The annual MTV Video Music Awards is set to take over New York in over a week (September 7), as the cream of the musical crop congregates under the roof of the UBS Arena for what, in previous years, has been an awards show full of surprises, drama and the odd tree climbing.
This year sees Lady Gaga lead the nominations with 12 nods to her name, closely followed by her one-time collaborator Bruno Mars with 11 and Kendrick Lamar with 10, but all three could break records on the evening, one of which perhaps not the record they want to break too.
VegasInsider has collected a list of all the records that could be broken at the upcoming ceremony, and we’ve selected the 16 artists who could break, extend, or tie some significant records that have been held, in some cases, for several years.
13. Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars has a chance to pass Drake and hold the "record" for the most nominations in the Video Of The Year category without a win. He has two nominations in 2025, bringing his total to seven. He also has the opportunity to join a rare group of artists who have won the Best Direction VMA for co-directing or directing their own music videos. | Getty Images
14. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is in a position to extend her existing records. She is the most awarded artist in VMA history with 30 wins, and a nomination in 2025 could bring her total to 31. She could also extend her record as the most awarded person in the Artist of the Year category, where a win would be her third consecutive victory. | ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
15. Kendrick Lamar
A win for 'Not Like Us' in the Video of the Year category would make him only the second artist to win three trophies in that category, joining Taylor Swift, and he would be the first male artist to do so. With ten nominations in 2025, he also has the chance to tie Peter Gabriel's record for most VMAs won in a single night. | Getty Images
16. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga could break the record for most wins in a single night and tie Taylor Swift's record as the most awarded artist at the VMAs. She could also become the first artist to win Song of the Year twice, earning a second Video of the Year award, and joining Swift as the only artists to have won Artist of the Year multiple times. | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation