Entertainment

Rema, Asake, Tems, and Ayra Starr get 2025 VMA nominations

Nigerian superstars Rema, Wizkid, Tems, and Asake are all nominated for the Best Afrobeats category alongside South African star Tyla and Ghanaian singer Moliy. Also nominated is Burna Boy, whose single ‘Higher’ earned the nod for the Best Video for Change, and Ayra Starr, who earned a nomination for Best Push Performance for ‘Last Heartbreak Song’ featuring Giveon.

Lady Gaga leads this year with 12 nominations, thanks to the success of her singles ‘Die With A Smile’, ‘Mayhem’, and ‘Abracadabra’. Bruno Mars is the second most nominated artist with 11 nods, boosted by his appearance on Lady Gaga’s ‘Abracadabra’.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar is the third most nominated artist with 10 nods garnered from his album ‘GNX’ and hit single ‘Not Like Us’. The 2025 VMAs will take place on September 7, 2025.

Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – Timeless

Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Song of the Year
Alex Warren – Ordinary
Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Doechii – Anxiety
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Gracie Abrams – I Love You, I’m Sorry
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile
Lorde – What Was That
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Tate McRae – Sports Car
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – Timeless

Best New Artist
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías

Best Pop Artist
Ariana Grande
Charli XCX
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae

MTV Push Performance of the Year, Presented by Bacardí® Rum
Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song
Damiano David – Next Summer
Dasha – Bye Bye Bye
Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
Jordan Adetunji – Kehlani
Katseye – Touch
Lay Bankz – Graveyard
Leon Thomas – Yes It Is
Livingston – Shadow
Mark Ambor – Belong Together
Role Model – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out
Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Best Collaboration, Presented by Under Armour
Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs – Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile
Post Malone Featuring Blake Shelton – Pour Me a Drink
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Sunset Blvd

Best Pop
Alex Warren – Ordinary
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With a Smile
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Hip-Hop
Doechii – Anxiety
Drake – Nokia
Eminem Featuring Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me
Glorilla Featuring Sexyy Red – Whatchu Kno About Me
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
LL Cool J Featuring Eminem – Murdergram Deux
Travis Scott – 4×4

Best R&B
Chris Brown – Residuals
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – Mutt (Remix)
Mariah Carey – Type Dangerous
PartyNextDoor – No Chill
Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman
SZA – Drive
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – Timeless

Best Alternative
Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
Imagine Dragons – Wake Up
Lola Young – Messy
MGK & Jelly Roll – Lonely Road
Sombr – Back to Friends
The Marías – Back to Me

Best Rock
Coldplay – All My Love
Evanescence – Afterlife (From the Netflix Series “Devil May Cry”)
Green Day – One Eyed Bastard
Lenny Kravitz – Honey
Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine
Twenty One Pilots – The Contract

Best Latin
Bad Bunny – Baile Inolvidable
J Balvin – Rio
Karol G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido
Peso Pluma – La Patrulla
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – Khé?
Shakira – Soltera

Best K-Pop
Aespa – Whiplash
Jennie – Like Jennie
Jimin – Who
Jisoo – Earthquake
Lisa Featuring Doja Cat & Raye – Born Again
Stray Kids – Chk Chk Boom
Rosé – Toxic Till the End

Best Afrobeats
Asake & Travis Scott – Active
Burna Boy Featuring Travis Scott – TaTaTa
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)
Rema – Baby (Is It A Crime)
Tems Featuring Asake – Get It Right
Tyla – Push 2 Start
Wizkid Featuring Brent Faiyaz – Piece of My Heart

Best Country

Chris Stapleton – Think I’m in Love With You
Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood – I’m Gonna Love You
Jelly Roll – Liar
Lainey Wilson – 4x4xU
Megan Moroney – Am I Okay?
Morgan Wallen – Smile

Best Album
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Short Film)
Damiano David – Funny Little Stories
Mac Miller – Balloonerism
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

Video for Good
Burna Boy – Higher
Charli XCX – Guess Featuring Billie Eilish
Doechii – Anxiety
Eminem Featuring Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Younger and Hotter Than Me
Zach Hood Featuring Sasha Alex Sloan – Sleepwalking

Best Direction
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Charli XCX – Guess Featuring Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Art Direction
Charli XCX – Guess Featuring Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Lorde – Man of the Year
Miley Cyrus – End of the World
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.

Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Miley Cyrus – Easy Lover
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild

Best Editing
Charli XCX – Guess Featuring Billie Eilish
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1® the Movie)

Best Choreography
Doechii – Anxiety
FKA twigs – Eusexua
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Tyla – Push 2 Start
Zara Larsson – Pretty Ugly

Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching (From F1® the Movie)
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow

Entertainment

Davido Comes Under Fire For Comments On Ishowspeed’s ‘Multiple Women’ Massage in Ghana

Afrobeats star Davido became the subject of online discussion after sharing a playful Instagram story that many Nigerians interpreted as controversial. On 26 January 2026, the Grammy-nominated singer reposted a viral video of American streamer IShowSpeed receiving a massage from multiple women in Ghana, during his African tour.

