40th edition of the MTV Video Music Awards held in 2023
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on September 12, 2023. The show was hosted by Nicki Minaj, marking her second consecutive year in the role. This was the first time the ceremony was held on a Tuesday. A new award category, "Show of the Summer", was awarded this year through fan votes. Shakira was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Diddy was honored with the Global Icon Award. Taylor Swift was the most nominated and awarded artist of the night, winning nine out of her eleven nominations.
The 2023 edition was the most watched MTV Video Music Awards show on the flagship linear network to air since 2020. It was the highest-rated edition of the show in three years among the 18–49 demographic with a 1.03 (compared to a 0.58 in 2020), as well as among adults 18–34, where the show saw its best rating since 2019, up 118% to a 1.14. Viewership across all networks was comparable to the prior year with 3.92 million viewers.
Performances.
Pre-show.
The performers for the pre-show were announced on September 6, 2023.
Main show.
The first round of performers for the main show were announced on August 22, 2023. The second round of performers for the main show were announced on August 31, 2023. Olivia Rodrigo was announced as a main show performer on September 7, 2023. The third round of performers for the main show were announced on September 8, 2023. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion were announced as main show performers on September 9, 2023. Performers for the Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Medley were announced on September 11, 2023. Due to the ceremony's diversity, the musical performances featured artists from every country: United States, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Extended Play stage.
Extended play stage performers were announced on September 6, 2023.
Rankings.
Following the show, performances were ranked by various music and news outlets.
Presenters.
The first round of presenters were announced on September 6, 2023. Saweetie hosted the 90-minute pre-show event with co-hosts Nessa, Dometi Pongo, and Kevan Kenney. Nicki Minaj was announced as the main show host on September 8, 2023.
Winners and nominees.
The first round of nominees were announced on August 8. The nominees for the Group of the Year, Show of the Summer, Album of the Year, and Song of Summer were announced on September 1. Taylor Swift led the nominations with eleven, followed by SZA with eight nominations, and Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Blackpink, and Olivia Rodrigo each with six nominations.
Voted categories.
The winners of the following categories were chosen by fan votes. The first round of voting known as the "General Voting Period" began on August 8 at 12 pm. ET, for the categories which nominees were announced on the same day and concluded on September 1 at 6 pm. ET, except for Best New Artist, which concluded on September 12 at 10 p.m. ET. "Instagram Story Voting" began on September 3 at 11 am. ET and concluded on September 12 at 11 am. ET.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
Professional categories.
The winners of the following categories were chosen by industry professionals.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
Special awards.
The following awards have special significance and are not necessarily awarded annually. Shakira was announced as the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award on August 28, becoming the first South American artist to receive the highest honor. Diddy was announced as the recipient of the Global Icon Award on September 2.
Voting system.
The official voting system for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, according to MTV, was as follows:
Ratings.
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards received 3.9 million viewers across all networks, including 865,000 viewers on MTV, a 37% jump in comparison to the previous year for the flagship network and comparable total network viewers from 2022. The show marked the event's highest MTV rating among the 18–49 demographic since 2019, with a 1.03.
Related events.
MTV VMA Fantasy.
To celebrate the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, Meta Fantasy Games launched "MTV VMA Fantasy" on Facebook. It had four rounds of binary question groups. It began on August 31, 2023 and concluded on September 12, 2023.
VMA Block Party.
To celebrate the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV hosted a free public event titled the "VMA Block Party" for the first time at Oculus Plaza in Lower Manhattan on September 9, 2023, from 12 p.m. to 4 pm. EDT. MTV stated the event would be held annually for future shows. Alexander Stewart, Amaarae, Jenna Raine, and DJ CherishTheLuv were announced as the performers for the event on September 8, 2023.
References.
Citations.
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