The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards nominations have been announced, and Rihanna and Drake sit at the top with five nods each, including Video of the Year. They will compete individually against icons like Chris Brown, Gotye, and Katy Perry, and they will also be in contention together in the Best Male Video, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Video of the Year categories thanks to Drake’s Take Care featuring Rihanna.
2011’s VMA queen Katy Perry collected four nominations this year. Not far behind, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Coldplay, MIA and Frank Ocean each earned three. Surprisingly, Lady Gaga did not snag any nominations. On the bright side it was confirmed that One Direction and Alicia Keys are set to light up the stage for this year’s Video Music Awards, among many other performers.
The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards were broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 6, 2012. Here is the full list of the nominees and categories courtesy of MTV. Voting information was available through MTV’s official coverage.
Video of the Year nominees include Katy Perry for Wide Awake; Gotye for Somebody That I Used To Know; Rihanna for We Found Love; Drake featuring Rihanna for Take Care; and MIA for Bad Girls.
Best New Artist nominees include Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe We Are Young; Carly Rae Jepsen Call Me Maybe; Frank Ocean Swim Good; One Direction What Makes You Beautiful; The Wanted Glad You Came.
Best Hip Hop Video nominees include Childish Gambino Heartbeat; Drake featuring Lil Wayne HYFR; Kanye West featuring Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz Mercy; Watch the Throne Paris; Nicki Minaj featuring 2 Chainz Beez in the Trap.
Best Male Video nominees include Justin Bieber Boyfriend; Frank Ocean Swim Good; Drake featuring Rihanna Take Care; Chris Brown Turn Up the Music; Usher Climax.
Best Female Video nominees include Rihanna We Found Love; Katy Perry Part of Me; Beyoncé Love on Top; Nicki Minaj Starships; Selena Gomez & The Scene Love You Like a Love Song.
Best Pop Video nominees include One Direction What Makes You Beautiful; Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe We Are Young; Rihanna We Found Love; Justin Bieber Boyfriend; Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa Payphone.
Best Rock Video nominees include Coldplay Paradise; The Black Keys Lonely Boy; Linkin Park BURN IT DOWN; Jack White Sixteen Saltines; Imagine Dragons It s Time.
Best Electronic Dance Music Video nominees include Duck Sauce Big Bad Wolf; Calvin Harris Feel So Close; Skrillex First of the Year Equinox; Martin Solveig The Night Out; Avicii Le7els.
Best Video With a Message nominees include Demi Lovato Skyscraper; Rise Against Ballad of Hollis Brown; Kelly Clarkson Dark Side; Gym Class Heroes The Fighter; K Naan featuring Nelly Furtado Is Anybody Out There?; Lil Wayne How to Love.
Best Art Direction nominees include Katy Perry Wide Awake; Drake featuring Rihanna Take Care; Lana Del Rey Born to Die; Regina Spektor All the Rowboats; Of Monsters & Men Little Talks.
Best Choreography nominees include Chris Brown Turn Up the Music; Rihanna Where Have You Been; Beyoncé Countdown; Avicii Le7els; Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull Dance Again.
Best Cinematography nominees include M I A Bad Girls; Adele Someone Like You; Drake featuring Rihanna Take Care; Coldplay featuring Rihanna Princess of China; Lana Del Rey Born to Die.
Best Direction nominees include MIA Bad Girls; Duck Sauce Big Bad Wolf; Coldplay featuring Rihanna Princess of China; Frank Ocean Swim Good; Watch the Throne Otis.
Best Editing nominees include Beyoncé Countdown; A$AP Rocky Goldie; Gotye Somebody That I Used to Know; Watch the Throne Paris; Kanye West featuring Pusha T Big Sean and 2 Chainz Mercy.
Best Visual Effects nominees include Katy Perry Wide Awake; Rihanna Where Have You Been; David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj Turn Me On; Linkin Park BURN IT DOWN.