The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on September 12, 2023. There were many pleasant surprises this year, such as Niki Minaj being the main host and a new category, Song of the Summer, awarded through fan votes. Taylor Swift took the lead as the most nominated and awarded artist of the night, winning nine out of her eleven nominations. SZA followed closely behind with eight nominations and Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Niki Minaj, Blackpink, and Olivia Rodrigo with six nominations.
Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion were main show performers. The performances featured artists from all over like the United States, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Italy, South Korea, Trinidad, and Tobago. The two pre-show performers were NLE Choppa, who sang “Ain’t Gonna Answer” and “It’s Getting Hot/ Hot in Here” (with Nelly), as well as Sabrina Carpenter, who sang “Feather” and “Nonsense.” Saweetie hosted the 90- minute pre-show event with co-hosts Nessa, Dometi Pongo, and Kevin Kenney. During this pre-show event, Kevan Kenney presented the Push Performance of the Year and Saweetie and Dometi Pongo presented the Video for Good award.
The performances were ranked by various music and news outlets, such as USA Today and Billboard.
USA Today Rankings
| Shakira | 1 |
| Demi Lovato | 2 |
| Olivia Rodrigo | 3 |
| Niki Minaj | 4 |
| Tomorrow X Together & Anitta | 5 |
| Kelsea Ballerini | 6 |
| Sean “Diddy” Combs | 7 |
| Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion | 8 |
| Måneskin | 9 |
| Karol G | 10 |
Billboard Rankings
| Shakira | 1 |
| Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Niki Minaj, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Darry “DMC” McDaniels | 2 |
| Peso Pluma | 3 |
| Demi Lovato | 4 |
| Anitta | 5 |
| Stray Kids | 6 |
| Doja Cat | 7 |
| Karol G | 8 |
| Olivia Rodrigo | 9 |
| Metro Boomin, Swae Lee, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, NAV | 10 |
There were also special awards to be given that night. Shakira received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, making her the first South American to receive the highest honor. Diddy was awarded the Global Icon Award.
Video of the Year
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti-Hero” |
| Doja Cat | “Attention” |
| Miley Cyrus | “Flowers” |
| Niki Minaj | “Super Freaky Girl” |
| Olivia Rodrigo | “Vampire” |
| Sam Smith & Kim Petras | “Unholy” |
| SZA | “Kill Bill” |
Artist of the Year
| WINNER: Taylor Swift |
| Beyoncé |
| Karol G |
| Niki Minaj |
| Shakira |
Song of the Year
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
| Miley Cyrus | “Flowers” |
| Olivia Rodrigo | “Vampire” |
| Rema & Selena Gomez | “Calm Down” |
| Sam Smith & Kim Petras | “Unholy” |
| Steve Lacy | “Bad Habit” |
| SZA | “Kill Bill” |
Best New Artist
| WINNER: Ice Spice |
| GloRilla |
| Kaliii |
| Peso Pluma |
| PinkPanthress |
| Reneé Rap |
Push Performance of the Year
| WINNER: Tomorrow X Together | “Sugar Rush Ride” |
| Saucy Sanatana | “Booty” |
| Stephan Sanchez | “Until I Found You” |
| JVKE | “Golden Hour” |
| Flo Mili | “Conceited” |
| Reneé Rap | “Colorado” |
| Sam Ryder | “All The Way Over” |
| Armani White | “GOATED” |
| Fletcher | “Becky’s So Hot” |
| Ice Spice | “Princess Diana” |
| FLO | “Losing You” |
| Lauren Spencer- Smith | “That Part” |
Best Collaboration
| WINNER: Karol G & Shakira | “TQG” |
| David Guetta & Bebe Rexha | “I’m Good (Blue)” |
| Post Malone & Doja Cat | “I Like You (A Happier Song)” |
| Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami | “Gotta Move On” |
| Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy | “Creepin’ (remix)” |
| Rema & Selena Gomez | “Calm Down” |
Best Pop
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
| Demi Lovato | “Swine” |
| Dua Lipa | “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album” |
| Ed Sheeran | “Eyes Closed” |
| Miley Cyrus | “Flowers” |
| Olivia Rodrigo | “Vampire” |
| P!NK | “Trustfall” |
Best Hip Hop
| WINNER: Niki Minaj | “Super Freaky Girl” |
| Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami | “Gotta Move On” |
| DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby | “Staying Alive” |
| GloRilla & Cardi B | “Tomorrow 2” |
| Lil Uzi Vert | “Just Wanna Rock” |
| Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX | “Kant Nobody” |
