MTV VMAs Song of Summer: From All-Time Hits to 2025 Nominees

Part 1. The MTV VMAs Song of Summer of All Time

The VMAs summer song accolade highlights the track that dominated airwaves and playlists, from streaming services to radio stations. Recognizing the VMAs song of the summer each year offers a snapshot of cultural moments, dance challenges, and viral hooks that kept fans humming all season long. Below are the standout winners from 2016 through 2024.

2016: "Work from Home" by Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla \$ign

A sultry R&B-pop groove anchored by a catchy chorus, "Work from Home" became a workplace anthem turned dance craze, thanks to its clever wordplay and steamy video.

2017: "Despacito (Remix)" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber

This remix fused Latin rhythms with global pop appeal, shattering streaming records and proving that a bilingual hit can rule summer charts worldwide.

2018: "I Love It" by Kanye West and Lil Pump

A rebellious trap-inspired anthem with minimalist production and an earworm refrain, "I Love It" resonated as a bold statement track for summer party playlists.

2019: "Old Town Road (Remix)" by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

Blending country twang with hip-hop beats, this genre-bending smash broke chart rules and redefined what a VMAs summer song could be.

2020: "WAP" by Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion

A fierce, unapologetic celebration of female power and sexuality, "WAP" dominated social media trends and inspired countless dance challenges.

2021: "Butter" by BTS

Smooth vocals and disco-pop production made "Butter" the perfect upbeat earworm, breaking global streaming records and earning massive radio play.

2022: "First Class" by Jack Harlow

Sampling a nostalgic hip-hop classic, "First Class" rode its luxurious swagger and catchy hook to become one of the most streamed VMAs summer song contenders.

2023: "Seven" by Jungkook ft. Latto

K-pop meets Southern rap in this breezy, romantic track that showcased Jungkook's vocals and Latto's rap flair, solidifying it as a top song of the summer VMAs highlighted.

2024: "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone

Uniting folk pop and alternative hip-hop, "Fortnight" surprised fans with its mellow vibe and introspective lyrics, earning praise as an unexpected best summer song VMAs entry.

Part 2. The Full List of MTV VMAs 2025 Nominees

The 2025 VMAs boast a diverse slate of nominees across video, song, and artist categories. From chart-topping superstars to breakout talents, this year's contenders reflect the evolving landscape of pop, hip-hop, rock, alternative, and global music scenes. Here is the complete list of nominees for every major award at the MTV VMAs 2025.

Video of the Year

• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Billie Eilish "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" (Darkroom/Interscope Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars "Die with a Smile" (Interscope Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti "Timeless" (XO/Republic Records)

Artist of the Year

• Bad Bunny (Rimas Entertainment)
• Beyoncé (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records)
• Kendrick Lamar (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga (Interscope Records)
• Morgan Wallen (Big Loud Records/Mercury Records)
• Taylor Swift (Republic Records)
• The Weeknd (XO/Republic Records)

Song of the Year

• Alex Warren "Ordinary" (Atlantic Records)
• Billie Eilish "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" (Darkroom/Interscope Records)
• Doechii "Anxiety" (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)
• Ed Sheeran "Sapphire" (Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records)
• Gracie Abrams "I Love You, I'm Sorry" (Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars "Die with a Smile" (Interscope Records)
• Lorde "What Was That" (Republic Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Tate McRae "Sports Car" (RCA Records)
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti "Timeless" (XO/Republic Records)

Best New Artist

• Alex Warren (Atlantic Records)
• Ella Langley (SAWGOD/Columbia Records)
• Gigi Perez (Island)
• Lola Young (Island)
• sombr (SMB Music/Warner Records)
• The Marías (Nice Life/Atlantic Records)

Best Pop Artist (new category)

• Ariana Grande (Republic Records)
• Charli XCX (Atlantic Records)
• Justin Bieber (Def Jam Recordings)
• Lorde (Republic Records)
• Miley Cyrus (Columbia Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter (Island)
• Tate McRae (RCA Records)

MTV Push Performance of the Year

• 2024 Shaboozey "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" (American Dogwood/EMPIRE)
• 2024 Ayra Starr "Last Heartbreak Song" (Mavin/Republic Records)
• 2024 Mark Ambor "Belong Together" (Hundred Days/Virgin Music)
• 2024 Lay Bankz "Graveyard" (Artist Partner Group Inc.)
• 2024 Dasha "Bye Bye Bye" (Warner Records)
• 2025 KATSEYE "Touch" (HYBE/Geffen Records)
• 2025 Jordan Adetunji "KEHLANI" (300 Entertainment)
• March 2025 Leon Thomas "YES IT IS" (EZMNY/Motown Records)
• April 2025 Livingston "Shadow" (Republic Records)
• May 2025 Damiano David "Next Summer" (Sony Italy/Arista Records)
• June 2025 Gigi Perez "Sailor Song" (Island)
• July 2025 ROLE MODEL "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out" (Interscope Records)

