The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the most prestigious competitive award and the final award presented at the annual MTV Video Music Awards. The award was created by the U.S. network MTV to honor artists with the best music videos. At the first MTV Video Music Awards ceremony in 1984, the Video of the Year honor was presented to The Cars for the video "You Might Think". Originally, all winners were determined by a special panel of music video directors, producers, and record company executives. Since the 2006 awards, winners of major categories are determined by viewers' votes through MTV's website, while the jury decides in the technical categories.

History

Taylor Swift holds the record for the most wins, with a total of four for "Bad Blood" (2015), "You Need to Calm Down" (2019), All Too Well: The Short Film (2022) and Anti-Hero" (2023). Eminem holds the record for the most nominations, with seven as lead artist. David Lee Roth (1985), U2 (1988), and Lady Gaga (2010) are the only acts to have had two Video of the Year nominations in a single ceremony. Two acts have won both the Video of the Year and the honorary Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in the same night—Peter Gabriel in 1987 with "Sledgehammer" and Justin Timberlake in 2013 with "Mirrors". Swift is the first artist to win Video of the Year for a self-directed video, with All Too Well: The Short Film. Kendrick Lamar, Swift, and Lil Nas X have further won the award for a video they co-directed: Lamar for "Humble" in 2017, Swift for "You Need to Calm Down" in 2019, and Lil Nas X for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" in 2021.

Recipients

† Marks winners of the Grammy Award for Best Music Video

*Marks nominees of the Grammy Award for Best Music Video

1980s

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Video	Nominees	Ref.
1984	The Cars	"You Might Think"	"Rockit" – Herbie Hancock "Thriller" – Michael Jackson "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
1985	Don Henley	"The Boys of Summer"	"Don't Come Around Here No More" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "California Girls" – David Lee Roth "Just a Gigolo" / "I Ain't Got Nobody" – David Lee Roth "We Are the World" – USA for Africa†
1986	Dire Straits	"Money for Nothing"	"Take On Me" – a-ha "Cry" – Godley & Creme "Addicted to Love" – Robert Palmer "Road to Nowhere" – Talking Heads
1987	Peter Gabriel	"Sledgehammer"	"Land of Confusion" – Genesis "The Boy in the Bubble" – Paul Simon "With or Without You" – U2 "Higher Love" – Steve Winwood
1988	INXS	"Need You Tonight" / "Mediate"	"When We Was Fab" – George Harrison "Tunnel of Love" – Bruce Springsteen "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" – U2 "Where the Streets Have No Name" – U2
1989	Neil Young	"This Note's for You"	"She Drives Me Crazy" – Fine Young Cannibals "Leave Me Alone" – Michael Jackson† "Like a Prayer" – Madonna "Roll with It" – Steve Winwood

1990s

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Video	Nominees	Ref.
1990	Sinéad O'Connor*	"Nothing Compares 2 U"*	"Janie's Got a Gun" – Aerosmith "The End of the Innocence" – Don Henley "Vogue" – Madonna
1991	R.E.M.†	"Losing My Religion"†	"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C+C Music Factory "Groove Is in the Heart" – Deee-Lite "I Touch Myself" – Divinyls "Wicked Game" – Chris Isaak "Silent Lucidity" – Queensrÿche
1992	Van Halen	"Right Now"	"Let's Get Rocked" – Def Leppard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana "Under the Bridge" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
1993	Pearl Jam	"Jeremy"	"Livin' on the Edge" – Aerosmith "Free Your Mind" – En Vogue* "Digging in the Dirt" – Peter Gabriel† "Man on the Moon" – R.E.M.
1994	Aerosmith	"Cryin'"	"Sabotage" – Beastie Boys "Heart-Shaped Box" – Nirvana "Everybody Hurts" – R.E.M.*
1995	TLC	"Waterfalls"	"Basket Case" – Green Day "Scream" – Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson† "Buddy Holly" – Weezer
1996	The Smashing Pumpkins	"Tonight, Tonight"*	"Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony "Big Me" – Foo Fighters "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette*
1997	Jamiroquai	"Virtual Insanity"	"The New Pollution" – Beck "You Were Meant for Me" – Jewel "The Perfect Drug" – Nine Inch Nails "Don't Speak" – No Doubt
1998	Madonna	"Ray of Light"†	"The Boy is Mine" – Brandy and Monica "It's All About the Benjamins" (Rock Remix) – Puff Daddy (featuring the LOX, Lil' Kim, The Notorious B.I.G. and Fuzzbubble) "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" – Will Smith "Bitter Sweet Symphony" – The Verve
1999	Lauryn Hill	"Doo Wop (That Thing)"	"I Want It That Way" – Backstreet Boys "Freak on a Leash" – Korn† "Livin' la Vida Loca" – Ricky Martin "Wild Wild West" – Will Smith (featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee)

