The race for the most talked-about titles at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards just got hotter. MTV has revealed the nominees for its two interactive fan-driven categories: Best Group and Song of the Summer, spotlighting artists whose music and cultural impact continue to dominate social feeds.
Tate McRae, Sabrina Carpenter and a mix of global superstars lead the charge, setting the stage for one of the most competitive seasons yet. This year’s Song of the Summer field captures the biggest hits of 2025, including every track that has climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since late May. From McRae’s “Just Keep Watching” to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” and Morgan Wallen’s collaboration “What I Want”, the nominees reflect a year where streaming, cinema, and TikTok all collided to shape the soundtrack of the season.
On the group front, the spotlight turns once again to K-pop, where acts like BLACKPINK, Seventeen, aespa, and Stray Kids aim to extend the genre’s six-year winning streak, while legacy names such as Backstreet Boys and Coldplay prove their staying power decades after their first VMA wins.
Here’s a complete list of nominees in the two social categories:
Song of the Summer
- Addison Rae – “Headphones On”
- Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
- Benson Boone – “Mystical Magical”
- BigXthaPlug feat. Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way”
- Chappell Roan – “The Subway”
- Demi Lovato – “Fast”
- Doja Cat – “Jealous Type”
- HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI – “Golden”
- Jessie Murph – “Blue Strips”
- Justin Bieber – “Daisies”
- MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)”
- Morgan Wallen feat. Tate McRae – “What I Want”
- Ravyn Lenae feat. Rex Orange County – “Love Me Not”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
- sombr – “12 to 12”
- Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)”
Voting for the first category opens Saturday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV’s Instagram Story (single-round, tap-to-vote) and closes Sunday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. ET.
Best Group
- aespa
- All Time Low
- Backstreet Boys
- BLACKPINK
- Coldplay
- Evanescence
- Fuerza Regida
- Grupo Frontera
- Imagine Dragons
- Jonas Brothers
- KATSEYE
- My Chemical Romance
- SEVENTEEN
- Stray Kids
- The Marías
- twenty one pilots
Voting for the second category begins Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV’s Instagram Story (three rounds in a bracket-style face-off, with the final round decided by tap-to-vote) and closes Saturday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. ET.
Who’s got your vote this year — pop powerhouses or K-pop giants? Join the conversation with us on X/ Instagram and let us know your picks.
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