Will BTS Make It Four in a Row as Group of the Year at 2022 MTV VMAs?

Paul Grein

BTS has won group of the year the last three years running at the MTV Video Music Awards. Will they keep their winning streak alive this year?

MTV announced the nominees for three socially-voted categories — group of the year, song of the summer and album of the year — on Friday (Aug. 19).

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BTS is competing for group of the year with BLACKPINK, City Girls, Foo Fighters, Imagine Dragons, Måneskin, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Silk Sonic. Voting in this category opens Monday (Aug. 22) at 11 a.m. ET. Fans can vote in bracket-style voting on @MTV’s Instagram Story through Thursday Aug. 25.

The VMAs presented a best group video award every year from 1984, their first year, through 2006. In 2007, the name was changed to best group. The category went on hiatus from 2008-18, but was brought back in 2019, at least in part because of the rise of BTS.

Foo Fighters, one of this year’s nominees, won best group video way back in 1996 for “Big Me.”

If BTS wins for a fourth time, they’ll surpass No Doubt as the group with the most wins in the history of the category.

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti is one of the five nominees for album of the year, along with blockbuster albums by Adele, Billie Eilish, Drake and Harry Styles. Bad Bunny’s album has topped the Billboard 200 for eight nonconsecutive weeks, so its nomination is hardly a surprise. But it’s a significant breakthrough nonetheless for a Latin album to be one of five nominees for an all-genre award at such a mainstream show.

Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” which leads Billboard’s Song of the Summer tally, will not win the VMA award as Song of the Summer (because it isn’t nominated). But Styles’ follow-up release, “Late Night Talking,” might. It is one of 16 songs nominated for the VMA award.

With these additional nominations, Doja Cat, Styles and Jack Harlow are now the 2022 nominations leaders with eight nods each. They are followed by Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X, with seven nods each; Billie Eilish, with six nods; and BTS, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Future, Lizzo, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, with five nods each. Full list here.

MTV also announced on Friday (Aug. 19) that Dove Cameron, Saucy Santana and Yung Gravy are set to perform during the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show, which will air live on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Cameron is nominated for a VMA for best new artist. Her breakthrough single, the sultry “Boyfriend,” reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Santana, the MTV Global PUSH Artist for August, will perform his single “Booty.” Yung Gravy’s single “Betty (Get Money)” vaults from No. 65 to No. 45 on the Hot 100 this week, its fifth week on the chart.

The 90-minute pre-show will be hosted by Nessa and Kevan Kenney. Tate McRae will serve as a special celebrity correspondent. Murda Beatz will be the Kraft Singles House DJ.

Fans can also watch the 2022 VMAs pre-show on Twitter @MTV starting at 6:15 p.m. ET, featuring additional digital exclusive breaks, including retrospective red-carpet fashion and celebrity stage moments from VMAs past.

Yesterday, it was announced that LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and Harlow are set to “anchor” this year’s VMAs. The show is set to air live from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Minaj is also this year’s recipient of the Video Vanguard Award. Red Hot Chili Peppers are this year’s recipient of the Global Icon Award.

Harlow, Minaj and Red Hot Chili Peppers are set to perform on the show, along with Anitta, BLACKPINK, J Balvin, Kane Brown, Lizzo, Måneskin, Marshmello x Khalid and Panic! At The Disco. MTV says that additional names will be announced soon.

Fans can vote for their favorites across 22 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday (Aug. 19).  Voting for best new artist remains active into show.

Here’s a link to the full list of nominations, except for the three newly-announced, socially-voted categories.

As a companion to the new best metaverse performance category, fans launch into a custom Moon Person immersive experience, complete with a virtual red carpet, music and dance themed activities, and exclusive in-game experience rewards (more info).

Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2022 VMAs; Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.

Here are the nominees and voting instructions in the three socially-voted categories.

Group of the year

Beginning Monday, Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. ET, fans can vote in bracket-style voting on @MTV’s Instagram Story through Thursday, Aug. 25.

BLACKPINK
BTS
City Girls
Foo Fighters
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Silk Sonic

Song of the summer

Beginning Thursday, August 25 at 11 a.m. ET, fans can vote via tap to vote on @MTV’s Instagram Story through Saturday, Aug. 27.

Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
Beyoncé – “Break My Soul”
Charlie Puth – “Left And Right (feat. Jung Kook of BTS)”
Doja Cat – “Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)”
Future ft. Drake, Tems – “Wait For U”
Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking”
Jack Harlow – “First Class”
Kane Brown – “Grand”
Latto x Mariah Carey – “Big Energy (Remix) ft. DJ Khaled”
Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
Marshmello x Khalid – “Numb”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Nicky Youre, dazy – “Sunroof”
Post Malone with Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Rosalía – “Bizcochito”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”

Album of the year

Beginning Saturday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. ET, fans can vote via tap to vote @MTV’s Instagram Story through show.

Adele – 30
Bad Bunny – Un Verano Sin Ti
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Harry Styles – Harry’s House

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