso Pluma is the token male in the Best New Artist category, while Steve Lacey’s song Bad Habit managed to squeeze itself in among the females in the Song of the Year contest. Oh yes, there is also the Nigerian balladeer Rema in a duet with the girl Selena Gomez.

Male-dominated? Maybe but the girls are making very good headway and, in this case, they did come up with excellent videos.

Anyway, as expected Taylor Swift garnered the most number of nominations. She got eight which went to her song Anti-Hero from the album Midnights and its video. SZA got six for Kill Bill, while Doja Cat, Miley, Nicki Minaj and Olivia Rodrigo got five each. I told you, it is a woman’s world at the VMAs.

Here are the nominees for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards:

•Artist of the Year: Beyoncé; Doja Cat; KAROL G; Nicki Minaj; Shakira; and Taylor Swift.

•Best New Artist: GloRilla; Ice Spice; Kaliii; Peso Pluma; Pink Pantheress; Renee Rapp.

•Song of the Year: Miley Cyrus, Flowers; Olivia Rodrigo, vampire; Rema and Selena, Calm Down; Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Unholy; Steve Lacey, Bad Habit; SZA, Kill Bill; Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero.

•Best Collaboration: David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, I’m Good (Blue); Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti and Yung Miami, Gotta Move On (Queen’s Remix); KAROL G and Shakira, TQG; Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage and Diddy, Creepin’ (Remix); Post Malone and Doja Cat, I Like You (A Happier Song); Rema and Selena Gomez, Calm Down.

•Best Pop: Demi Lovato, Swine; Dua Lipa, Dance the Night from The Barbie Album; Ed Sheeran, Eyes Closed; Miley Cyrus, Flowers; Olivia Rodrigo, vampire; Pink, Trustfall; Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero.

•Best Hip-Hop: Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti and Yung Miami, Gotta Move On (Queen’s Remix); DJ Khaled, Drake, Lil Baby, Staying Alive; GloRilla and Cardi B, Tomorrow 2; Lil Uzi Vert, Just Wanna Rock; Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz and DMX, Kant Nobody; Metro Boomin ft. Future, Superhero (Heroes and Villains); Nicki Minaj, Super Freaky Girl.

•Best Rock: Foo Fighters, The Teacher; Linkin Park, Lost; Maneskin, The Loneliest; Metallica, Lux Aeterna; Muse, You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tippa My Tongue.

•Best Alternative: Blink-182, Edging; boygenius, The Film; Fall Out Boy, Hold Me Like a Grudge; Lana del Rey and Jon Batiste, Candy Necklace; Paramor, This is Why; 30 Seconds to Mars, Stuck.

•Best R&B: Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye, Stay; Chloe ft. Chris Brown, How Does It End; Metro Boomin ft. The Weeknd, 21 Savage and Diddy, Creepin’ (Remix); SZA, Shirt; Toosii, Favorite Song; Yung Bleu ft. Nicky Minaj, Love in the Way.

•Best Latin: Anitta, Funk Rave; Bad Bunny, Where She Goes; Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, Ella Baila Sola; Grupo Frontera ft. Bad Bunny, Unx100to; KAROL G and Shakira, TQG; Rosalia, Despecha; Shakira, Acrostico.

•Best K-POP: Aespa, Girls; Blackpink, Pink Venom; Fifty Fifty, Cupid; SEVENTEEN, Super; Stray Kids, S-Class; Tomorrow X Together, Sugar Rush Ride.

•Video for Good: Alicia Keys, If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestra); Bad Bunny, El Apagar Aqui Vive Gente; Demi Lovato, Swine; Dove Cameron, Breakfast; Imagine Dragons, Crushed; Maluma, La Reina.

Go to the MTV site to find out the nominees in the other categories.