2025 VMAs nominations spark controversy over BTS' Jin and J-Hope snubs as all BLACKPINK members get nods: 'Disclose criteria'
VMAs 2025 spark chaos over K-pop nominations
The Best K‑Pop category at the 2025 VMAs includes seven nominees: Whiplash by Aespa, Like Jennie by Jennie, Who by Jimin, Earthquake by Jisoo, Born Again by Lisa featuring Doja Cat and Raye, Chk Chk Boom by Stray Kids, and Toxic Till the End by Rosé. While all four BLACKPINK members landed solo nominations, Jimin is the only BTS member to appear on the list.
#VMAs Best K-pop nominees:Aespa – 'Whiplash' Jennie – 'Like Jennie ' Jimin – 'Who'Jisoo – 'Earthquake' Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye – 'Born Again' Stray Kids – 'Chk Chk Boom' Rosé – 'Toxic Till the End'
The BTS snub: Jin and J-Hope left out
One of the biggest talking points this year is who didn't make the cut, and at the centre of it are BTS's Jin and J-Hope. Both artists released solo work that not only performed well commercially but also made a serious cultural impact. J-Hope's tracks Killin' It Girl, Mona Lisa, and Sweet Dreams emerged as chartbusters, dominating streaming platforms and showcasing his range as a performer.
Meanwhile, Jin's Heart on the Window and Don't Say You Love Me struck a chord with listeners, pulling in massive numbers globally—numbers that, in many cases, outpaced those of several nominees. But neither name appears on the VMAs list. Only Jimin is nominated, and while fans are proud of that, it's hard to ignore how the rest of BTS was completely shut out.
Fans are now questioning whether BLACKPINK's agency YG Entertainment had a hand in shaping the lineup, with some openly suggesting that industry politics may have played a bigger role than actual performance or impact.
'Disclose nomination criteria': ARMYs enraged
One fan on X wrote, "Jin has better chart results than more than half of this list. He has better streams, better sales, and a better debut on billboard charts. He is still charting, unlike half of these people. Why is he not nominated? What's the criteria? Where's the transparency? Disclose nomination criteria @vmas."
"Jin has accomplished way more than anyone on this list, yet he didn't get a single nomination. Just wondering, did the rules change, or is something else going on?" tweeted another ARMY.
A third added, "Vmas are so annoyingly ambiguous with their noms, like how are Jin and hobi not there… It's laughable. anyway, let's make sure we win this for Jimin!!"
Check out more reactions below:
then how come Jin and Jhope didn't get nominated? @vmas b!tchass answer pic.twitter.com/V8DeEMpsl9
the way jin adn jhope were robbed off the VMA'S is crazyyy..but we have know they r attendance awards...lets just do our best for jimin tho(fuck u vmas)
Let's be serious, how come neither Jin nor Tae or even Jhope were nominated for the VMAS while #her, who was a total flop, is nominated????
Overall nominations: Gaga leads, Rosé hits a milestone
Outside of the K-pop category, the 2025 VMAs are gearing up to Lady Gaga's show. She leads the pack with 12 nominations, just behind Taylor Swift's record. Bruno Mars follows with 11 nods, and Kendrick Lamar scores 10.
BLACKPINK's Rosé makes history as well, tying for eighth place overall with 8 nominations, making her the first member of the group to reach that number as a solo artist.
2025 MTV Video Music Awards – Full nominee list
Video of the Year
The biggest category of the night is stacked. Ariana, Billie, and Kendrick are going up against two powerhouse collabs — Gaga & Bruno and Rosé & Bruno — while Sabrina Carpenter and The Weeknd are also firmly in the mix.
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
Artist of the Year
From Bad Bunny to Beyoncé and Kendrick to Taylor, this category is all about global domination.
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
A genre-blending lineup where heartbreak, confidence, and sonic innovation collide.
Ordinary – Alex Warren
Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
Anxiety – Doechii
Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
I Love You, I'm Sorry – Gracie Abrams
Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
What Was That – Lorde
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Sports Car – Tate McRae
Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
Best New Artist
Fresh blood, big energy. One of these newcomers could be the next global icon.
