Rock and Metal Largely Snubbed in 2024 MTV Video Music Award Nominations

The MTV Video Music Awards nominations for 2024 have been announced, and there is a noticeable lack of representation for modern rock and metal acts.

When the nominees were unveiled on Tuesday, Aug. 6, it was predictable to see pop icons like Taylor Swift leading with 10 nominations. Close competitors include artists such as Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Eminem, and Sabrina Carpenter. However, what stood out was the minimal presence of today’s prominent rock and metal acts, even in the categories specifically meant for rock.

None of the big four categories—Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist—included any rock nominees. So, which rock and metal artists were actually nominated?

For the Best Rock VMA category, the nominees list features veteran acts who have been around since the early 2000s. The nominees include Bon Jovi for “Legendary,” Coldplay for “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” Green Day for “Dilemma,” Kings of Leon for “Mustang,” Lenny Kravitz for “Human,” and U2 for “Atomic City.”

The Best Alternative category also showcases more contemporary ties to alternative rock radio, featuring nominees such as Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” Bleachers’ “Tiny Moves,” Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” Imagine Dragons’ “Eyes Closed,” Linkin Park’s “Friendly Fire,” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control (Live).”

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things” – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves” – Dirty Hit
Hozier – “Too Sweet” – Columbia Records
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed” – KIDinaKorner / Interscope Records
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire” – This Compilation / Warner Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)” – Warner Records

BEST ROCK

Bon Jovi – “Legendary” – Island
Coldplay – “feelslikeimfallinginlove” – Atlantic Records
Green Day – “Dilemma” – Reprise Records / Warner Records
Kings of Leon – “Mustang” – Capitol Records
Lenny Kravitz – “Human” – ℗© 2024 Roxie Records Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management GmbH
U2 – “Atomic City” – Interscope Records

Aside from these two categories, rock fans have little to celebrate. Coldplay is up for a “Video for Good” nomination, while Bleachers received nods for Best Direction and Best Choreography. Additionally, The Warning’s “Automatic Sun,” which was highlighted by MTV in July, is nominated for the MTV Push Performance of the Year.

As noted, the larger categories are heavily dominated by pop artists. Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Eminem, Post Malone, and others make up the bulk of the nominees. Here’s a breakdown of who’s contending in the top four categories:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” – Republic Records
Billie Eilish – “LUNCH” – Darkroom / Interscope Records
Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records
Eminem – “Houdini” – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
SZA – “Snooze” – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment
Eminem – Shady / Aftermath / Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
SZA – Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Taylor Swift – Republic Records

SONG OF THE YEAR

Beyoncé – “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” – Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia Records
Jack Harlow – “Lovin On Me” – Generation Now / Atlantic Records
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” – Island
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” – Republic Records
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control” – Warner Records

BEST NEW ARTIST

Benson Boone – Night Street Records, Inc. / Warner Records
Chappell Roan – Island
Gracie Abrams – Interscope Records
Shaboozey – American Dogwood / EMPIRE
Teddy Swims – Warner Records
Tyla – Epic Records

The 2024 MTV VMAs are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 8PM ET / PT, live from New York’s UBS Arena. Voting is now open in all categories. Fans can cast their votes through the MTV VMAs website.

Source: MTV, Warner Records, Atlantic Records, Interscope Records