It’s that time of year again when MTV celebrates the short-form genre that put it on the map. Music videos may be the domain of YouTube nowadays, but guys, MTV has been doing this for a long time! Tonight, the annual MTV Video Music Awards will return to New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the venue that first hosted the event in 1984. (The awards took place in Los Angeles last year.) The telecast is set to begin tonight (Monday, August 20) at 9 p.m. ET with an opening performance from Cardi B. A pre-show is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET. Weirdly, MTV has kept the host secret. Cardi B leads the list of nominees with 10, including Video of the Year for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on “Finesse.” The Carters (aka, Beyoncé and Jay-Z) have eight nominations, while Childish Gambino and Drake each have seven. Pitchfork has the full list here. If you’re a cord-cutter looking to watch the VMAs on your computer, phone, or smart TV, we’re here to help. MTV is owned by Viacom, which doesn’t always make it easy to stream its content without cable, but you do have a few options. I’ve rounded up the best choices below:<doc-sep>The nominees for this years VMAs were announced last month, and if you look over the list, you’ll see a lot of Cardi B on it. The rapper was nominated for an astounding ten awards (Artist Of The Year, Best New Artist, and virtually every other one), but following closely behind is the Carter family. Beyonce and Jay-Z have earned themselves eight nominations after releasing their collaborative album, Everything Is Love, a couple months ago. The two entities are going against each other in multiple categories, and thankfully, there are many ways to watch the drama unfold as the VMAs air tonight. The most basic route is to watch the live broadcast on MTV, with the pre-show starting at 8 PM EST and the ceremony beginning at 9 PM EST. If you’re not near your TV but you have a cable subscription, you can either head over to the MTV website and watch in the live TV section, or use the same login credentials to watch on the MTV app. If you’re not a cable subscriber, then your best bet might be to invite yourself over to a friend’s house for an impromptu VMAs viewing party. Also be sure to keep an eye on Uproxx, as we’ll be covering the proceedings all night as they happen. Cardi B will be performing live for the first time since having her baby, so be sure to follow along however you can, because this year’s show isn’t one to miss. In case you missed it, check out the full list of nominees here.<doc-sep>The Academy Awards are out of touch, the Primetime Emmys are bleeding viewers and the Golden Globes sorely miss Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. In these desperate times saturated with bloated ceremonies that can’t seem to reflect the pulse of the people, what are consumers to do? We don’t actually know, but we can start with tonight’s MTV Video Music Awards. The yearly telecast is back and set to honor the music industry with gallantry, praise, live performances and what viewers hope to be an avalanche of viral moments (is Kanye invited this year?). While Katy Perry handled hosting duties in 2017, surprisingly the show doesn’t have a host this year. We’ll see if the experiment pays off, but a slew of great presenters including Kevin Hart, Blake Lively and Tiffany Haddish will show up to help fill the void. Here’s everything else you need to know about the show. MTV VMAs Time & Schedule Date: Monday, August 20 Time: 9 p.m. EST Location: Radio City Music Hall, New York City TV Channel: MTV Online Live-Stream: MTV Watch the MTV VMAs Online and on Your Phone If you’re trying to live-stream the MTV Video Music Awards online, you’re in luck. MTV’s official website will present the entire telecast, with the pre-show beginning at 8 p.m. and the main show kicking off at 9 p.m. However, you’ll need cable or satellite subscription login information in order to watch the ceremony. If you’re on the go and trying to catch the show on your phone or tablet, MTV still has you covered. The telecast will air live on the MTV app and will also be available on Xbox One and Roku. Who’s Nominated? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8L74Hdl0rM Cardi B leads the pack with 12 nominations. She’s set to open the show with a live performance just weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Kulture Kiari. The Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé) are a close second with eight. Childish Gambino and Drake are tied for third with seven nominations each. Here are the other nominees in some of the main categories: Artist of the Year Camila Cabello Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Post Malone Bruno Mars Song of the Year “Havana” — Camila Cabello “God’s Plan” — Drake “New Rules” — Dua Lipa “Rockstar” — Post Malone “Finese (Remix)” — Bruno Mars “Perfect” — Ed Sheeran Best New Artist Bazzi Cardi B Chloe x Halle Hayley Kiyoko Lil Pump Lil Uzi Vert Who’s Performing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3f6JII_rSM The pre-show, which kicks off at 8 p.m., will feature live performances from the Backstreet Boys, Bazzi and Bryce Vine. The main show will include performances from Cardi B as well as Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Logic and Ryan Tedder, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Panic! at the Disco, Maluma and Aerosmith. The PUSH Artist Stage will feature performances from Bazzi, Juice Wrld, Hayley Kiyoko, PrettyMuch and Jessie Reyez. During the show, Jennifer Lopez will be honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award before her performance (she hasn’t performed at the VMAs since 2001). This year, she is nominated in two categories for her new single “Dinero.”