Doja Cat Makes MTV History Becoming First VMAs Host to Also Be Nominated for Video of the Year

Doja Cat is about to become the first MTV Video Music Awards host to be also nominated for video of the year — but the milestone moment almost didn't happen.

Doja, 25, is set to take the iconic stage this Sunday night, but she nearly passed on the opportunity, she told PEOPLE (The TV Show!).

"I got this call and pitch basically, and I was in the middle of rehearsals and I just remember being like, 'No, there's no way, I'm not doing this. I'm too tired,'" she recalled. "And the people behind everything were so understanding and were like, 'Hey, we'll move this, we'll do whatever we have to do to make this work.'"

Doja (née Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini) joins the likes of Keke Palmer, Sebastian Maniscalco, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus to emcee the awards show, but she's the only one of the bunch to also be nominated for the night's biggest prize, video of the year. The nod is for her hit "Kiss Me More," featuring SZA.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Doja Cat

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The track, which was recently ranked second in Spotify's U.S. top 5 songs of summer, will go up against Lil Nas X's video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "WAP," DJ Khaled and Drake's video for "POPSTAR" featuring Justin Bieber, "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd's "Save Your Tears."

While Doja joked that her outfit for the show would be nothing but being "just butt naked" — "They're allowing that now, it's like a thing that they're into," she quipped. "No censorship whatsoever" — she did note that her "Kiss Me More" performance would be unlike anything her fans have ever seen.

"I wanted to do something that was almost polar opposite to what I've been doing for the last few years," she told PEOPLE (the TV Show!). "I wanted to do something that was more contemporary, modern, that felt more zen and more emotional and more heart-wrenching."

Jerritt Clark/Getty Images Doja Cat

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She also teased a certain celebrity impression that she's "been really attached to recently" and teased that she might bring it to the VMAs.

In addition to video of the year, Doja is also nominated for artist of the year, best collaboration, best art direction and best visual effects.

She'll perform alongside a number of other names including Justin Bieber, Kacey Musgraves, The Kid LAROI, Shawn Mendes, Olivia Rodrigo, Machine Gun Kelly, Camila Cabello, Chlöe of Chloe x Halle, Jack Harlow, Kim Petras, Lil Nas X, Ozuna and more.

The MTV Video Music Awards air live from New York City on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. EST on MTV.