MTV VMAs nominations announced, gender-specific categories dropped

Kendrick Lamar led all competitors on this year's list

Kendrick Lamar has eight more reasons not to be humble.

On Tuesday via Instagram Live, MTV announced the nominees for the 2017 Video Music Awards, and the DAMN. rapper led the way with eight nominations for “HUMBLE.,” the first single off his recent album, which debuted to critical and commercial acclaim in April. Among the video’s nominations are those for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Hip-Hop, and Best Direction.

Lamar will be competing for the newly created honor of Artist of the Year with Katy Perry and The Weekend, who tied for the second most nominations with five apiece. Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Ariana Grande join them in the category, which marks the first year the show will ditch the gender-specific awards. MTV made the same move earlier this year for its inaugural TV & Movie Awards.

Competing against Lamar’s ‘HUMBLE.’ for the top prize, Video of the Year, are Mars’ “24K Magic,” The Weeknd’s “Reminder,” Alessia Cara’s “Scars To Your Beautiful,” and DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller.

The 2017 VMAs will air live from The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. ET. Check out the complete list of nominees below (excluding Best Song of Summer, which will be announced at a later date).

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
The Weeknd – “Reminder”

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bruno Mars
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Ariana Grande
The Weeknd
Lorde

BEST NEW ARTIST
Khalid
Kodak Black
SZA
Young M.A
Julia Michaels
Noah Cyrus

BEST COLLABORATION
Charlie Puth ft. Selena Gomez – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – “Feels”
Zayn & Taylor Swift – “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)”

BEST POP
Shawn Mendes – “Treat You Better”
Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You”
Harry Styles – “Sign Of The Times”
Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down”
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm”
Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”

BEST HIP HOP
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Big Sean – “Bounce Back”
Chance the Rapper – “Same Drugs”
D.R.A.M. ft. Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert – “Bad & Boujee”
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne – “I’m The One”

BEST DANCE
Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”
Kygo x Selena Gomez – “It Ain’t Me”
Calvin Harris – “My Way”
Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ – “Cold Water”
Afrojack ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Gone”

BEST ROCK
Coldplay – “A Head Full of Dreams”
Fall Out Boy – “Young And Menace”
Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul”
Green Day – “Bang Bang”
Foo Fighters – “Run”

BEST FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM
Logic ft. Damian Lemar Hudson – “Black SpiderMan”
The Hamilton Mixtape – “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)”
Big Sean – “Light”
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
Taboo ft. Shailene Woodley – “Stand Up / Stand N Rock #NoDAPL”
John Legend – “Surefire”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
Ed Sheeran – “Castle On The Hill”
DJ Shadow ft. Run The Jewels – “Nobody Speak”
Halsey – “Now or Never”

BEST DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm”
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
Alessia Cara – “Scars To Your Beautiful”
The Weeknd – “Reminder”

BEST ART DIRECTION
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars – “24K Magic”
Katy Perry ft. Migos – “Bon Appetit”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – “Wild Thoughts”
The Weeknd – “Reminder”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
A Tribe Called Quest – “Dis Generation”
KYLE ft. Lil Yachty – “iSpy”
Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley – “Chained To The Rhythm”
Harry Styles – “Sign Of The Times”

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Kanye West – “Fade”
Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj – “Side To Side”
Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
Sia – “The Greatest”
Fifth Harmony ft. Gucci Mane – “Down”

BEST EDITING
Future – “Mask Off”
Young Thug – “Wyclef Jean”
Lorde – “Green Light”
The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey – “Closer”
The Weeknd – “Reminder”

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