MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly renamed Best Director. The category acquired its current name with the 2008 awards.
American artist Taylor Swift is the biggest winner in this category with four wins from six nominations.
The most nominated directors are David Fincher and Dave Meyers with eight nominations. Remarkably, seven of Fincher's nominations were achieved in a three-year span, as he was nominated a record three times in both 1989 and 1990. Fincher's recent nomination occurred over twenty years later in 2013 for his work on Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie." Closely following him are Taylor Swift and Francis Lawrence with six. Hype Williams is the director with the most nominations and no wins at five.
The performers whose videos have won the most awards are Madonna and Taylor Swift, whose videos have garnered three direction moonmen respectively. However, Eminem's videos have received the most nominations with seven. Swift is also the only performer to have won four moonmen in this category for her work directing.
Five other performers have won a moonman in this category for their work directing/co-directing their videos: George Michael, Beck, Erykah Badu, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X. An additional nine performers have been nominated for their work co-directing/directing videos: Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, Jared Leto, Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, Tyler, the Creator and Travis Scott.
Director statistics
Multiple wins
;4 wins;3 wins
;2 wins
Multiple nominations
;8 nominations;6 nominations
;5 nominations
;4 nominations
; 3 nominations
- Daniel Kleinman
- Dr. Dre
- Phillip Atwell
- Billie Eilish
- Jonas Åkerlund
- Bruno Mars
- Director X
- Dave Free
- Rich Lee
- Anthony Mandler
- Tanu Muino
- Floria Sigismondi
- Tim Newman
- Andy Morahan
- Tarsem
- Stéphane Sednaoui
- Matthew Rolston
- F. Gary Gray
- Jesse Peretz
- Jonathan Glazer
- David LaChapelle
- Joe Hahn
- Jake Nava
- Bartholomew Cubbins
- Kendrick Lamar
- Vania Heymann
- Gal Muggia
- Samuel Bayer
- Hannah Lux Davis
- Cameron Duddy
- Nabil Elderkin
- Missy Elliott
- Michel Gondry
- Jason Koenig
- The Little Homies
- Melina Matsoukas
- Hiro Murai
- Colin Tilley
- Marc Webb
Artist statistics
Multiple wins
;4 wins;3 wins
;2 wins
Multiple nominations
;8 nominations;7 nominations
;6 nominations
;5 nominations
;4 nominations
; 3 nominations
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- Coldplay
- Green Day
- Kanye West
- Lady Gaga
- Lil Nas X
- Linkin Park
- Madonna
- ZZ Top
- Adele
- Aerosmith
- Beastie Boys
- Childish Gambino
- Chris Isaak
- Doja Cat
- Don Henley
- Ed Sheeran
- En Vogue
- Fatboy Slim
- Foo Fighters
- George Michael
- Harry Styles
- Janet Jackson
- Katy Perry
- Megan Thee Stallion
- M.I.A.
- OutKast
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Steve Winwood
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- The Weeknd
- The White Stripes
- Thirty Seconds to Mars
- TLC
- U2
- Van Halen