Best Collaboration

• Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs "Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)" (Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville)
• Kendrick Lamar & SZA "luther" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars "Die with a Smile" (Interscope Records)
• Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton "Pour Me a Drink" (Mercury Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Selena Gomez, benny blanco "Sunset Blvd" (SMG/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records)

Best Pop

• Alex Warren "Ordinary" (Atlantic Records)
• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Ed Sheeran "Sapphire" (Gingerbread Man/Atlantic Records)
• Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars "Die with a Smile" (Interscope Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)

Best Hip-Hop

• Doechii "Anxiety" (Top Dawg/Capitol Records)
• Drake "NOKIA" (OVO/Santa Anna/Republic)
• Eminem ft. Jelly Roll "Somebody Save Me" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
• GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red "WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME" (CMG/Interscope)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope)
• LL COOL J ft. Eminem "Murdergram Deux" (Def Jam Recordings)
• Travis Scott "4X4" (Cactus Jack/Epic Records)

Best R&B

• Chris Brown "Residuals" (Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA)
• Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs "MUTT (REMIX)" (EZMNY/Motown)
• Mariah Carey "Type Dangerous" (gamma.)
• PARTYNEXTDOOR "N o C h i l l" (OVO Sound)
• Summer Walker "Heart of a Woman" (LVRN/Interscope)
• SZA "Drive" (Top Dawg/RCA)
• The Weeknd, Playboi Carti "Timeless" (XO/Republic)

Best Alternative

• Gigi Perez "Sailor Song" (Island)
• Imagine Dragons "Wake Up" (KIDinaKorner/Interscope)
• Lola Young "Messy" (Island)
• mgk & Jelly Roll "Lonely Road" (EST 19XX/Interscope)
• sombr "back to friends" (SMB/Warner Records)
• The Marías "Back to Me" (Nice Life/Atlantic)

Best Rock

• Coldplay "ALL MY LOVE" (Atlantic Records)
• Evanescence "Afterlife (From the Netflix Series 'Devil May Cry')" (Netflix Music)
• Green Day "One Eyed Bastard" (Reprise/Warner Records)
• Lenny Kravitz "Honey" (Roxie Records/BMG)
• Linkin Park "The Emptiness Machine" (Warner Records)
• twenty one pilots "The Contract" (Fueled By Ramen)

Best Latin

• Bad Bunny "BAILE INoLVIDABLE" (Rimas Entertainment)
• J Balvin "Rio" (Capitol Records)
• KAROL G "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" (Bichota/Interscope)
• Peso Pluma "LA PATRULLA" (Double P Records)
• Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos "Khé?" (Sony Music US Latin)
• Shakira "Soltera" (Sony Music US Latin)

Best K-Pop

• aespa "Whiplash" (SM Entertainment/Virgin Music)
• JENNIE "like JENNIE" (OA Entertainment/Columbia)
• Jimin "Who" (BIGHIT MUSIC)
• JISOO "earthquake" (Warner Records)
• LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE "Born Again" (Lloud Co./RCA)
• Stray Kids "Chk Chk Boom" (JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic)
• ROSÉ "toxic till the end" (Atlantic Records)

Best Afrobeats

• Asake & Travis Scott "Active" (YBNL Nation/EMPIRE)
• Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott "TaTaTa" (Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic)
• MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea "Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)" (gamma.)
• Rema "Baby (Is It a Crime)" (Mavin Global/Jonzing World/Interscope)
• Tems ft. Asake "Get It Right" (RCA/Since '93)
• Tyla "PUSH 2 START" (FAX/Epic Records)
• Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz "Piece of My Heart" (Starboy/RCA)

Best Country (new category)

• Chris Stapleton "Think I'm in Love with You" (Mercury Nashville)
• Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood "I'm Gonna Love You" (CoJo Music/Warner Nashville)
• Jelly Roll "Liar" (BBR/BMG/Republic)
• Lainey Wilson "4x4xU" (Broken Bow Records)
• Megan Moroney "Am I Okay?" (Columbia Records)
• Morgan Wallen "Smile" (Big Loud/Mercury Records)

Best Album

• Bad Bunny DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Rimas Entertainment)
• Kendrick Lamar GNX (pgLang/Interscope)
• Lady Gaga Mayhem (Interscope Records)
• Morgan Wallen I'm the Problem (Big Loud/Mercury)
• Sabrina Carpenter Short n' Sweet (Island)
• The Weeknd Hurry Up Tomorrow (XO/Republic)

