Everything You Need To Know About The 2021 MTV VMAs

The MTV Video Music Awards are right around the corner, and this year's annual ceremony — which will broadcast live this Sunday, Sept. 12 — marks an exciting return to the show's traditional format after it was adapted to meet COVID safety requirements in 2020.

The ceremony is taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and it will unveil at least one element that we haven't seen before — the VMA's moonperson trophies have undergone a redesign by artist Kehinde Wiley, which will debut at this weekend's show.

Doja Cat is a centerpiece of the upcoming VMA program. Not only will she host the event, but the artist is also due to perform at the show for the second year in a row, and she's up for awards in five different categories.

"I'm hosting the 2021 #VMAs this year Wowowowowowow," the Planet Her singer captioned an Instagram post unveiling the news.

As usual, the ceremony will feature live performances by some of the most popular names in music right now. A handful of them are making their VMA debuts at Sunday's show, and several are nominated for multiple awards.

The award categories' extensive nomination lists recognize many of the great songs, albums, videos, and artists that kept us entertained, intrigued, and inspired during the pandemic. In addition to Foo Fighters, who will receive the VMAs' Global Icon Award, here's every nominee contending for titles this year:

BEST NEW ARTIST

24kGoldn

Giveon

The Kid LAROI

Olivia Rodrigo

Polo G

Saweetie

SONG OF SUMMER

Billie Eilish – "happier than ever"

BTS – "Butter"

Camila Cabello – "Don't Go Yet"

DJ Khaled ft. Lil Baby & Lil Durk – "Every Chance I Get"

Doja Cat – "Need To Know"

Dua Lipa – "Levitating"

Ed Sheeran – "Bad Habits"

Giveon – "Heartbreak Anniversary"

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Cesar & Giveon – "Peaches"

The Kid Laroi With Justin Bieber – "Stay"

Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow – "Industry Baby"

Lizzo ft. Cardi B – "Rumors"

Mean Thee Stallion – "Thot Shit"

Normani ft. Cardi B – "Wild Side"

Olivia Rodrigo – "Good 4 U"

Shawn Mendes & Tainy – "Summer of Love"

GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blackpink

BTS

CNCO

Foo Fighters

Jonas Brothers

Maroon 5

Silk Sonic

Twenty One Pilots

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"DJ Khaled ft. Drake – "POPSTAR" (Starring Justin Bieber) Doja Cat ft. SZA – "Kiss Me More"Ed Sheeran – "Bad Habits"Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"The Weeknd – "Save Your Tears"

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande

Doja Cat

Justin Bieber

Megan Thee Stallion

Olivia Rodrigo

SONG OF THE YEAR

24kGoldn ft. iann dior – "Mood"

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – "Leave The Door Open"

BTS – "Dynamite"

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"

Dua Lipa – "Levitating"

Olivia Rodrigo – "drivers license"

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

Wallows – "Are You Bored Yet?," September 2020:

Ashnikko – "Daisy," October 2020

SAINt JHN – "Gorgeous," November 2020:

24kGoldn – "Coco," December 2020

JC Stewart – "Break My Heart," January 2021

Latto – "Sex Lies," February 2021

Madison Beer – "Selfish," March 2021

The Kid LAROI – "WITHOUT YOU," April 2021

Olivia Rodrigo – "drivers license," May 2021

girl in red – "Serotonin," June 2021

Fousheé – "my slime," July 2021

jxdn – "Think About Me," August 2021

BEST COLLABORATION

24kGoldn ft. iann dior – "Mood"

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"

Doja Cat ft. SZA – "Kiss Me More"

Drake ft. Lil Durk – "Laugh Now Cry Later"

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon – "Peaches"

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa – "Prisoner"

BEST POP

Ariana Grande – "positions"

Billie Eilish – "Therefore I Am"

BTS – "Butter"

Harry Styles – "Treat People With Kindness"

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon – "Peaches"

Olivia Rodrigo – "good 4 u"

Shawn Mendes – "Wonder"

Taylor Swift – "willow"

BEST HIP-HOP

Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "WAP"

Drake ft. Lil Durk – "Laugh Now Cry Later"

Lil Baby ft. Megan Thee Stallion – "On Me (remix)"

Moneybagg Yo – "Said Sum"

Polo G – "RAPSTAR"

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A. – "FRANCHISE"

BEST R&B

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – "BROWN SKIN GIRL"

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – "Leave The Door Open"

Chris Brown and Young Thug – "Go Crazy"

Giveon – "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY"

H.E.R. ft. Chris Brown – "Come Through"

SZA – "Good Days"

BEST K-POP

(G)I-DLE – "DUMDi DUMDi"

BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez – "Ice Cream"

