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By Soo Kim
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The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were held Sunday, September 12. The show aired live from the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
The annual show was attended by some of the biggest names in music, with performances from Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello, this year's host Doja Cat and plenty more.
Among the multi-award nominees this year included Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Cardi B as well as the K-pop groups BTS and Blackpink.
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Here we take a look at the 2021 VMA winners.
Video of the Year
Winner
Lil Nas X: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" – Columbia Records
Nominees
- Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: "WAP" – Atlantic Records
- DJ Khaled ft. Drake: "Popstar" (Starring Justin Bieber) – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records
- Doja Cat ft. SZA: "Kiss Me More" – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
- Ed Sheeran: "Bad Habits" – Atlantic Records
- The Weeknd: "Save Your Tears" – XO / Republic Records
Artist of the Year
Winner
Justin Bieber – Def Jam
Nominees
- Ariana Grande – Republic Records
- Doja Cat – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
- Megan Thee Stallion – 300 Entertainment
- Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records
- Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song of the Year
Winner
Olivia Rodrigo: "Drivers License" – Geffen Records
Nominees
- 24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: "Mood" – Records LLC / Columbia Records
- Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: "Leave the Door Open" – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records
- BTS: "Dynamite" – Bighit Music
- Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: "WAP" – Atlantic Records
- Dua Lipa: "Levitating" – Warner Records
Best New Artist
Winner
Olivia Rodrigo – Geffen Records
Nominees
- 24kGoldn – Records LLC / Columbia Records
- Giveon – Epic Records / Not So Fast
- The Kid Laroi – Columbia Records
- Polo G – Columbia Records
- Saweetie – Warner Records
...
Push Performance of the Year
Winner
Olivia Rodrigo: "Drivers License" – Geffen Records
Nominees
- Wallows: "Are You Bored Yet?" – Atlantic Records
- Ashnikko: "Daisy" – Warner Records
- Saint Jhn: "Gorgeous" – Godd Complexx / HITCO
- 24kGoldn: "Coco" – Records LLC / Columbia Records
- JC Stewart: "Break My Heart" – Elektra Music Group
- Latto: "Sex Lies" – RCA Records
- Madison Beer: "Selfish" – Epic Records / Sing It Loud
- The Kid Laroi: "Without You" – Columbia Records
- Girl in Red: "Serotonin" – World in Red / AWAL
- Fousheé: "My Slime" – RCA Records
- Jxdn: "Think About Me" – DTA Records / Elektra Music Group
Best Collaboration
Winner
Doja Cat ft. SZA: "Kiss Me More" – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Nominees
- 24kGoldn ft. Iann Dior: "Mood" – Records LLC / Columbia Records
- Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: "WAP" – Atlantic Records
- Drake ft. Lil Durk: "Laugh Now Cry Later" – OVO / Republic Records
- Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: "Peaches" – Def Jam
- Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: "Prisoner" – RCA Records
Best Pop
Winner
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: "Peaches" – Def Jam
Nominees
- Ariana Grande: "Positions" – Republic Records
- Billie Eilish: "Therefore I Am" – Darkroom / Interscope Records
- BTS: "Butter" – Bighit Music
- Harry Styles: "Treat People With Kindness" – Columbia Records
- Olivia Rodrigo: "Good 4 U" – Geffen Records
- Shawn Mendes: "Wonder" – Island Records
- Taylor Swift: "Willow" – Republic Records
...
Best Hip-Hop
Winner
Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A.: "Franchise" – Cactus Jack / Epic Records
Nominees
- Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion: "WAP" – Atlantic Records
- Drake ft. Lil Durk: "Laugh Now Cry Later" – OVO / Republic Records
- Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion: "On Me (remix)" – Quality Control / Motown
- Moneybagg Yo – "Said Sum" – N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records
- Polo G: "Rapstar" – Columbia Records
Best Rock
Winner
John Mayer: "Last Train Home" – Columbia Records
Nominees
- Evanescence: "Use My Voice" – BMG
- Foo Fighters: "Shame Shame" – Roswell Records / RCA Records
- The Killers: "My Own Soul's Warning" – Island
- Kings Of Leon: "The Bandit" – RCA Records
- Lenny Kravitz: "Raise Vibration" – Roxie Records / BMG
...
