Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have received nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). This is despite the Best Afrobeats category being removed from this year’s awards.
Burna Boy got two nominations while Tems earned one.
The 2026 VMAs will take place on Sunday, 27 September, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. CBS and MTV will broadcast the event live, and it will also be streamed on Paramount+.
Burna Boy’s nominations
Burna Boy is nominated in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories. His nomination comes from his collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira on the song “Dai Dai”. This song is the official track for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the Best Collaboration category, Burna Boy and Shakira will face competition from Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, and Malice for “Chains & Whips”. They will also compete against French Montana and Max B for “Ever Since U Left Me”, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love”, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for “Stateside”, and Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye for “Hard Part”.
Burna Boy’s second nomination is in the Best Latin category. “Dai Dai” will compete against songs from Anitta and Shakira, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Karol G, Rosalía featuring Yahritza y Su Esencia, Ryan Castro, Kapo, and GANGSTA.
This nomination shows how far Burna Boy’s music has reached internationally. “Dai Dai” marks his entry into one of the major genre categories at the VMAs through his work with Shakira.
Tems nominated for Best R&B
Tems received a nomination in the Best R&B category for her song “Raindance”, which features British rapper Dave.
She will compete with Bruno Mars for “I Just Might”, Chris Brown for “It Depends/Obvious”, Justin Bieber for “YUKON”, Kehlani for “Folded”, and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis for “Is It a Crime?”.
“Raindance” has done well in the UK and internationally, boosting Tems’ profile beyond Afrobeats into mainstream R&B.
This nomination is another significant international recognition for Tems. She has been establishing herself in R&B and global pop circles.
MTV drops the Best Afrobeats category
These nominations follow MTV's decision to remove the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 VMAs. This ends the category after three years.
MTV introduced the category in 2023 to reflect Afrobeats' rapid growth and global influence. Rema and Selena Gomez won the first award for their hit “Calm Down”.
South African singer Tyla won the category in both 2024 and 2025 with “Water” and “Push 2 Start” respectively. Tyla's wins sparked discussions among Nigerian fans and music experts about how African music is categorized and represented in international awards.
In 2025, Tyla’s “Push 2 Start” beat nominees including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems, and Asake to win the category.
MTV has not given a specific reason for removing the Afrobeats category from the 2026 nominations. Despite this, African artists are still represented in the broader VMA categories. Burna Boy’s nominations for “Dai Dai” and Tems’ nomination in Best R&B show a strong Nigerian presence.
Other changes to the 2026 VMAs
The removal of the Best Afrobeats category is part of a bigger change for the 2026 VMAs.
Many categories from previous editions are missing this year. These include Best Rock, Best Group, Best Album, Video for Good, Best Long-form Video, and Song of the Summer. But the Best Dance category is back after being absent for a while.
International nominees
Madonna leads the 2026 nominations with 11 nods, followed by Taylor Swift with nine nominations.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each got seven nominations. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson received five nominations each. Shakira got three nominations, including one for her collaboration with Burna Boy.
The awards also feature 26 first-time nominees, showing a mix of established stars and new talents.
In the major categories, Video of the Year nominees include Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.
Fan Voting
The Artist of the Year nominees are Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.
Fan voting is open in 13 categories and will run until 25 September, just two days before the ceremony.
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