2026 VMAs: Burna Boy, Tems Earn Major Nominations

2026 VMAs nominations feature Burna Boy and Tems, while MTV drops the Best Afrobeats category after three editions

Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with the Nigerian stars earning recognition in major international categories ahead of the September 27 ceremony in Los Angeles.

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Burna Boy received two nominations for “Dai Dai”, his collaboration with Colombian superstar Shakira and an official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Nigerian singer is nominated for Best Collaboration and Best Latin.

Tems, meanwhile, earned a Best R&B nomination for “Raindance”, her collaboration with British rapper Dave.

The nominations represent another significant moment for Nigerian music on one of the world’s biggest music award stages. They also come as MTV has removed the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 nominations, ending a category that ran for three editions.

Burna Boy’s Best Collaboration nomination places “Dai Dai” alongside tracks involving major international names including Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson.

His Best Latin nomination also puts the Nigerian star in competition with artists including Anitta, Shakira, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Karol G and Rosalía.

For Tems, the Best R&B race includes Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis.

The recognition continues Tems’ steady rise within the international R&B space, while Burna Boy’s nominations further underline his crossover appeal beyond Afrobeats.

The removal of Best Afrobeats, however, is likely to attract considerable attention among African music fans.

MTV introduced the category in 2023, when Rema and Selena Gomez won for “Calm Down”. South African star Tyla subsequently won the award in both 2024 and 2025, taking the prize for “Water” and “Push 2 Start”.

Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake were among the artists competing in the 2025 Best Afrobeats category.

MTV has not publicly explained why the category was removed from this year’s awards.

The decision comes at a time when African music continues to expand its international audience and influence.

The 2026 VMAs also feature other notable changes. Best Rock, Best Group, Best Album, Video for Good, Best Long-form Video and Song of the Summer have been removed, while Best Dance returns to the programme.

Madonna leads the overall nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations.

The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast live on CBS and MTV and streamed on Paramount+.

Fan voting in 13 categories is scheduled to close on September 25, two days before the ceremony.

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For Nigeria, the nominations of Burna Boy and Tems provide a powerful international spotlight, even as the disappearance of Best Afrobeats raises fresh questions about how African music is represented within global award structures.