MTV Adds “Best Metaverse Performance” Category To VMAs, Nominees Include Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber

MTV has added a couple of new categories to the Video Music Awards (VMAs), one of which included “Best Metaverse Performance.”

Public votes are open for the VMAs, including the new Best Metaverse Performance category, of which there are six nominees. The nominees included Ariana Grande’s Rift Tour performance in Fortnite, Blackpink’s virtual concert in PUBG Mobile, BTS’ appearance in Minecraft, Charli XCX’s concert in Roblox, Justin Bieber’s performance on wave, and Twenty One Pilots’ concert in Roblox.

“We saw the opportunity to highlight and honor some of the best, most impactful executions of this–and celebrate artists who have found creative ways to use these spaces–which led to the addition of ‘Best Metaverse Performance’ category this year,” an MTV spokesperson told The Hill.

This will be the first major awards group that includes an award solely dedicated to a metaverse performance, which have been occurring more and more frequently in recent years, likely thanks to the success Fortnite has found with them. It should be noted that most of the nominees are just performances in video games, rather than an abstract metaverse, so it seems that the award is meant to be all encompassing even though a majority of them are simply in live-service games.

It’s also potentially a way to help modernize awards ceremonies that are finding it increasingly difficult to draw in younger crowds.

The MTV VMAs will be airing live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on August 28.