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías
Best Pop
Pop perfection from some of the most played artists of the year.
Ordinary – Alex Warren
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Best Pop Artist (new category)
The VMAs finally created a space for pure pop power — and it's stacked.
Ariana Grande
Charli XCX
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Best Hip-Hop
Legends meet breakout stars in one of this year's most competitive categories.
Anxiety – Doechii
Nokia – Drake
Somebody Save Me – Eminem ft. Jelly Roll
Whatchu Kno About Me – GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Murdergram Deux – LL Cool J ft. Eminem
4X4 – Travis Scott
Best R&B
From moody ballads to genre-bending experiments, R&B is alive and well.
Residuals – Chris Brown
Mutt (Remix) – Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs
Type Dangerous – Mariah Carey
N o C h i l l – PARTYNEXTDOOR
Heart of a Woman – Summer Walker
Drive – SZA
Timeless – The Weeknd & Playboi Carti
Best Alternative
This year's alt lineup showcases fearless storytelling and new sonic landscapes.
Sailor Song – Gigi Perez
Wake Up – Imagine Dragons
Messy – Lola Young
Lonely Road – MGK & Jelly Roll
Back to Friends – Sombr
Back to Me – The Marías
Best Rock
Some serious icons in here. Rock may evolve, but it's not going anywhere.
All My Love – Coldplay
Afterlife – Evanescence
One Eyed Bastard – Green Day
Honey – Lenny Kravitz
The Emptiness Machine – Linkin Park
The Contract – Twenty One Pilots
Best Collaboration
This is the year of bold collabs, from Latin legends to unlikely genre crossovers.
Backup Plan (Stagecoach Video) – Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs
Luther – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
Pour Me a Drink – Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Sunset Blvd – Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
Best Latin
From ballads to bangers, these tracks kept Latin music in global rotation.
Baile Inolvidable – Bad Bunny
Rio – J Balvin
Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido – Karol G
La Patrulla – Peso Pluma
Khé? – Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos
Soltera – Shakira
Best K‑Pop
Every BLACKPINK member is in — and only one BTS member made the cut.
Whiplash – Aespa
Like Jennie – Jennie
Who – Jimin
Earthquake – Jisoo
Born Again – Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye
Chk Chk Boom – Stray Kids
Toxic Till the End – Rosé
Best Long Form Video
Big visions, bold storytelling. These aren't just music videos — they're mini-films.
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Short Film) – Bad Bunny
Funny Little Stories – Damiano David
Balloonerism – Mac Miller
Something Beautiful – Miley Cyrus
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
Best Album
This year's full-length projects left a mark across every chart and genre.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos – Bad Bunny
GNX – Kendrick Lamar
Mayhem – Lady Gaga
I'm the Problem – Morgan Wallen
Short n' Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
Best Direction
These artists didn't just show up — they directed the vision themselves.
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Charli XCX
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Best Art Direction
Visual storytelling that goes beyond stage design and becomes part of the narrative.
Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Charli XCX
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Man of the Year – Lorde
End of the World – Miley Cyrus
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Best Cinematography
Gorgeous shots, emotional impact. These videos prove the camera is a storyteller.
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Easy Lover – Miley Cyrus
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Best Editing
Perfect timing, dynamic cuts — editing can make or break a music video.
Guess featuring Billie Eilish – Charli XCX
Sapphire – Ed Sheeran
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie) – Tate McRae
Best Choreography
From viral routines to iconic live-stage choreography, these moves made noise.
Anxiety – Doechii
Eusexua – FKA Twigs
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Push 2 Start – Tyla
Pretty Ugly – Zara Larsson
Best Visual Effects
Next-level visuals, cutting-edge techniques — these videos went cinematic.
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Abracadabra – Lady Gaga
Apt. – Rosé & Bruno Mars
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie) – Tate McRae
Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd
The 2025 VMAs will take place on Sunday, Sept. 7, airing on CBS for the first time alongside the ceremony's longtime home of MTV.
For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
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