MTV VMAs announce "Most Iconic Performance" nods, other social categories

This year is the 40th anniversary of the MTV VMAs — the very first one was held in 1984 — so it’s a good year to introduce a new category: VMAs Most Iconic Performance.

MTV has unveiled its nominations for four social categories, including that one, Song of the Summer, Best Group and Best Trending Video. Voting for each category will be hosted on MTV’s Instagram Story.

The nominees for Most Iconic Performance are the ones you’d expect: Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera‘s kiss; Lady Gaga‘s bloody “Paparazzi;” Taylor Swift singing “You Belong With Me” in the subway and on the streets of New York City; Beyonce revealing her pregnancy while singing “Love On Top;” Eminem and seemingly hundreds of lookalikes walking through the audience for “The Real Slim Shady;” Madonna’s seductive “Like a Virgin” at the first MTV VMAs; and Katy Perry singing “Roar” in a boxing ring under the Brooklyn Bridge.

You can vote for 24 hours starting Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story; just tap to vote.

Including social categories, Taylor Swift is still the leading 2024 MTV VMAs nominee with 12 nods overall, followed by Post Malone with 11 and Eminem with 8.

Here are the nominees for the other social categories:

Best Trending Video (voting starts Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story)
Beyoncé – “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”
Camila Cabello ft. Playboi Carti – “I LUV IT”
Chappell Roan – “HOT TO GO!”
Charli xcx – “Apple”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Yuki Chiba – “Mamushi”
Tinashe – “Nasty”

Best Group (voting runs from Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. ET to Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. ET)
*NSYNC
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
NCT Dream
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Twenty One Pilots

Song of Summer (voting runs from Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. ET through Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. ET.)
Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”
Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”
Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”
Charli xcx & Billie Eilish – “Guess”
Eminem – “Houdini”
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be”
Hozier – “Too Sweet”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”
Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
SZA – “Saturn”
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Tommy Richman – “MILLION DOLLAR BABY”