Nigerian artists Burna Boy and Tems have received nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, even as the organizers removed the Best Afrobeats category from this year’s list.
MTV announced the nominations on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. CBS and MTV will broadcast the event live, with streaming available on Paramount+.
Burna Boy received two nominations for “Dai Dai,” his collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira. The song served as the official track for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The nominations fall under Best Collaboration and Best Latin. In the Best Collaboration category, “Dai Dai” is up against five other songs, including “Chains & Whips” by Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice, and “Bring Your Love” by Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter.
In Best Latin, the song competes against entries from Bad Bunny, Karol G, Rosalía and four other acts.
“Dai Dai” reached number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart earlier this month. It also held the top position on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for three consecutive weeks. This marked the first time an official FIFA World Cup song has led either chart since both charts launched in 2020.
Tems received a nomination in the Best R&B category for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave. She is competing against Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Mariah the Scientist with Kali Uchis.
MTV did not renew the Best Afrobeats category for 2026. The category had run for three years, from 2023 to 2025.
Nigerian artists Rema and Selena Gomez won the first Best Afrobeats award in 2023 for “Calm Down.” South African singer Tyla then won the award twice in a row, taking the trophy in 2024 for “Water” and in 2025 for “Push 2 Start.” Her second win came against a field that included Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake.
Tyla’s back-to-back wins had drawn criticism from some listeners, who argued that her music draws more from South African Amapiano and R&B than from West African Afrobeats. During a past VMA acceptance speech, Tyla said she did not want her music grouped under a single label with other African genres.
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MTV has not issued a public statement explaining the decision to drop the category. Eight other categories were also removed this year, including Best Rock, Best Group, Best Album and Song of the Summer. The Best Dance category returned after being absent for several years.
Madonna leads the 2026 nominations with 11 nods, including Video of the Year for “Confessions II – The Film” and Artist of the Year. Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations. Fan voting is open across 13 categories and closes on September 25, 2026.
