Arts & Entertainment

Lil Nas X scores top MTV VMA nominations

Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift also land noms

Published

6 years ago

July 23, 2019

**Lil Nas X.** (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Lil Nas X is among the most-nominated artists for the 2019 MTV Music Video Awards with eight nominations.

The 20-year-old “country trap” artist, who recently came out as gay, received nominations for his breakout hit single “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. The video received nominations for Song of the Year, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Hip Hop, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Art Direction. Lil Nas X also is nominated for the Best New Artist category.

Fellow newcomer Billie Eilish came in with nine nominations for her single “Bad Guy.” Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift were the highest nominated artists with 10 nominations a piece.

The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards will air on MTV on Monday, Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Check out the list of nominees below.

Video of the Year
21 Savage- “a lot” [ft. J. Cole]
Billie Eilish- “bad guy”
Ariana Grande- thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers- “Sucker”
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down”

Artist of the Year
Cardi B
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes

Song of the Year
Drake- “In My Feelings”
Ariana Grande- “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers- “Sucker”
Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper- “Shallow”
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down”

Best New Artist presented by Taco Bell
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA

Best Collaboration
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper- “Shallow”
Shawn Mendes / Camila Cabello- “Señorita”
Taylor Swift- “ME!” [ft. ft. Brendon Urie]
Ed Sheeran / Justin Bieber- “I Don’t Care”
BTS- “Boy With Luv” [ft. Halsey]

Push Artist of the Year
Bazzi
CNCO
Billie Eilish
H.E.R.
Lauv
Lizzo

Best Pop
5 Seconds of Summer- “Easier”
Cardi B / Bruno Mars- “Please Me”
Billie Eilish- “bad guy”
Khalid- “Talk”
Ariana Grande- “thank u, next”
Jonas Brothers- “Sucker”
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down”

Best Hip-Hop
2 Chainz- “Rule the World”[ft. Ariana Grande]
21 Savage- “a lot” [ft. J. Cole]
Cardi B- “Money”
DJ Khaled- “Higher” [ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend]
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus]
Travis Scott- “SICKO MODE” [ft. Drake]

Best R&B
Anderson .Paak- “Make It Better” [ft. Smokey Robinson]
Childish Gambino- “Feels Like Summer”
H.E.R.- “Could’ve Been” [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Alicia Keys- “Raise a Man”
Ella Mai- “Trip”
Normani- “Waves” [ft. 6LACK]

Best K-Pop
BTS- “Boy With Luv” [ft. Halsey]
BLACKPINK- “Kill This Love”
Monsta X- “Who Do You Love” [ft. French Montana]
TOMORROW X TOGETHER- “Cat & Dog”
NCT 127- “Regular”
EXO- “Tempo”

Best Latin
Anuel AA / Karol G- “Secreto”
Bad Bunny- “MIA” [ft. Drake]
benny blanco / Tainy / Selena Gomez / J Balvin- “I Can’t Get Enough”
Daddy Yankee- “Con Calma” [ft. Snow]
Maluma- “Mala Mía”
ROSALÍA / J Balvin- “Con Altura” [ft. El Guincho]

Best Dance
The Chainsmokers- “Call You Mine” [ft. Bebe Rexha]
Clean Bandit- “Solo” [ft. Demi Lovato]
DJ Snake- “Taki Taki” [ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B]
David Guetta / Bebe Rexha / J Balvin- “Say My Name”
Marshmello / Bastille- “Happier”
Silk City / Dua Lipa- “Electricity”

Best Rock
The 1975- “Love It If We Made It”
Fall Out Boy- “Bishops Knife Trick”
Imagine Dragons- “Natural”
Lenny Kravitz- “Low”
Panic! At the Disco- “High Hopes”
twenty one pilots- “My Blood”

Video for Good
Halsey- “Nightmare”
The Killers- “Land of the Free”
Jamie N Commons / Skylar Grey- “Runaway Train” [ft. Gallant]
John Legend- “Preach”
Lil Dicky- “Earth”
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down”