Best Long Form Video

• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Bad Bunny "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)" (Rimas Entertainment)
• Damiano David "FUNNY little STORIES" (Sony Italy/Arista)
• Mac Miller "Balloonerism" (Warner Records)
• Miley Cyrus "Something Beautiful" (Columbia Records)
• The Weeknd "Hurry Up Tomorrow" (XO/Republic Records)

Video for Good

• Burna Boy "Higher" (Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records)
• Charli XCX "Guess featuring Billie Eilish" (Atlantic Records)
• Doechii "Anxiety" (Top Dawg/Capitol Records)
• Eminem ft. Jelly Roll "Somebody Save Me" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
• Selena Gomez, benny blanco "Younger and Hotter Than Me" (SMG/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope)
• Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan "Sleepwalking" (Arista Records)

Best Direction

• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Charli XCX "Guess featuring Billie Eilish" (Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)

Best Art Direction

• Charli XCX "Guess featuring Billie Eilish" (Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• Lorde "Man of the Year" (Republic Records)
• Miley Cyrus "End of the World" (Columbia Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)

Best Cinematography

• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Ed Sheeran "Sapphire" (Gingerbread Man/Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• Miley Cyrus "Easy Lover" (Columbia Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)

Best Editing

• Charli XCX "Guess featuring Billie Eilish" (Atlantic Records)
• Ed Sheeran "Sapphire" (Gingerbread Man/Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)
• Tate McRae "Just Keep Watching (from 'F1® The Movie')" (Atlantic Records)

Best Choreography

• Doechii "Anxiety" (Top Dawg/Capitol Records)
• FKA twigs "Eusexua" (Atlantic Records)
• Kendrick Lamar "Not Like Us" (pgLang/Interscope Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• Tyla "PUSH 2 START" (FAX/Epic Records)
• Zara Larsson "Pretty Ugly" (Epic Records)

Best Visual Effects

• Ariana Grande "brighter days ahead" (Republic Records)
• Lady Gaga "Abracadabra" (Interscope Records)
• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars "APT." (Atlantic Records)
• Sabrina Carpenter "Manchild" (Island)
• Tate McRae "Just Keep Watching (from 'F1® The Movie')" (Atlantic Records)
• The Weeknd "Hurry Up Tomorrow" (XO/Republic Records)

Part 3. Greatest MTV Video Music Awards Performances of All Time

MTV VMAs performances often deliver show‐stopping moments that live on in pop culture history. From groundbreaking choreography to stunning stagecraft, these legendary sets defined eras and cemented artists' status as icons. Here are eight of the most unforgettable VMAs performances ever.

1. Madonna, "Vogue" (1990)

Having introduced voguing to MTV audiences a year earlier, Madonna elevated the art form into mainstream consciousness with a lavish performance that turned the VMAs into a glamorous ballroom showcase. Her precise moves and iconic styling set a new standard for live pop spectacles.

2. Beyoncé, "Ring the Alarm" (2006)

Amid an era of overproduced shows, Beyoncé's raw energy and towering set design made her 2006 performance truly legendary. In just four minutes, she proved that less over the top can still deliver maximum impact.

3. Hole, "Violet" (1995)

Channeling grief and defiance, Courtney Love dedicated Hole's explosive "Violet" to fallen friends before unleashing a cathartic performance that fused punk attitude with emotional intensity.

4. Nirvana, "Lithium" (1992)

With raw guitar riffs and Kurt Cobain's anguished vocals, Nirvana's stripped-down delivery of "Lithium" captured the angst of a generation and helped usher grunge into the mainstream spotlight.

5. Kendrick Lamar, "DNA/Humble" (2017)

Blending pyrotechnics with precise choreography, Kendrick Lamar's medley showcased his lyrical prowess and theatrical staging, elevating hip-hop performance art to new heights.

6. Madonna, "Like a Virgin" (1984)

Draped in bridal lace and teetering in towering heels, Madonna's daring 1984 set shocked viewers and solidified her reputation as the ultimate pop provocateur.

7. Katy Perry, "Medley" (2024)

Combining vibrant costumes with megawatt production, Katy Perry's 2024 medley fused nostalgia and innovation to deliver a dynamic highlight of that year's show.

8. Rihanna, "Stay/Diamonds/Love on the Brain" (2016)

Rihanna's sultry vocals and elegant staging transformed the VMAs stage into a soulful sanctuary, seamlessly blending ballad and uptempo grooves into an unforgettable medley.

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Conclusion

From the VMAs song of the summer that defined seasons to the 2025 nominees poised to make history, MTV's awards showcase the year's biggest musical moments. Relive iconic performances that changed the game and elevate your own content with HitPaw VikPea Video Enhancer. Whether you're chasing the next best summer song VMAs will honor or creating videos that turn heads, this comprehensive guide has you covered.