The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist has been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Until 2006, the award was named Best New Artist in a Video . In 2007 its name was changed to Best New Artist , as the category underwent a format change to recognize the artist's body of work for the full year rather than a specific video. For the 2008 ceremony, the award retained its 2007 name but returned to the format of awarding a specific video rather than the artist's full body of work. This is the only award where voting closes during the ceremony.
MTV Video Music Award Country United States Presented by MTV First award 1984 Currently held by Alex Warren (2025 ) Most nominations Cyndi Lauper (2) Website VMA website
The category was later renamed Artist to Watch through 2013 to 2015 while still keeping the format of an award going to a particular video. In 2020, the Best New Artist award merged with the Push Artist of the Year award (2018-2019) to create the Push Best New Artist award. In 2021, MTV returned the category to its original name (Best New Artist ), thus separating it from the MTV Push initiative, which again received its own category (Push Performance of the Year ).
Winners and nominees †Marks winners of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
*Marks nominees of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
1980s Recipients Year Winner(s) Nominees Ref. 1984 Eurythmics – "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"* Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"† Cyndi Lauper – "Time After Time"† Madonna – "Borderline" Wang Chung – "Dance Hall Days" 1985 'Til Tuesday – "Voices Carry" Frankie Goes to Hollywood – "Two Tribes"* Julian Lennon – "Too Late for Goodbyes"* Sade – "Smooth Operator"† Sheila E. – "The Glamorous Life"* 1986 A-ha – "Take On Me"* The Hooters – "And We Danced" Whitney Houston – "How Will I Know" Pet Shop Boys – "West End Girls" Simply Red – "Holding Back the Years"* 1987 Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over" Robert Cray – "Smoking Gun" The Georgia Satellites – "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" Bruce Hornsby and the Range – "The Way It Is"† Timbuk3 – "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"* 1988 Guns N' Roses – "Welcome to the Jungle" The Godfathers – "Birth, School, Work, Death" Buster Poindexter – "Hot, Hot, Hot" Swing Out Sister – "Breakout"* Jody Watley – "Some Kind of Lover"† 1989 Living Colour – "Cult of Personality" Paula Abdul – "Straight Up" Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – "What I Am" Neneh Cherry – "Buffalo Stance"*
1990s Recipients Year Winner(s) Nominees Ref. 1990 Michael Penn – "No Myth" Bell Biv DeVoe – "Poison" The Black Crowes – "Jealous Again"* Jane Child – "Don't Wanna Fall in Love" Lenny Kravitz – "Let Love Rule" Alannah Myles – "Black Velvet"* Lisa Stansfield – "All Around the World" 1991 Jesus Jones – "Right Here, Right Now" C+C Music Factory – "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"* Deee-Lite – "Groove Is in the Heart" Gerardo – "Rico Suave" Seal – "Crazy"* 1992 Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Tori Amos – "Silent All These Years" Arrested Development – "Tennessee"† Cracker – "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" 1993 Stone Temple Pilots – "Plush" Tasmin Archer – "Sleeping Satellite" Belly – "Feed the Tree"* Porno for Pyros – "Pets" 1994 Counting Crows – "Mr. Jones"* Beck – "Loser" Björk – "Human Behaviour" Green Day – "Longview"* Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories – "Stay (I Missed You)" Me'Shell NdegéOcello – "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)" 1995 Hootie & the Blowfish – "Hold My Hand"† Jeff Buckley – "Last Goodbye" Des'ree – "You Gotta Be" Filter – "Hey Man, Nice Shot" Portishead – "Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)" 1996 Alanis Morissette – "Ironic"* 1997 Fiona Apple – "Sleep to Dream"* Meredith Brooks – "Bitch" Hanson – "MMMBop"* Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" The Wallflowers – "One Headlight" 1998 Natalie Imbruglia – "Torn"* Cherry Poppin' Daddies – "Zoot Suit Riot" Chumbawamba – "Tubthumping" Fastball – "The Way" Mase – "Feel So Good" 1999 Eminem – "My Name Is"
