Lady Gaga has led the nominations for this year’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) with 12 nods.
The US singer, 39, who has been touring her latest studio album across the US, is nominated in categories that include artist of the year and best album for Mayhem.
Among the other top contenders are Bruno Mars, who has 11 nods, rapper Kendrick Lamar with 10, Espresso singer Sabrina Carpenter with eight, and US pop star Ariana Grande with seven.
The track Die With A Smile, a collaboration between Lady Gaga and Mars, is nominated for song of the year, with the musicians also up for best collaboration, best pop, and video of the year.
Treasure singer Mars, 39, has also received nominations for his hit song APT, featuring Blackpink’s Rose, which also features in the best collaboration category.
For her hit song Abracadabra, Lady Gaga is nominated for best direction, best art direction, best cinematography, best editing, best choreography and best visual effects.
The singer, real name Stefani Germanotta, released her seventh studio album in March, and will be taking her Mayhem Ball Tour to London in September.
Beyonce and Taylor Swift, who have 30 VMAs each, are nominated once each in the artist of the year category, meaning either one of them could become the most-awarded musician in VMA history if they win.
This year, the music awards have introduced two new categories, best country and best pop artist.
Featured in the latter is Grande, Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Tate McRae and Charli XCX.
British pop artist Charli XCX, whose genre-defining sixth studio album Brat took the world by storm last year, has received five nods in total, including best video for good for her number one song Guess featuring US artist Billie Eilish.
The 33-year-old won five Brit Awards earlier in the year, including song of the year for her collaborative chart-topper.
US rapper Lamar soared to the top of the UK chart when he released his album GNX in November 2024, which is nominated for best album.
His stand out single, Not Like Us, has also earned him nominations for video of the year, best editing, best hip-hop and more.
British rising star Lola Young is among the first-time nominees and features in the best new artist category, also picking up a nod for best alternative for her hit song Messy.
The MTV VMAs returns to New York’s UBS Arena on September 7.
