Burna Boy received two nominations and Tems earned one.
Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), despite the removal of the Best Afrobeats category from this year’s awards lineup.
The 2026 VMAs are scheduled to be held on Sunday, 27 September, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS and MTV and streamed on Paramount+.
Burna Boy is nominated in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories for his collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira on “Dai Dai”, the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In the Best Collaboration category, the Nigerian singer and Shakira will compete against Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice for “Chains & Whips”; French Montana and Max B for “Ever Since U Left Me”; Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love”; PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for “Stateside”; and Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye for “Hard Part”.
Burna Boy’s second nomination comes in the Best Latin category, where “Dai Dai” will compete against songs by Anitta and Shakira, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Karol G, Rosalía featuring Yahritza y Su Esencia, Ryan Castro, Kapo and GANGSTA.
The nomination further reflects the international reach of Burna Boy’s music, as “Dai Dai” brings the Nigerian singer into one of the VMAs’ major genre categories through his collaboration with Shakira.
Tems, meanwhile, earned a nomination in the Best R&B category for “Raindance”, her collaboration with British rapper Dave.
She will compete against Bruno Mars for “I Just Might”; Chris Brown for “It Depends/Obvious”; Justin Bieber for “YUKON”; Kehlani for “Folded”; and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis for “Is It a Crime.”
“Raindance” has enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom and internationally, strengthening Tems’ profile beyond the Afrobeats space and into mainstream R&B.
The nomination also marks another major international recognition for the Nigerian singer, who has continued to establish herself across R&B and global pop markets.
The nominations come after MTV removed the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 VMAs, ending the category after three editions.
The category was introduced in 2023 as Afrobeats continued its rapid growth and global influence. Its inaugural award went to Rema and Selena Gomez for their hit collaboration “Calm Down”.
South African singer Tyla won the category in both 2024 and 2025, with “Water” and “Push 2 Start”, respectively.
Tyla’s back-to-back victories had previously generated debate among some Nigerian fans and music observers over the categorisation of African music and the representation of Afrobeats at international awards.
In 2025, Tyla’s “Push 2 Start” won the category ahead of nominees including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake.
MTV has not publicly provided a specific explanation for removing the category from the 2026 nominations.
Despite the omission, African artistes remain represented in the broader VMA categories, with Burna Boy’s nominations for “Dai Dai” and Tems’ Best R&B nomination providing a notable Nigerian presence.
The removal of Best Afrobeats is part of a wider reshaping of the 2026 VMAs.
Several categories featured in previous editions, including Best Rock, Best Group, Best Album, Video for Good, Best Long-form Video and Song of the Summer, are absent from this year’s lineup.
The Best Dance category, however, has returned after an extended absence.
The 2026 nominations are led by Madonna, who received 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each earned seven nominations, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson received five apiece. Shakira also received three nominations, including one for her collaboration with Burna Boy.
The awards also feature 26 first-time nominees, highlighting a mix of established global stars and emerging acts.
Among the major categories, Video of the Year nominees include Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
The Artist of the Year nominees are Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Fan voting is open in 13 categories and will continue until 25 September, two days before the ceremony.
Ariana Grande – “hate that I made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