<doc-sep>The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards are setting up to be unalike any other years, with a mystery host and a fire line-up of nominees and performances. The show airs this Monday, Aug. 20 at 9 p.m. ET with the pre-show starting at 8 p.m., so you can watch all the red carpet arrivals and see all the celebs in their finest shoes. L-R: Carey Hart, Pink and Willow Sage on the red carpet at the 2017 MTV VMAs. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock You can catch all the action on MTV itself or stream it live at Mtv.com/live-tv by logging in with your cable provider. More footage will publish on MTV’s YouTube channel as well as through various online streaming services. The big names on this year’s performance list include: Ariana Grande, Logic, Shawn Mendes and Nicki Minaj, who just released a new chart-topping album. Cardi B makes all white look effortless at the MTV VMAs in a Christian Siriano pant suit and Elie Saab shoes. CREDIT: Splash News Nominees feature Cardi B (up for 10 Moon Men), Childish Gambino, Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z, and Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug, up for the prestigious Video of the Year Award. MTV already announced that Jennifer Lopez will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, honoring the best in music and film. Previous recipients include David Bowie, The Beatles and Britney Spears, among others. Jennifer Lopez at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock As the Video Vanguard honoree, J-Lo will perform a mix of all of her top hits and award-winning songs. See more of the 2018 MTV VMA red carpet arrivals (live updates).<doc-sep>
Though the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards are officially going host-free, the awards ceremony is still set to be a glitzy blast. The ceremony is slated for tonight — Monday, August 20 — and will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Performers will include Ariana Grande and Panic at the Disco, and the presenter lineup features a wide range of talent, from Tiffany Haddish to the Backstreet Boys. Here’s everything you need to know. How to watch When: Monday, August 20, at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific (with the preshow kicking off at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific). MTV will air the awards live on both coasts. Live stream: If you have a TV provider login, you can live-stream the awards on MTV Live. Additional coverage will be available on MTV’s YouTube page. Several subscription-based TV streaming services — DirecTV Now, Philo TV, and SlingTV — will also stream the VMAs via MTV. Cardi B leads the nominations, with Beyoncé and Jay-Z close behind If Cardi B sweeps the VMAs this year, she’ll take home a whopping 10 Moon Person trophies. That said, her competition is fierce. Beyoncé and Jay-Z — officially nominated as the Carters — have earned eight nominations for the song “Apeshit,” from their joint album Everything Is Love, and Childish Gambino and Drake have seven nominations each. The six nominees for Video of the Year — one of the biggest awards of the night — are Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B, the Carters, Childish Gambino, Drake, Ariana Grande, and Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug. Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande are among those set to perform Ariana Grande, who has five total nominations including Video and Artist of the Year, will perform her new single “God Is a Woman” from her album Sweetener. Also set to perform during the ceremony are Shawn Mendes (“In My Blood”) and Logic (“One Day”). Nicki Minaj, who has picked up three VMA trophies in the past, is set to appear as well, in a “special remote performance” from a “secret, iconic location” in New York City. The teasing around Minaj’s performance only ups the intrigue, especially given the recent release of her fourth album, Queen. Minaj is nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video for the song “Chun-Li.” Jennifer Lopez will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award The 2018 VMAs will also see Jennifer Lopez join the ranks of David Bowie, the Beatles, and, of course, Michael Jackson as the recipient of the 2018 Vanguard Award. That means she’ll also perform some of her greatest hits live during the ceremony, in a medley that marks the first time she’s performed at the VMAs since 2001.