Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with Burna Boy receiving two nominations and Tems earning one.
Burna Boy’s nominations came from his collaboration with Colombian superstar Shakira on “Dai Dai,” which earned nods for Best Collaboration and Best Latin.
Tems, meanwhile, was nominated for Best R&B for her collaboration with British rapper Dave on “Raindance.”
The nominations were announced on Tuesday ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Burna Boy Bags Two Nominations
Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” will compete for Best Collaboration against tracks by Clipse and Kendrick Lamar, French Montana and Max B, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, and Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye.
The song also earned a Best Latin nomination, placing Burna Boy alongside major Latin acts including Bad Bunny, Anitta, Shakira, KAROL G and Rosalía.
Tems Nominated For Best R&B
Tems earned her nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with Dave.
The Nigerian singer will compete against Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis in the Best R&B category.
No Best Afrobeats Category This Year
One notable change in this year’s nominations is the absence of the Best Afrobeats category, which had featured at the VMAs in recent years.
The category was introduced in 2023 and featured prominently in subsequent ceremonies. In 2025, South African singer Tyla won the award for “Push 2 Start,” defeating Nigerian nominees including Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake.
The 2026 ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS, with simultaneous coverage on MTV and streaming on Paramount+.
Fans can vote in most categories until September 25 at 6 p.m. ET.
Other Major Nominees
Madonna leads the 2026 nominations with 11 nods, followed by Taylor Swift with nine.
Other major categories include:
Video of the Year: Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and GENER8ION.
Artist of the Year: Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Song of the Year: BTS, Ella Langley, HUNTR/X, Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson, and RAYE.
Best Hip-Hop: Cardi B & Kehlani, Don Toliver, Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott and Tyler, The Creator.
Best K-Pop: BLACKPINK, BTS, CORTIS, KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM and LISA.
For Nigeria, Burna Boy and Tems’ nominations keep the country represented on one of the world’s biggest music award stages, despite the removal of the dedicated Best Afrobeats category this year.
Burna Boy, Tems Earn 2026 MTV VMAs Nominations
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