Arts & Entertainment

Lil Nas X scores top MTV VMA nominations

Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift also land noms

Published

7 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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Out & About

This queer comedy show will warm you up

Catfish Comedy to feature LGBTQ lineup

Published

14 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Promotional image via Eventbrite)

Catfish Comedy will host “2026 Queer Kickoff Show” on Thursday, Feb. 5 at A League of Her Own (2319 18th Street, N.W.). This show features D.C.’s funniest LGBTQ and femme comedians. The lineup features performers who regularly take the stage at top clubs like DC Improv and Comedy Loft, with comics who tour nationally.

Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Arts & Entertainment

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Schitt’s Creek’ star and celebrated queer ally, dies at 71

Actress remembered for memorable comedic roles in ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘Home Alone’

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Matt Minton

(Photo courtesy of Pop TV)

Catherine O’Hara, the varied comedic actor known for memorable roles in “Beetlejuice,” “Schitt’s Creek,” and “Home Alone,” has died at 71 on Friday, according to multiple reports. No further details about her death were revealed.

O’Hara’s death comes as a shock to Hollywood, as the Emmy award-winning actor has been recently active, with roles in both “The Studio” and “The Last of Us.” For her work in those two shows, she received Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series.

In 2020, O’Hara won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series award for her work in the celebrated sixth and final season of “Schitt’s Creek.” She was also known as a queer ally and icon for her theatrical and often campy performances over multiple decades. In “Schitt’s Creek,” she played Moira Rose, the wig-loving mother of David Rose (played by series creator Dan Levy). David is pansexual, but the characters around him simply accept him for who he is; the show was embraced by the LGBTQ community with how naturally David’s sexuality was written and portrayed. That show ran from 2015 to 2020 and helped bring O’Hara and her co-stars into a new phase of their careers.

In a 2019 interview with the Gay Times, O’Hara explained why the show got LGBTQ representation right: “Daniel has created a world that he wants to live in, that I want to live in. It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where we don’t know how to respect each other and let each other be. It’s crazy. Other shows should follow suit and present the world and present humans as the best that we can be. It doesn’t mean you can’t laugh, that you can’t be funny in light ways and dark ways. It’s all still possible when you respect and love each other.”

Additional credits include “SCTV Network” (for which O’Hara won a writing Emmy), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Six Feet Under,” “Best in Show,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Dick Tracy.” O’Hara also lent her voice to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Chicken Little,” “Monster House,” and “Elemental.” O’Hara was expected to return for Season 2 of “The Studio,” which started filming earlier this month.

Calendar

Calendar: January 30-February 5

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, January 30

Friday Tea Time will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Bring your beverage of choice. For more information, contact Mac ([email protected]).

Spark Social will host “RuPaul’s Drag Race S18 Watch Party” at 8 p.m. This event will be hosted by local drag queens TrevHER and Grey, who will provide hilarious commentary and make live predictions on who’s staying and who’s going home. Stick around after the show for a live drag performance. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, January 31

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Sunday, February 1

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community and Conversation” at noon at As You Are. This event is for those looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ+ community. Look for the Go Gay DC sign on the long table near the front window. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, February 2

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam (adamheller@t hedccenter.org).

Tuesday, February 3

Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more information, email [email protected].

Wednesday, February 4

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. There will be discussion, activities, and a chance for guests to share what they want future events to include. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, February 5

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.