Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have earned nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), further extending Nigeria’s growing presence on the global music stage.
The nominations, announced on Tuesday, saw Burna Boy secure two nods, while Tems received one nomination ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Burna Boy earned both nominations for his collaboration with Colombian superstar Shakira on their song, “Dai Dai.”
The Grammy-winning singer is nominated for Best Collaboration alongside 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.”
Tems, meanwhile, received a nomination in the Best R&B category for her collaboration with British rapper Dave on “Raindance.”
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She will compete against Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” Chris Brown’s “It Depends/Obvious,” Justin Bieber’s “YUKON,” Kehlani’s “Folded,” and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis’ “Is It a Crime.”
The 2026 VMAs will air live on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+. Fans can vote in most categories daily until September 25 at 6 p.m. ET.
Madonna leads this year’s nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine.
The 2026 nominations also mark a notable change for Afrobeats, as the Best Afrobeats category, which featured in previous editions, is absent from this year’s awards.
South African singer Tyla won the category in 2025 with “Push 2 Start,” beating Nigerian nominees Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake. She had previously won the award in 2024 for “Water,” while Rema and Selena Gomez claimed the inaugural Best Afrobeats award in 2023 for “Calm Down.”
The MTV VMAs, established in 1984, recognise outstanding music videos, songs and artists and remain one of the music industry’s most prominent annual award shows.
Burna Boy and Tems’ nominations add to a growing list of international recognitions for Nigerian artists, highlighting the continued global influence of Afrobeats and contemporary Nigerian music.
