Beyonce dominates MTV award nominations
Beyonce’s ambitious visual album, Lemonade, has earned 11 nominations for this year’s MTV Music Video Awards.
Adele follows close behind with eight nominations, including seven for her Hello video.
Kanye West’s highly-controversial video for Famous, which features the rapper in bed with several naked celebrities including Donald Trump and Taylor Swift, also received two nominations.
The awards take place on 28 August at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
The nominees were revealed in a mural in New York
In Lemonade, Beyonce depicts a woman progressing through several stages of grief as she comes to terms with her husband’s infidelity, set in the context of African-American culture.
The entire 60-minute film is in the running for best longform video; while the first single, Formation, is up for the coveted video of the year award, against Adele’s Hello, Drake’s Hotline Bling, Justin Bieber’s Sorry and West’s Famous.
However, Beyonce’s tally fell just short of the all-time record set by Lady Gaga in 2010, when she received 13 nominations – including two for video of the year.
Other nominees for the 2016 instalment include Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Calvin Harris and Florence + The Machine.
Adele goes up against Beyonce in the prestigious Video of the Year category
Taylor Swift, who took home four prizes last year, was overlooked despite releasing three eligible videos in the last year. One of them, Wildest Dreams, was even premiered during the 2015 ceremony.
Pop singer Nick Jonas also failed to pick up any nominations, and tweeted he was “disappointed” not to be recognised for his collaboration with Tove Lo, Close.
The star later recanted, saying: “ won’t let this one thing get to me. I’m feeling so inspired and grateful these days. Gonna focus more on caring less about the small stuff.”
MTV revealed this year’s nominations via a panoramic street mural in New York City’s East Village. Winners are selected by fan votes.
List of main nominees:
Video of the year
- Adele – Hello
- Beyonce – Formation
- Justin Bieber – Sorry
- Drake – Hotline Bling
- Kanye West – Famous
Best male video
- Drake – Hotline Bling
- Calvin Harris (featuring Rihanna) – This Is What You Came For
- Bryson Tiller – Don’t
- The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face
- Kanye West – Famous
Best female video
- Adele – Hello
- Beyonce – Hold Up
- Ariana Grande – Into You
- Rihanna (featuring Drake) – Work
- Sia – Cheap Thrills
Best new artist
- Desiigner
- DNCE
- Lukas Graham
- Zara Larsson
- Bryson Tiller
Best pop video
- Adele – Hello
- Beyonce – Formation
- Justin Bieber – Sorry
- Alessia Cara – Wild Things
- Ariana Grande – Into You
Best rock video
- All Time Low – Missing You
- Coldplay – Adventure of a Lifetime
- Fall Out Boy (featuring Demi Lovato) – Irresistible
- Panic! at the Disco – Victorious
- Twenty One Pilots – Heathens
Best hip-hop video
- 2 Chainz – Watch Out
- Chance the Rapper (featuring Saba) – Angels
- Desiigner – Panda
- Drake – Hotline Bling
- Bryson Tiller – Don’t
Best electronic video
- 99 Souls (featuring Destiny’s Child and Brandy) – The Girl Is Mine
- Afrojack – SummerThing!
- The Chainsmokers (featuring Daya) – Don’t Let Me Down
- Calvin Harris and Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love
- Mike Posner – I Took a Pill in Ibiza
Best collaboration video
- Beyonce (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – Freedom
- Fifth Harmony (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) – Work from Home
- Ariana Grande (featuring Lil Wayne) – Let Me Love You
- Calvin Harris (featuring Rihanna) – This Is What You Came For
- Rihanna (featuring Drake) – Work
Breakthrough long form video
- Beyonce – Lemonade
- Justin Bieber – Purpose: The Movement
- Chris Brown – Royalty
- Florence + The Machine – The Odyssey
- Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy