The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and hosted by

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

led the nominations with a total of ten, followed by Ed Sheeran, who had six, bringing his total number of mentions to 13. Swift's " Wildest Dreams" music video premiered during the pre-show. Cyrus also announced and released her studio album ''

Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz ''Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus. It was originally released independently on August 30, 2015, but was later released commercially on iTunes and other streaming platforms unde ...

'', right after her performance at the end of the show. During his acceptance speech,

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

announced that he would be running in the 2020 United States presidential election. Taylor Swift won the most awards with four, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video. The VMA trophies were redesigned by Jeremy Scott. This edition of the MTV VMA were followed by 9.8 million people in the United States through the various channels MTV for broadcast use. Due to a

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simul ...

across ten Viacom networks, the 2015 ceremony's airing on the flagship MTV network alone had one of the lowest audience in the ceremony's 31-year history, with the following year's ceremony being the lowest of all time. According to Nielsen, it logged 5.03 million viewers only on MTV, 39% less than the previous year, while cumulative viewers drew 9.8 million with the nine other simulcasting networks. The lowest viewed edition since Nielson began tracking in 1994 was in 1996, with 5.07 million viewers. This broadcast, however, broke the "US Twitter record", being the most tweeted about non-sports program, with 21.4 million tweets delivered by 2.2 million people. It was also streamed live through the MTV app for authenticated users on mobile devices and television sets via iOS, Android and Chromecast. Through its website, viewers could also get to see un-aired audience shots and backstage coverage. mtvU aired a behind-the-scenes feed and MTV Hits went dark.

Performances

Presenters

Pre-show

* Sway and Kelly Osbourne – hosts *Kelly Osbourne and Jeremy Scott – presented Best Rock Video *

Carly Aquilino Carly Aquilino (born November 18, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, television host and television personality. Aquilino was a regular cast member of the '' Girl Code'' comedy series on MTV and was a host of '' Girl Code Live''. ...

, Charlamagne Tha God, and Vic Mensa – presented Best Pop Video * Awkwafina and Nessa – presented Song of Summer

Main show

* Ike Barinholtz and

Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...

– appeared in a pre-taped skit with host

* Britney Spears – presented Best Male Video * Jared Leto – introduced The Weeknd * Rebel Wilson – presented Best Hip-Hop Video * Tyga, Juicy J, Mike Will Made It and Billy Ray Cyrus – appeared in a pre-taped skit with host

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. Anderson began his music career in 2007 and gained popularity in 2010 with his third mixtape '' Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big''. He then s ...

and Nick Jonas – presented Best Female Video * Hailee Steinfeld – introduced Demi Lovato outside

The Orpheum Theatre ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

* Serayah and Jussie Smollett – presented Best Video with a Social Message * Ne-Yo and Kylie Jenner – introduced Tori Kelly *

– presented Video Vanguard Award * John Legend – introduced Pharrell Williams outside

* Rita Ora and Emily Ratajkowski – presented Artist to Watch * Miguel and

Gigi Hadid Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid ( ; born April 23, 1995) is an American model and television personality. In November 2014, she made her debut in the Top 50 Models ranking at Models.com. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the ...

– introduced Twenty One Pilots and ASAP Rocky * Ice Cube and O'Shea Jackson, Jr. – presented Video of the Year *

Happy Hippie Foundation The Happy Hippie Foundation is an American non-profit organization founded by entertainer Miley Cyrus on September 17, 2014, and officially launched to the public on May 5, 2015. The foundation focuses on youth homelessness (particularly among ...

members – introduced Miley Cyrus

Winners and nominees

The nominations were announced on July 21, 2015 via

Apple Music Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Appl ...

's Beats 1. Nominees for the social media-driven category, Song of Summer, were announced on August 18, 2015. Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar were tied with most nominations, 10. Ed Sheeran had 6, Nicki Minaj had 4.

Video of the Year

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" * Beyoncé – " 7/11" * Kendrick Lamar – " Alright" *

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

(featuring Bruno Mars) – " Uptown Funk" * Ed Sheeran – " Thinking Out Loud"

Best Male Video

(featuring Bruno Mars) – " Uptown Funk" * Nick Jonas – "

Chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. ...

" * Kendrick Lamar - " Alright" * Ed Sheeran – " Thinking Out Loud" * The Weeknd – " Earned It"

Best Female Video

– "

Blank Space "Blank Space" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fifth studio album, ''1989''. The song was released to US radio stations as the second single from ''1989'' on November 10, 2014, by Republic Records in partners ...

" * Beyoncé – " 7/11" * Ellie Goulding – " Love Me Like You Do" *

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents ...

– "

Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large snakes of the genus '' Eunectes''. They are found in tropical South America. Four species are currently recognized. Description Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used t ...

" * Sia – "

Elastic Heart "Elastic Heart" is a song written by Australian singer Sia, featuring Canadian singer the Weeknd and American record producer Diplo, for the soundtrack of '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'', a film based on the novel of the same name by Su ...

Artist to Watch

Fetty Wap – " Trap Queen" *

James Bay James Bay (french: Baie James; cr, ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, Wînipekw, dirty water) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost p ...

– " Hold Back the River" * George Ezra – "

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...

" * FKA Twigs – " Pendulum" * Vance Joy – "

Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal flo ...

Best Pop Video

– "

" * Beyoncé – " 7/11" * Maroon 5 – "

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

" *

(featuring Bruno Mars) – " Uptown Funk" * Ed Sheeran – " Thinking Out Loud"

Best Rock Video

Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...

– " Uma Thurman" * Arctic Monkeys – "

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" is a song by English indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. It was released as the third single from their fifth studio album, '' AM'', on 11 August 2013. It was written by the group's lead vocalist Alex Turn ...

" * Florence + the Machine – "

Ship to Wreck "Ship to Wreck" is a song by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine from their third studio album, ''How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'' (2015). It was released on 9 April 2015 as the album's second single. The track premiered on Huw Ste ...

" * Hozier – "

Take Me to Church "Take Me to Church" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. It was released as his debut single on 13 September 2013, originally featuring on his extended play of the same name, before being featured as the opening track of his 2014 debut ...

" * Walk the Moon – " Shut Up + Dance"

Best Hip-Hop Video

– "

" *

(featuring E-40) – " I Don't Fuck with You" * Fetty Wap – " Trap Queen" * Kendrick Lamar – " Alright" * Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth) – " See You Again"

Best Collaboration

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" * Ariana Grande and The Weeknd – " Love Me Harder" * Jessie J, Ariana Grande and

– " Bang Bang" *

(featuring Bruno Mars) – " Uptown Funk" * Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth) – " See You Again"

Best Direction

Kendrick Lamar – " Alright" (Directors: Colin Tilley and the Little Homies) * Childish Gambino – " Sober" (Director: Hiro Murai) * Hozier – "

" (Directors: Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson) *

(featuring Bruno Mars) – " Uptown Funk" (Directors: Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy) *

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" (Director: Joseph Kahn)

Best Choreography

OK Go – " I Won't Let You Down" (Choreographer: OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano) * Beyoncé – " 7/11" (Choreographers: Beyoncé, Chris Grant and Gabriel Valenciano) * Chet Faker – "

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

" (Choreographer:

Ryan Heffington Ryan Heffington (born June 7, 1973) is an American dancer and choreographer based in Los Angeles. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards for choreographing the music videos for Arcade Fire's " We Exist" (2013) and Sia's "Chandelier" (2014), winnin ...

) * Flying Lotus (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Never Catch Me" (Choreographers: Keone Madrid and Mari Madrid) * Ed Sheeran – " Don't" (Choreographers: Nappytabs)

Best Visual Effects

Skrillex and Diplo (featuring

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

) – " Where Are Ü Now" (Visual Effects: Brewer,

GloriaFX Gloria FX was a Ukrainian-American visual effects company. The company was known for creating visual effects for feature films, music videos and commercials. It was founded in 2008 by Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Sergii Mashevskyi, but by March 2020 th ...

, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy) * Childish Gambino – "Telegraph Ave." (Visual Effects:

) * FKA Twigs – " Two Weeks" (Visual Effects:

, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy) *

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" (Visual Effects: Ingenuity Studios) * Tyler, The Creator – "Fucking Young/Death Camp" (Visual Effects:

)

Best Art Direction

Snoop Dogg – "

So Many Pros "So Many Pros" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg, featuring uncredited vocals by Charlie Wilson, The Neptunes and Rhea Dummett. It was released on April 14, 2015 as the second single from his thirteenth studio album ''Bus ...

" (Art Director: Jason Fijal) * The Chemical Brothers – " Go" (Art Director: Michel Gondry) * Skrillex and Diplo (featuring

) – " Where Are Ü Now" (Art Director: Brewer) *

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" (Art Director: Charles Infante) * Jack White – " Would You Fight for My Love?" (Art Director: Jeff Peterson)

Best Editing

Beyoncé – " 7/11" (Editors: Beyoncé, Ed Burke and Jonathan Wing) * ASAP Rocky – " L$D" (Editor: Dexter Navy) * Ed Sheeran – " Don't" (Editor: Jacquelyn London) * Skrillex and Diplo (featuring

) – " Where Are Ü Now" (Editor: Brewer) *

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" (Editor: Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)

Best Cinematography

Flying Lotus (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Never Catch Me" (Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple) *

Alt-J Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwilym Sainsbur ...

– "

Left Hand Free "Left Hand Free" is a song by English indie rock band alt-J. It was released as the second single from the band's second studio album '' This Is All Yours'' on 7 July 2014. Background and composition With its Southern rock influences, "Left Han ...

" (Director of Photography: Mike Simpson) * FKA Twigs – " Two Weeks" (Director of Photography: Justin Brown) * Ed Sheeran – " Thinking Out Loud" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl) *

(featuring Kendrick Lamar) – " Bad Blood" (Director of Photography: Christopher Probst)

Best Video with a Social Message

(featuring

and John Legend) – "

One Man Can Change the World "One Man Can Change the World" is a song by American rapper Big Sean from his third studio album '' Dark Sky Paradise'' (2015). The song features fellow GOOD Music artists Kanye West and John Legend with production handled by Amaire Johnson and DJ ...

" * Colbie Caillat – " Try" * Jennifer Hudson – " I Still Love You" * Rihanna – " American Oxygen" * Wale – "The White Shoes"

Song of Summer

5 Seconds of Summer – "

She's Kinda Hot "She's Kinda Hot" is a song by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. The song is the first single from the band's second album ''Sounds Good Feels Good''. The pop punk and pop rock song was co-written by band members Ashton Irwin and ...

" * Fetty Wap – " My Way" * Fifth Harmony – " Worth It" * Selena Gomez (featuring ASAP Rocky) – " Good for You" *

David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...

(featuring

) – " Hey Mama" * Demi Lovato – "

Cool for the Summer "Cool for the Summer" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the lead single from her fifth studio album '' Confident'' (2015) on July 1, 2015, by Hollywood Records and Island Records, and premiered on radio on the same da ...

" *

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving af ...

– "

Lean On "Lean On" is a song recorded by American electronic dance music group Major Lazer and French DJ and record producer DJ Snake featuring vocals from Danish singer MØ. It was released on March 2, 2015, as the lead single from Major Lazer's thi ...

" *

OMI is a hereditary noble title ('' kabane'') of ancient Japan. It was given to the descendants of the Imperial Family before Emperor Kōgen. Along with ''Muraji'', ''Omi'' was reserved for the head of the most powerful clans during the Kofun period ...

– " Cheerleader" * Silentó – " Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" * Skrillex and Diplo (featuring

) – " Where Are U Now" *

– " Bad Blood" * The Weeknd – " Can't Feel My Face"

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:2015 MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards ceremonies 2015 in Los Angeles MTV Video Music