The annual VMA ceremony occurs before the end of summer and held either in late August or mid-September, and broadcast live on MTV, along with simulcasts on MTV's sister networks to nullify in-house competition. The first VMA ceremony was held in 1984 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The ceremonies are normally held in either New York City or Los Angeles. However, the ceremonies have also been hosted in Miami and Las Vegas.
Video of the Year
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood"
Beyoncé — "7/11"
Kendrick Lamar — "Alright"
Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) — "Uptown Funk"
Ed Sheeran — "Thinking Out Loud"
Best Male Video
Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) — "Uptown Funk"
Nick Jonas — "Chains"
Kendrick Lamar — "Alright"
Ed Sheeran — "Thinking Out Loud"
The Weeknd — "Earned It"
Best Female Video
Taylor Swift — "Blank Space"
Beyoncé — "7/11"
Ellie Goulding — "Love Me Like You Do"
Nicki Minaj — "Anaconda"
Sia — "Elastic Heart"
Artist to Watch
Fetty Wap — "Trap Queen"
James Bay — "Hold Back the River"
George Ezra — "Budapest"
FKA twigs — "Pendulum"
Vance Joy — "Riptide"
Best Pop Video
Taylor Swift — "Blank Space"
Beyoncé — "7/11"
Maroon 5 — "Sugar"
Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) — "Uptown Funk"
Ed Sheeran — "Thinking Out Loud"
Best Rock Video
Fall Out Boy — "Uma Thurman"
Arctic Monkeys — "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"
Florence + the Machine — "Ship to Wreck"
Hozier — "Take Me to Church"
Walk the Moon — "Shut Up + Dance"
Best Hip-Hop Video
Nicki Minaj — "Anaconda"
Big Sean (featuring E-40) — "I Don't Fuck with You"
Fetty Wap — "Trap Queen"
Kendrick Lamar — "Alright"
Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth) — "See You Again"
Best Collaboration
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood"
Ariana Grande and The Weeknd — "Love Me Harder"
Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj — "Bang Bang"
Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) — "Uptown Funk"
Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth) — "See You Again"
Best Direction
Kendrick Lamar — "Alright" (Directors: Colin Tilley and the Little Homies)
Childish Gambino — "Sober" (Director: Hiro Murai)
Hozier — "Take Me to Church" (Directors: Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson)
Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) — "Uptown Funk" (Directors: Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy)
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood" (Director: Joseph Kahn)
Best Choreography
OK Go — "I Won't Let You Down" (Choreographer: OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano)
Beyoncé — "7/11" (Choreographers: Beyoncé, Chris Grant and Gabriel Valenciano)
Chet Faker — "Gold" (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington)
Flying Lotus (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Never Catch Me" (Choreographers: Keone Madrid and Mari Madrid)
Ed Sheeran — "Don't" (Choreographers: Nappytabs)
Best Visual Effects
Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber) — "Where Are Ü Now" (Visual Effects: Brewer, Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino — "Telegraph Ave." (Visual Effects: Gloria FX)
FKA Twigs — "Two Weeks" (Visual Effects: Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood" (Visual Effects: Ingenuity Studios)
Tyler, The Creator — "Fucking Young/Death Camp" (Visual Effects: Gloria FX)
Best Art Direction
Snoop Dogg — "So Many Pros" (Art Director: Jason Fijal)
The Chemical Brothers — "Go" (Art Director: Michel Gondry)
Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber) — "Where Are Ü Now" (Art Director: Brewer)
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood" (Art Director: Charles Infante)
Jack White — "Would You Fight for My Love?" (Art Director: Jeff Peterson)
Best Editing
Beyoncé — "7/11" (Editors: Beyoncé, Ed Burke and Jonathan Wing)
ASAP Rocky — "L$D" (Editor: Dexter Navy)
Ed Sheeran — "Don't" (Editor: Jacquelyn London)
Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber) — "Where Are Ü Now" (Editor: Brewer)
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood" (Editor: Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
Best Cinematography
Flying Lotus (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Never Catch Me" (Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple)
Alt-J — "Left Hand Free" (Director of Photography: Mike Simpson)
FKA Twigs — "Two Weeks" (Director of Photography: Justin Brown)
Ed Sheeran — "Thinking Out Loud" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) — "Bad Blood" (Director of Photography: Christopher Probst)
Best Video with a Social Message
Big Sean (featuring Kanye West and John Legend) — "One Man Can Change the World"
Colbie Caillat — "Try"
Jennifer Hudson — "I Still Love You"
Rihanna — "American Oxygen"
Wale — "The White Shoes"
Song of Summer
5 Seconds of Summer — "She's Kinda Hot"
Fetty Wap — "My Way"
Fifth Harmony — "Worth it"
Selena Gomez (featuring ASAP Rocky) — "Good for You"
David Guetta (featuring Nicki Minaj) — "Hey Mama"
Demi Lovato — "Cool for the Summer"
Major Lazer — "Lean On"
OMI — "Cheerleader"
Silentó — "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)"
Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber) — "Where Are U Now"
Taylor Swift — "Bad Blood"
The Weeknd — "Can't Feel My Face"