2000s

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Video	Nominees	Ref.
2000	Eminem	"The Real Slim Shady"	"All the Small Things" – Blink-182 "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" – D'Angelo "Bye Bye Bye" – NSYNC "Californication" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
2001	Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and P!nk (featuring Missy Elliott)	"Lady Marmalade"	"Get Ur Freak On" – Missy Elliott "Stan" – Eminem (featuring Dido) "Weapon of Choice" – Fatboy Slim† "All for You" – Janet Jackson "Beautiful Day" – U2
2002	Eminem	"Without Me"†	"In the End" – Linkin Park "Gone" – NSYNC "One Mic" – Nas* "Alive" – P.O.D. "Fell in Love with a Girl" – The White Stripes
2003	Missy Elliott	"Work It"	"In da Club" – 50 Cent "Hurt" – Johnny Cash† "Lose Yourself" – Eminem "Cry Me a River" – Justin Timberlake
2004	Outkast	"Hey Ya!"*	"My Band" – D12 "99 Problems" – Jay-Z "Toxic" – Britney Spears "Yeah!" – Usher (featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon)
2005	Green Day	"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"	"Speed of Sound" – Coldplay "Drop It Like It's Hot" – Snoop Dogg (featuring Pharrell) "Hollaback Girl" – Gwen Stefani "Jesus Walks" – Kanye West
2006	Panic! at the Disco	"I Write Sins Not Tragedies"	"Ain't No Other Man" – Christina Aguilera "Hung Up" – Madonna "Dani California" – Red Hot Chili Peppers* "Hips Don't Lie" – Shakira (featuring Wyclef Jean)
2007	Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z)	"Umbrella"	"Irreplaceable" – Beyoncé "D.A.N.C.E." – Justice* "What Goes Around... Comes Around" – Justin Timberlake "Stronger" – Kanye West "Rehab" – Amy Winehouse
2008	Britney Spears	"Piece of Me"	"Forever" – Chris Brown "Burnin' Up" – Jonas Brothers "When I Grow Up" – the Pussycat Dolls "Shut Up and Let Me Go" – The Ting Tings
2009	Beyoncé	"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"	"We Made You" – Eminem "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga "Womanizer" – Britney Spears "Love Lockdown" – Kanye West

2010s

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Video	Nominees	Ref.
2010	Lady Gaga	"Bad Romance"†	"Airplanes" – B.o.B (featuring Hayley Williams) "Not Afraid" – Eminem "Dog Days Are Over" – Florence and the Machine "Telephone" – Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) "Kings and Queens" – Thirty Seconds to Mars
2011	Katy Perry	"Firework"	"Rolling in the Deep" – Adele† "Make Some Noise" – Beastie Boys "Grenade" – Bruno Mars "Yonkers" – Tyler, the Creator
2012	Rihanna (featuring Calvin Harris)	"We Found Love"†	"Take Care" – Drake (featuring Rihanna) "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye (featuring Kimbra) "Bad Girls" – M.I.A.* "Wide Awake" – Katy Perry
2013	Justin Timberlake	"Mirrors"	"Thrift Shop" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (featuring Wanz) "Locked Out of Heaven" – Bruno Mars "I Knew You Were Trouble" – Taylor Swift "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell)
2014	Miley Cyrus	"Wrecking Ball"	"Fancy" – Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX) "Drunk in Love" – Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) "Chandelier" – Sia* "Happy" – Pharrell Williams†
2015	Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar)	"Bad Blood"†	"7/11" – Beyoncé "Alright" – Kendrick Lamar* "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) "Thinking Out Loud" – Ed Sheeran
2016	Beyoncé	"Formation"†	"Hello" – Adele "Sorry" – Justin Bieber "Hotline Bling" – Drake "Famous" – Kanye West
2017	Kendrick Lamar	"Humble"†	"Scars to Your Beautiful" – Alessia Cara "Wild Thoughts" – DJ Khaled (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) "24K Magic" – Bruno Mars "Reminder" – The Weeknd
2018	Camila Cabello (featuring Young Thug)	"Havana"	"Apeshit" – The Carters* "God's Plan" – Drake "This Is America" – Childish Gambino† "No Tears Left to Cry" – Ariana Grande "Finesse (Remix)" – Bruno Mars (featuring Cardi B)
2019	Taylor Swift	"You Need to Calm Down"	"A Lot" – 21 Savage (featuring J. Cole) "Bad Guy" – Billie Eilish "Thank U, Next" – Ariana Grande "Sucker" – Jonas Brothers "Old Town Road (Remix)" – Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus)†

2020s

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Video	Nominees	Ref.
2020	The Weeknd	"Blinding Lights"	"Everything I Wanted" – Billie Eilish "Godzilla" – Eminem (featuring Juice Wrld) "Life Is Good" – Future (featuring Drake) "Rain on Me" – Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande "The Man" – Taylor Swift
2021	Lil Nas X	"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)"*	"WAP" – Cardi B (featuring Megan Thee Stallion) "Popstar" – DJ Khaled (featuring Drake) "Kiss Me More" – Doja Cat (featuring SZA) "Bad Habits" – Ed Sheeran "Save Your Tears" – The Weeknd
2022	Taylor Swift	All Too Well: The Short Film†	"Woman" – Doja Cat* "Way 2 Sexy" – Drake featuring Future and Young Thug "Industry Baby " – Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow "Brutal" – Olivia Rodrigo "Shivers" – Ed Sheeran "As It Was" – Harry Styles*
2023		"Anti-Hero"	"Flowers" – Miley Cyrus "Attention" – Doja Cat "Super Freaky Girl" – Nicki Minaj "Vampire" – Olivia Rodrigo "Unholy" – Sam Smith and Kim Petras "Kill Bill" – SZA

Statistics

Artists with multiple wins

4 wins

• Taylor Swift

2 wins

• Beyoncé
• Eminem
• Kendrick Lamar
• Missy Elliott
• Rihanna

Artists with multiple nominations

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Music Video
• MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video