| Metro Boomin ft. Future | “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)” |
Best R&B
| WINNER: SZA | “Shirt” |
| Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye | “Stay” |
| Chlöe ft. Chris Brown | “How Does It Feel” |
| Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy | “Creepin’ (remix)” |
| Toosii | “Favorite Song” |
| Yung Bleu & Niki Minaj | “Love In the Way” |
Best Alternative
| WINNER: Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste | “Candy Necklace” |
| blink-182 | “Edging” |
| boygenius | “the film” |
| Fall Out Boy | “Hold Me Like a Grudge” |
| Paramore | “This is Why” |
| Thirty Seconds to Mars | “Stuck” |
Best Rock
| WINNER: Måneskin | “The Loneliest” |
| Linkin Park | “Lost (original version)” |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | “Tippa My Tongue” |
| Foo Fighters | “The Teacher” |
| Metallica | “Lux Æterna” |
| Muse | “You Make Me Feel Like Its Halloween” |
Best Latin
| WINNER: Anitta | “Funk Rave” |
| Bad Bunny | “Where She Goes” |
| Eslabon Armado & Peso Pluma | “Ella Baila Sola” |
| Karol G & Shakira | “TQG” |
| Rosalia | “Despechá” |
| Shakira | “Acróstico” |
Best K-pop
| WINNER: Stray Kids | “S-Class” |
| aespa | “Girls” |
| BLACKPINK | “Pink Venom” |
| Fifty Fifty | “Cupid” |
| SEVENTEEN | “Super” |
| Tomorrow X Together | “Sugar Rush Ride” |
Best Afrobeats
| WINNER: Rema & Selena Gomez | “Calm Down” |
| Arya Starr | “Rush” |
| Burna Boy | “It’s Plenty” |
| Davido ft. Musa Keys | “Unavailable” |
| Fireboy DML & Asake | “Bandana” |
| Libianca | “People” |
| Wizkid ft. Arya Starr | “2 Sugar” |
Video For Good
| WINNER: Dove Cameron | “Breakfast” |
| Alicia Keys | “If I Ain’t Got You (orchestral)” |
| Bad Bunny | “El Apagón- Aquí Vive Gente” |
| Demi Lovato | “Swine” |
| Imagine Dragons | “Crushed” |
| Maluma | “La Reina” |
Best Direction
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
| Doja Cat | “Falling Back” |
| Kendrick Lamar | “Count Me Out” |
| Megan Thee Stallion | “Her” |
| Sam Smith & Kim Petras | “Unholy” |
| SZA | “Kill Bill” |
Best Cinematography
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
| Adele | “I Drink Wine” |
| Ed Sheeran | “Eyes Closed” |
| Janelle Monae | “Lipstick Lover” |
| Kendrick Lamar | “Count Me Out” |
| Miley Cyrus | “Flowers” |
| Olivia Rodrigo | “vampire” |
Best Visual Effects
| WINNER: Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
| Fall Out Boy | “Love From the Other Side” |
| Harry Styles | “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” |
| Melanie Martinez | “Void” |
| Niki Minaj | “Super Freaky Girl” |
| Sam Smith & Kim Petras | “Unholy” |
Best Choreography
| WINNER: BLACKPINK | “Pink Venom” |
| Dua Lipa | “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)” |
| Jonas Brothers | “Waffle House” |
| Megan Thee Stallion | “Her” |
| Panic! At the Disco | “Middle of a Breakup” |
| Sam Smith & Kim Petras | “Unholy” |
Best Direction
| WINNER: Doja Cat | “Attention” |
| boygenius | “The Film” |
| BLACKPINK | “Pink Venom” |
| Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste | “Candy Necklace” |
| Megan Thee Stallion | “Her” |
| SZA | “Shirt” |
Best Editing
| WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo | “vampire’ |
| BLACKPINK | “Pink Venom” |
| Kendrick Lamar | “Rich Spirit” |
| Miley Cyrus | “Flowers” |
| SZA | “Kill Bill” |
| Taylor Swift | “Anti- Hero” |
Group of the Year
| WINNER: BLACKPINK |
| Fifty Fifty |
| Flo |
| Jonas Brothers |
| Måneskin |
| New Jeans |
| SEVENTEEN |
| Tomorrow X Together |
Show of the Summer
| WINNER: Taylor Swift |
| Beyoncé |
| BLACKPINK |
| Drake |
| Ed Sheeran |
| Karol G |
Song of the Summer
| WINNNER: Jungkook ft. Latto | “Seven” |
| Beyoncé | “Cuff It” |
| Billie Eilish | “What Was I Made For (From Barbie the Album)” |
| Doja Cat | “Paint the Town Red” |
| Doechii ft. Kodak Black | “What it Is (Block Boy)” |
| Dua Lipa | “Dance the Night (From Barbie the Album)” |
| Fifty Fifty | “Cupid” |
| Gunna | “Fukumean” |
| Niki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua | “Barbie World” |
| Olivia Rodrigo | “vampire” |
| SZA | “Kill Bill” |
| Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice | “Karma” |
| Tomorrow X Together & Jonas Brothers | “Do It Like That” |
| Luke Combs | “Fast Car” |
| Troye Sivan | “Rush” |
| Yng Lucas & Peso Pluma | “La Bebe (remix)” |