Best Alternative
Winner
Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear: "My Ex's Best Friend" – Bad Boy / Interscope Records
Nominees
- Bleachers: "Stop Making This Hurt" – RCA Records
- Glass Animals: "Heat Waves" – Republic Records
- Imagine Dragons: "Follow You" – Kidinakorner / Interscope Records
- Twenty One Pilots: "Shy Away" – Fueled By Ramen
- Willow ft. Travis Barker: "Transparent Soul" – MSFTSMusic / Roc Nation
Best Latin
Winner
Billie Eilish & Rosalía: "Lo Vas A Olvidar" – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Nominees
- Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez: "Dákiti" – The Orchard
- Black Eyed Peas and Shakira: "Girl Like Me" – Epic Records
- Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy: "Un Die (One Day)" – Universal Music Latino / Neon16
- Karol G: "Bichota" – Universal Music Latino
- Maluma: "Hawái" – Sony Music US Latin
Best R&B
Winner
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: "Leave the Door Open" – Aftermath Entertainment / Atlantic Records
Nominees
- Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, WizKid: "Brown Skin Girl" – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
- Chris Brown and Young Thug: "Go Crazy" – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records
- Giveon: "Heartbreak Anniversary" – Epic Records / Not So Fast
- H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown: "Come Through" - MBK Entertainment / RCA Records
- SZA: "Good Days" – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Best K-pop
Winner
BTS: "Butter" – Bighit Music
Nominees
- (G)I-DLE: "Dumdi Dumdi" – Republic Records
- Blackpink and Selena Gomez: "Ice Cream" – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records
- Monsta X: "Gambler" – Starship Entertainment
- Seventeen: "Ready to love" – Pledis Entertainment
- Twice: "Alcohol-Free" – JYP Entertainment Company
...
Video For Good
Winner
Billie Eilish: "Your Power" – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Nominees
- Demi Lovato: "Dancing With the Devil" – Island
- H.E.R.: "Fight For You" – MBK Entertainment / RCA Records
- Kane Brown: "Worldwide Beautiful" – Sony Music Nashville / RCA Records
- Lil Nas X: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" – Columbia Records
- Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z: "Entrepreneur" – Columbia Records
Best Direction
Winner
Lil Nas X: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" – Columbia Records – Directed by: Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino
Nominees
- Billie Eilish: "Your Power" – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Directed by: Billie Eilish
- DJ Khaled ft. Drake: "Popstar (Starring Justin Bieber)" – OVO / We The Best / Epic Records – Directed by: Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X
- Taylor Swift: "Willow" – Republic Records – Directed by: Taylor Swift
- Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A: "Franchise" – Cactus Jack / Epic Records – Directed by: Travis Scott
- Tyler, The Creator: "Lumberjack" – Columbia Records – Directed by: Wolf Haley
Best Cinematography
Winner
Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid: "Brown Skin Girl" – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Cinematography by: Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, Mohammaed Atta Ahmed, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant
Nominees
- Billie Eilish: "Therefore I Am" – Darkroom / Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Rob Witt
- Foo Fighters: "Shame Shame" – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Cinematography by: Santiago Gonzalez
- Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper: "Holy" – RBMG / Def Jam – Cinematography by: Elias Talbot
- Lady Gaga: "911" – Interscope Records – Cinematography by: Jeff Cronenweth
- Lorde: "Solar Power" – Republic Records – Cinematography by: Andrew Stroud
Best Art Direction
Winner
Saweetie ft. Doja Cat: "Best Friend" – Warner Records – Art Direction by: Alec Contestabile
Nominees
- Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer: "Already" – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records – Art Direction by: Susan Linns, Gerard Santos
- Ed Sheeran: "Bad Habits" – Atlantic Records – Art Direction by: Alison Dominitz
- Lady Gaga: "911" – Interscope Records – Art Direction by: Tom Foden, Peter Andrus
- Taylor Swift – "Willow" – Republic Records – Art Direction by: Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez
...
Best Visual Effects
Winner
Lil Nas X: "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" – Columbia Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic
Nominees
- Bella Poarch: "Build a Bitch" – Warner Records – Visual Effects by: Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova
- Coldplay: "Higher Power" – Atlantic Records – Visual Effects by: Mathematic
- Doja Cat & The Weeknd – "You Right" – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records – Visual Effects by: La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel
- Glass Animals: "Tangerine" – Republic Records – Visual Effects by: YSF Studio Paris
- P!nk: "All I Know So Far" – RCA Records – Visual Effects by: BUF, VFX Supervisors: Dominique Vidal & Geoffrey Niquet, VFX Producers: Annabelle Zoellin & Camille Gibrat
Best Choreography
Winner
Harry Styles: "Treat People With Kindness" – Columbia Records
Nominees
- Ariana Grande – "34+35" – Republic Records – Choreography by: Brian Nicholson & Scott Nicholson
- BTS – "Butter" – Bighit Music – Choreography by: Son Sung with BHM Performance Directing Team
- Ed Sheeran – "Bad Habits" – Atlantic Records – Choreography by: Natricia Bernard
- Foo Fighters – "Shame Shame" – Roswell Records / RCA Records – Choreography by: Nina McNeely
- Marshmello & Halsey – "Be Kind" – Astralwerks / Capitol Records – Choreography by: Dani Vitale
Best Editing
Winner
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic: "Leave the Door Open" – Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic Records – Editing by: Troy Charbonnet
Nominees
- BTS: "Butter" – Bighit Music – Editing by: Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens
- Drake: "What's Next" – OVO / Republic Records – Editing by: Noah Kendal
- Harry Styles: "Treat People With Kindness" – Columbia Records
- Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon: "Peaches" – Def Jam
- Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa: "Prisoner" – RCA Records
...
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