In the repost on his Instagram Stories, Davido tagged his wife, Chioma Rowland Adeleke, with a light-hearted caption that appeared to seek her permission for a similar “Ghana shea butter massage.”

The caption read: ‘@thechefchi oh boy my darling wife pls permit me 😅😅this nah Ghana???’

The post was framed as humour, but screenshots of the story quickly circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where it gained significant attention beyond his Instagram audience.

While some viewers interpreted the message as harmless banter between a married couple, others viewed it as inappropriate, particularly given Davido’s public profile and marital status.

The post generated a range of reactions from Nigerian social media users. Some expressed discomfort with the public nature of the message, questioning its appropriateness given Davido’s marital status. Others used humour or satire to comment on the situation, while several users framed their reactions.

While some comments implied that the post reinforced long-standing perceptions about his personal life, other users defended the artist, describing the post as an unserious “cruise” or typical celebrity humour taken out of context.

It is worth noting the budding relationship between Davido and IShowSpeed (real name Darren Watkins Jr.). The two have connected through the streamer’s recent African tour, which included stops in Nigeria and Ghana.

On 21 January 2026, IShowSpeed’s 21st birthday, Davido surprised him with a FaceTime call during a live stream in Lagos, Nigeria. The Afrobeats hitmaker, who was in Paris at the time, wished Speed a happy birthday, congratulated him on reaching 50 million YouTube subscribers, and promised a future collaboration in the US

Celebs

Ayra Starr’s Much Anticipated Album To Drop in 2026

Ayra Starr has sparked a whirlwind of anticipation across the global music landscape. Following her meteoric rise, the Mavin Records superstar and Roc Nation signee has stirred excitement among fans by hinting at her forthcoming project.

Featured in Spotify’s “Our Frequency” zine issue 033, the ‘Celestial Being’ shared insights into her personal and professional aspirations, including a tease that her next album could land in 2026. This disclosure emerged within Spotify’s platform dedicated to celebrating Black artists and their creative narratives, with the recent edition spotlighting Starr’s journey of growth and artistic evolution.

Spotify’s “Our Frequency” initiative offers artists a space to reveal intimate details about their lives and craft. In the Spotify feature, Ayra Starr reflected on her formative years and how diverse environments shaped her distinctive sound and personality.

The 23-year-old drew interesting parallels between cultures, noting that, “Growing up in Benin and Nigeria, it was two different vibes.” She likened the energy of Nigeria’s commercial hub to a global city: “Lagos is almost like New York.”

In stark contrast, the 2026 Grammy nominee described her experience in the Benin Republic: “Benin Republic has more like a beach vibe. Everywhere is, like, calm. Everybody is quiet, so I can’t put it into, like, a few words. It’s made me who I am.”

It was within this context of personal evolution that Ayra Starr dropped the major album news, offering insight into her 2026 goals: “In 2026, I’m looking forward to learning how to cook more known Nigerian food, and my album, Amen.”

This deliberate pacing suggests a strategic shift towards quality control following her management deal with Roc Nation in July 2025, which handles her global brand strategy and touring

Entertainment

I am Bigger Than Fela, WizKid Fires Back At Seun Kuti

Afrobeats icon Wizkid has ignited fresh controversy by directly addressing Seun Kuti, the youngest son of the iconic Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, in a series of pointed Instagram stories on 20 January 2026.

The exchange stems from ongoing tensions between Seun and Wizkid’s devoted fanbase, known as Wizkid FC, who have been accused by Seun of disrespecting Fela’s legacy through comparisons favouring Wizkid

The spat, which has dominated X (formerly Twitter) timelines, highlights the contrast between Fela’s politically charged Afrobeat and Wizkid’s global Afrobeats success.

Wizkid, who had previously stayed silent, appeared to be provoked by Seun’s claims that he does not value his fans. This led to a barrage of stories where Wizkid not only claimed superiority but also reposted a fan’s video harshly criticising Seun and the Kuti family.

In one widely shared post, the 35-year-old hitmaker wrote in a now-deleted post: “@bigbirdkuti I’m Big Wiz everyday bigger than u do papa!! Wetin u one do f**l?”

Another story escalated the insult: “P*y boy @bigbirdkuti ok I big pass your papa!! Wetin u one do ? Fl at 40!

A third simply stated: “@bigbirdkuti Hungry boy! U too small! Na ur papa we dey talk to.”

Additionally, Wizkid reposted a fan’s video with the caption: “Seun kuti omo baba oni pata gig an 😂😂.”

These posts came after a series of scathing posts on X from Wizkid aimed at Seun Kuti. One post read: “Fela fight for freedom this fool Dey fight fc! Oloshi Omo ale!”

In turn, Seun wasted no time in replying to Wizkid on Instagram, telling the Grammy winner: “Just be yourself, short Man. you are also great,” before labelling Wizkid a b****h for deleting his earlier posts on his Instagram Stories.

The online reaction has been intense, with users divided over the back and forth.