2019 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 26, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, being the first VMA ceremony to be held in New Jersey. Sebastian Maniscalco hosted the 36th annual ceremony. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish were the most awarded with three each. Missy Elliott became the first female rapper to win the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The show was broadcast on a variety of Viacom-owned networks, as well as their respective websites, and apps through TV Everywhere authentication. 2019 MTV Video Music Awards won the 2020 Webby Award for Events in the category Social.
Presenters
A variety of presenters appeared at the pre-show and main ceremony.Pre-show
- Hayley Kiyoko – presented Push Artist of the Year
- Terrence J and Nessa and Zara Larsson – presented Best K-Pop
Main show
- Rick Ross and Pepa – presented Best Hip Hop
- Hailee Steinfeld – announced the top two nominees for Best New Artist and presented the award later in the night
- Bebe Rexha – introduced Shawn Mendes
- Alison Brie and French Montana – presented Best Latin
- Megan Thee Stallion – introduced Lizzo
- Billy Ray Cyrus – introduced Lil Nas X
- Jonathan Van Ness – presented Video for Good
- Cardi B – presented the Video Vanguard award
- Lindsey Vonn and P. K. Subban – introduced Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
- Queen Latifah and John Travolta – presented Video of the Year
- Lizzo – introduced Miley Cyrus
- Keke Palmer – presented Song of the Year
- Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid – introduced Rosalía and Ozuna
- Lenny Kravitz – introduced H.E.R. and Normani
- Drea de Matteo, Vincent Pastore and Jamie-Lynn Sigler – presented Best Pop
- DJ Khaled – introduced Big Sean and ASAP Ferg
- Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris – presented Best Collaboration
- Victor Cruz and Adriana Lima – introduced J Balvin and Bad Bunny
- Ice-T – introduced Redman, DoItAll, Fetty Wap, Wyclef Jean, Naughty by Nature and Queen Latifah
Winners and nominees
The nominees for most categories were revealed on July 23, 2019. Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift had the most nominations with ten followed by Billie Eilish with nine and Lil Nas X received eight while two new categories were included: Best K-Pop and Video for Good. On August 19, three more categories were announced: Best Group, Best Power Anthem, and Song of Summer. The new categories increased the nominations for Grande and Swift to twelve each, Eilish to ten, and Lil Nas X to nine.Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.