Best Direction
Billie Eilish- “bad Guy” (dir. Dave Meyers)
FKA twigs- “Cellophane” (dir. Andrew Thomas Huang)
Ariana Grande- “thank u, next” (dir. Hannah Lux Davis)
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus] (dir. Calmatic)
LSD- “No New Friends” (dir. Dano Cerny)
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down” (dir. Drew Kirsch and Taylor Swift)

Best Visual Effects
Billie Eilish- “when the party’s over” (visual effects: Ryan Ross, Andres Jaramillo)
FKA twigs- “Cellophane” (visual effects: Matt Chandler, Fabio Zaveti for Analog)
Ariana Grande- “God is a woman” (visual effects: Fabrice Lagayette, Kristina Prilukova & Rebecca Rice for Mathematic)
DJ Khaled- “Just Us” [ft. SZA] (visual effects: Sergii Mashevskyi)
LSD- “No New Friends” (visual effects: Ethan Chancer)
Taylor Swift- “ME!” [ft. Brendon Urie] (visual effects: Loris Paillier & Lucas Salton for BUF VFX)

Best Editing
Anderson .Paak- “Tints” [ft. Kendrick Lamar] (editing: Elias Talbot)
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” (editing: Calmatic)
Billie Eilish- “bad guy” (editing: Billie Eilish)
Ariana Grande- “7 rings” (editing: Hannah Lux Davis & Taylor Walsh)
Solange- “Almeda” (editing: Solange Knowles, Vinnie Hobbs, Jonathon Proctor)
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down” (editing: Jarrett Fijal)

Best Art Direction
BTS- “Boy With Luv” [ft. Halsey] (art direction: JinSil Park, BoNa Kim (MU:E))
Ariana Grande- “7 rings” (art direction: John Richoux)
Lil Nas X- “Old Town Road (Remix)” [ft. Billy Ray Cyrus] (art direction: Itaru Dela Vegas)
Shawn Mendes / Camila Cabello- “Señorita” (art direction: Tatiana Van Sauter)
Taylor Swift- “You Need to Calm Down” (art direction: Brittany Porter)
Kanye West / Lil Pump- “I Love It” [ft. Adele Givens] (art direction: Tino Schaedler)

Best Choreography
FKA twigs- “Cellophane” (choreography: Kelly Yvonne)
ROSALÍA / J Balvin- “Con Altura” [ft. El Guincho] (choreography: Charm La’Donna)
LSD- “No New Friends” (choreography: Ryan Heffington)
Shawn Mendes / Camila Cabello- “Señorita” (choreography: Calvit Hodge, Sara Biv)
Solange- “Almeda” (choreography: Maya Taylor, Solange Knowles)
BTS- “Boy With Luv” [ft. Halsey] (choreography: Rie Hata)

Best Cinematography
Anderson .Paak- “Tints” [ft. Kendrick Lamar] (cinematography: Elias Talbot)
Billie Eilish- “hostage” (cinematography: Pau Castejon)
Ariana Grande- “thank u, next” (cinematography: Christopher Probst)
Shawn Mendes / Camila Cabello- “Señorita” (cinematography: Scott Cunningham)
Solange- “Almeda” (cinematography: Chayse Irvin, Ryan Marie Helfant, Justin Hamilton)
Taylor Swift- “ME!” [ft. Brendon Urie] (cinematography: Starr Whitesides)

Related Topics:Lil Nas X MTV VMAs MTV VMAs 2019

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PHOTOS: 10’s Across the Board

Impulse Group DC holds anniversary celebration at Bravo Bravo

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3 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Michael Key

Impulse Group DC's '10's Across the Board' party was held at Bravo Bravo on Sunday, Dec. 14. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Celebrity News

Rob Reiner, wife killed in LA home

Director was prominent LGBTQ ally

Published

2 days ago

December 15, 2025

Matt Minton

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner attend the Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Dinner on March 30, 2019. (Photo by kathclick/Bigstock)

Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.

Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.

In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”

Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.

A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”

While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”