2000s Recipients Year Winner(s) Nominees Ref. 2000 Macy Gray – "I Try"* Christina Aguilera – "What a Girl Wants"† Papa Roach – "Last Resort"* Pink – "There You Go" Sisqó – "Thong Song"* 2001 Alicia Keys – "Fallin'" † Coldplay – "Yellow" Nikka Costa – "Like a Feather" David Gray – "Babylon"* Sum 41 – "Fat Lip" 2002 Avril Lavigne – "Complicated"* Ashanti – "Foolish"* B2K – "Uh Huh" John Mayer – "No Such Thing"* Puddle of Mudd – "Blurry" 2003 50 Cent – "In da Club"* The All-American Rejects – "Swing, Swing" Kelly Clarkson – "Miss Independent" Evanescence (featuring Paul McCoy) – "Bring Me to Life"† Sean Paul – "Get Busy"* Simple Plan – "Addicted" 2004 Maroon 5 – "This Love"† The Darkness – "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" Jet – "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" JoJo – "Leave (Get Out)" Kanye West (featuring Syleena Johnson) – "All Falls Down"* Yellowcard – "Ocean Avenue" 2005 The Killers – "Mr. Brightside" Ciara (featuring Missy Elliott) – "1, 2 Step"* The Game – "Dreams" John Legend – "Ordinary People"† My Chemical Romance – "Helena" 2006 Avenged Sevenfold – "Bat Country" Angels & Airwaves – "The Adventure" James Blunt – "You're Beautiful"* Chris Brown (featuring Juelz Santana) – "Run It!"* Panic! at the Disco – "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" Rihanna – "SOS" 2007 Gym Class Heroes Lily Allen Peter Bjorn and John Carrie Underwood† Amy Winehouse† 2008 Tokio Hotel – "Ready, Set, Go!" Miley Cyrus – "7 Things" Katy Perry – "I Kissed a Girl" Jordin Sparks (featuring Chris Brown) – "No Air" Taylor Swift – "Teardrops on My Guitar"* 2009 Lady Gaga – "Poker Face" 3OH!3 – "Don't Trust Me" Drake – "Best I Ever Had"* Kid Cudi – "Day 'n' Nite" Asher Roth – "I Love College"
2010s Recipients Year Winner(s) Nominees Ref. 2010 Justin Bieber (featuring Ludacris) – "Baby"* Broken Bells – "The Ghost Inside" Jason Derülo – "In My Head" Ke$ha – "Tik Tok" Nicki Minaj (featuring Sean Garrett) – "Massive Attack"* 2011 Tyler, the Creator – "Yonkers" Big Sean (featuring Chris Brown) – "My Last" Foster the People – "Pumped Up Kicks" Kreayshawn – "Gucci Gucci" Wiz Khalifa – "Black and Yellow" 2012 One Direction – "What Makes You Beautiful" fun. (featuring Janelle Monáe) – "We Are Young"† Carly Rae Jepsen – "Call Me Maybe" Frank Ocean – "Swim Good"* The Wanted – "Glad You Came" 2013 Austin Mahone – "What About Love" Iggy Azalea – "Work"* Twenty One Pilots – "Holding On to You" The Weeknd – "Wicked Games" Zedd (featuring Foxes) – "Clarity" 2014 Fifth Harmony – "Miss Movin' On" 5 Seconds of Summer – "She Looks So Perfect" Charli XCX – "Boom Clap" Schoolboy Q – "Man of the Year" Sam Smith – "Stay with Me"† 2015 Fetty Wap — "Trap Queen" James Bay — "Hold Back the River"* George Ezra — "Budapest" FKA Twigs — "Pendulum" Vance Joy — "Riptide" (Runner-Up) 2016 DNCE Desiigner Zara Larsson Lukas Graham Bryson Tiller (Runner-Up) 2017 Khalid* Noah Cyrus* Kodak Black Julia Michaels (Runner-Up)* SZA* Young M.A 2018 Cardi B Bazzi Chloe x Halle* Hayley Kiyoko (Runner-up) Lil Pump Lil Uzi Vert* 2019 Billie Eilish† Ava Max H.E.R.* Lil Nas X* Lizzo (Runner-up)* Rosalía*
2020s Recipients Year Winner(s) Shortlist Nominees PUSH Longlist Ref. 2020 Doja Cat* Jack Harlow Roddy Ricch Tate McRae AJ Mitchell Arizona Zervas Ava Max BENEE Brockhampton Conan Gray Finneas Kiana Ledé Lil Tecca Pop Smoke Summer Walker 2021 Olivia Rodrigo† 24kGoldn Giveon Polo G Saweetie* — 2022 Dove Cameron — 2023 Ice Spice* GloRilla Kaliii PinkPantheress — 2024 Chappell Roan† Benson Boone* Shaboozey* Teddy Swims* — 2025 Alex Warren* Ella Langley Gigi Perez Lola Young* —
See also