BTS – "Butter"

Monsta X – "Gambler"

SEVENTEEN – "Ready to love"

TWICE – "Alcohol-Free"

BEST LATIN

Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez – "Dákiti"

Billie Eilish & ROSALÍA – "Lo Vas A Olvidar"

Black Eyed Peas and Shakira – "GIRL LIKE ME"

J. Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, Tainy – "UN DIA (ONE DAY)"

Karol G – "Bichota"

Maluma – "Hawái"

BEST ROCK

Evanescence – "Use My Voice"

Foo Fighters – "Shame Shame"

John Mayer – "Last Train Home"

The Killers – "My Own Soul's Warning"

Kings Of Leon – "The Bandit"

Lenny Kravitz – "Raise Vibration"

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Bleachers – "Stop Making This Hurt"

Glass Animals – "Heat Waves"

Imagine Dragons – "Follow You"

Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear – "my ex's best friend"

Twenty One Pilots – "Shy Away"

WILLOW ft. Travis Barker – "t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l"

VIDEO FOR GOOD

Billie Eilish – "Your Power"

Demi Lovato – "Dancing With The Devil"

H.E.R. – "Fight For You"

Kane Brown – "Worldwide Beautiful"

Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"

Pharrell Williams ft. JAY-Z – "Entrepreneur"

BEST DIRECTION

Billie Eilish – "Your Power," directed by Billie Eilish

DJ Khaled ft. Drake – "POPSTAR (Starring Justin Bieber)," directed by Julien Christian Lutz aka Director X

Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," directed by Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino

Taylor Swift – "willow," directed by Taylor Swift

Travis Scott ft. Young Thug & M.I.A – "Franchise," directed by Travis Scott

Tyler, The Creator – "LUMBERJACK," directed by Wolf Haley

BEST ART DIRECTION

Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer – "ALREADY," art direction by Susan Linns, Gerard Santos

Ed Sheeran – "Bad Habits," art direction by Alison Dominitz

Lady Gaga – "911," art direction by Tom Foden, Peter Andrus

Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," art direction by John Richoux

Saweetie ft. Doja Cat – "Best Friend," art direction by Art Haynes

Taylor Swift – "willow," art direction by Ethan Tobman, Regina Fernandez

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Ariana Grande – "34+35," choreography by Brian Nicholson, Scott Nicholson

BTS – "Butter," choreography by SON SUNG DEUK with BHM PERFORMANCE DIRECTING TEAM

Ed Sheeran – "Bad Habits," choreography by Natricia Bernard

Foo Fighters – "Shame Sham," choreography by Nina McNeely

Harry Styles – "Treat People With Kindness," choreography by Paul Roberts

Marshmello & Halsey – "Be Kind," choreography by Dani Vitale

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, WizKid – "BROWN SKIN GIRL," cinematography by Benoit Soler, Malik H. Sayeed, MOHAMMAED ATTA AHMED, Santiago Gonzalez, Ryan Helfant

Billie Eilish – "Therefore I Am," cinematography by Rob Witt

Foo Fighters – "Shame Shame," cinematography by Santiago Gonzalez

Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper – "Holy," cinematography by Elias Talbot

Lady Gaga – "911," cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth

Lorde – "Solar Power," cinematography by Andrew Stroud

BEST EDITING

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – "Leave The Door Open," editing by Troy Charbonnet

BTS – "Butter," editing by Yong Seok Choi from Lumpens

Drake – "What's Next," editing by Noah Kendal

Harry Styles – "Treat People With Kindness," editing by Claudia Wass

Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon – "Peaches," editing by Mark Mayr, Vinnie Hobbs

Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa – "Prisoner"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Bella Poarch – "Build A Bitch," visual effects by Andrew Donoho, Denhov Visuals, Denis Strahhov, Rein Jakobson, Vahur Kuusk, Tatjana Pavlik, Yekaterina Vetrova

Coldplay – "Higher Power," visual effects by Mathematic

Doja Cat & The Weeknd – "You Right," visual effects by La Pac, Anthony Lestremau, Julien Missaire, Petr Shkolniy, Alexi Bailla, Micha Sher, Antoine Hache, Mikros MPC, Nicolas Huget, Guillaume Ho Tsong Fang, Benjamin Lenfant, Stephane Pivron, MPC Bangalore, Chanakya Chander, Raju Ganesh, David Rouxel

Glass Animals – "Tangerin," visual effects by Ronan Fourreau

Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)," visual effects by Mathematic

P!NK – "All I Know So Far," visual effects by Dave Meyers, Freenjoy Inc

Wondering how to watch? Tune in to MTV this Sunday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m. ET, or stream the show live online via CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1, or The CW Network. Streaming will also be available through Paramount+.