The 2024 MTV Video Music Award nominations will be revealed before you know it, and I couldn’t be more excited. While the past 12 months have been strong for music in general, with a lot more high-profile releases still coming up, they have also been jam-packed with great music videos from artists like Jungle, Troye Sivan, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. Though many focus on the top fan-voted categories, let’s take a look at the equally (if not more) important professional categories, which aren’t fan-influenced and are decided by music insiders.
Best Choreography
Some big pop stars have very clear contenders here. Former “So You Think You Can Dance” contestant Tate McRae is known for her great dancing, so it is likely that she is nominated, either for “Greedy” or “Exes.” There is also Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?,” which features Grande and her back-up dancers performing a whole production number reminiscent of Paula Abdul in the ’90s. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” could also be on the list just based on the song’s popularity, even if it isn’t the most intensively choreographed video of the year. Last but certainly not least, there’s Dua Lipa, who will likely grab a spot with her hit “Houdini,” which features the star doing full-blown choreo.
There are a few lesser-known contenders. Not nominating Jungle’s “Back On 74” would be a glaring omission; the video went viral due to its dancing and was arguably the best choreography of the year. Also in the running is Troye Sivan, likely for his well choreographed “Got Me Started,” but perhaps for his bigger hit this era, “Rush.” There’s also Victoria Monét, who has two videos she could compete with here: her hit “On My Mama” or her more recent video “Alright.” Childish Gambino’s “Little Foot Big Foot” is primarily a dance performance video and could be honored here for that. To wrap things up, although Lil Nas X’s “J Christ” was quite controversial, the video features a lot of heavy dancing and choreography, so it could also earn a spot.
Best Cinematography
Out of the top pop star names, the biggest lock here is probably Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” which was shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. It’s quite likely the video goes on to win, especially with Swift being a VMA favorite. There’s also Grande, who could be in for either “The Boy Is Mine” or “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love).” Billie Eilish is likely to be present here too, probably with her Grammy-nominated music video for “What Was I Made For?” Also expect Olivia Rodrigo in the category for her rock hit “Obsessed.”
I would argue Troye Sivan is also likely to show up here, especially with how the praise for his “Rush” music video was largely due to how crisp and beautiful it looked. Another Grammy-nominated video that could end up here is Tyler Childers‘s “In Your Love,” which was shot like a full-fledged short film. Raye’s “Genesis” is a masterclass in video-making, and one of the most impressive aspects of it is how gorgeously it’s shot using different lenses and techniques, so that should be in too. Omar Apollo’s “Spite” is also a contender for how vibrant it is, reminiscent of videos from VMA winners like Rosalía. Doja Cat’s “Demons” or “Paint The Town Red” could wrap up the category, with the first being a mini-horror movie and the latter being gorgeously shot in bright colors.
Best Editing
There are a few standouts here. Raye’s aforementioned “Genesis” is very impressive, not only for how great the pacing is, but how smart and complex the editing is, switching between different filters constantly. Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” seamlessly connects all its different scenarios throughout the video. Last year’s champ Rodrigo could also be in play with “Obsessed,” which features similar pacing to her winning “Vampire.”
I would also suggest Travis Scott and Playboi Carti’s “Fe!n,” which like most Travis Scott videos, has quite intense cutting. One could also expect Eilish’s “Lunch” here too, especially with all the playful filtering and cuts that keep the video bouncy and entertaining. Last but not least, Megan Thee Stallion’s video game-inspired music video for “Boa” should be in, not only due to how effectively the editing achieves that video game aesthetic, but also due to how great its pacing is.
Best Visual Effects
It would be weird to not include Megan Thee Stallion in this category, especially with how effects-heavy her videos have been this year. It could really be any of her videos, but “Hiss” is probably the most likely, as it is the biggest hit song from her new album “Megan” so far. Also in contention could be Lil Nas X’s “J Christ” for all of its work creating heaven and hell, pretty similar to Nas’s “Montero,” which previously won this category. Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” is another hip-hop contender mostly due to its world-building. Doja Cat’s “Demons” could be yet another rap song nominated here, for its use of effects to animate Doja’s demon persona and achieve that scary-movie vibe throughout.
On the subtler side, there could be space for Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends,” although most of its effects seem to be practical rather than CGI. Still, they are quite great and serve the story properly. Similarly, Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” takes a similar, subtle approach that could get it nominated here; Swift won this category last year for “Anti-Hero.”
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