MTV VMAs 2018 winners: The complete list

The annual MTV Video Music Awards unfolded in the early hours of this morning, seeing a number of mainstream music artists vying to bag one of those silver astronaut statuettes.

There was a plethora spectacles at this year’s event – including a pre-show performance from VMA MVPs Backstreet Boys and a performance by Jennifer Lopez of a medley of her greatest hits (which proved to be a necessary jolt of life to the otherwise dull event).

As Vox outlined, the ceremony lacked spark this year due to a series of lukewarm wins, a lack of “sense of cohesion or drama . . . and any of the musical beef that’s made the show so exciting in past years.” Meanwhile, Madonna’s self-indulgent Aretha Franklin tribute was all about herself and left viewers fuming about her performance for the Queen of Soul.

#VMAs: The Queen of Pop @Madonna pays tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin: "I want to thank you, Aretha for empowering all of us. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Long live the queen." pic.twitter.com/ugdxbr48Gz

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 21, 2018

The final act saw Aerosmith team up with Post Malone and 21 Savage for a performance of “Rockstar” from Malone’s album “Beerbongs & Bentleys” before launching into a medley of Aerosmith’s classics “Dream On” and “Toys in the Attic”. As Vox went on to say, the performance “served as a strange cherry on top of the cake.”

So yeah, nothing much to write home about at this year’s VMAs. Nevertheless, while we’re here you can find the full list of winners from the 2018 VMAs below:

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – “Finesse (Remix)”
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana” *WINNER
The Carters – “APES**T”
Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
Drake — “God’s Plan”

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Camila Cabello *WINNER
Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone

Song of the Year

Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – “Finesse (Remix)”
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana”
Drake – “God’s Plan”
Dua Lipa – “New Rules”
Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – “Rockstar” *WINNER

Best New Artist

Bazzi
Cardi B *WINNER
Chloe x Halle
Hayley Kiyoko
Lil Pump
Lil Uzi Vert

Best Collaboration

Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B – “Finesse (Remix)”
The Carters – “APES**T”
Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B – “Dinero” *WINNER
Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid – “1-800-273-8255”
N.E.R.D & Rihanna – “Lemon”

Best Pop

Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry” *WINNER
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana”
Demi Lovato – “Sorry Not Sorry”
Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
Pink – “What About Us”
Shawn Mendes – “In My Blood”

Best Hip-Hop

Cardi B ft. 21 Savage – “Bartier Cardi”
The Carters – “APES**T”
Drake – “God’s Plan”
Cole – “ATM”
Migos ft. Drake – “Walk It Talk It”
Nicki Minaj – “Chun-Li” *WINNER

Best Latin

Daddy Yankee – “Dura”
J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente” *WINNER
Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B – “Dinero”
Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato – “Échame La Culpa”
Maluma – “Felices los 4”
Shakira ft. Maluma – “Chantaje”

Best Dance

Avicii ft. Rita Ora – “Lonely Together” *WINNER
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa – “One Kiss”
The Chainsmokers – “Everybody Hates Me”
David Guetta & Sia – “Flames”
Marshmello ft. Khalid – “Silence”
Zedd & Liam Payne – “Get Low (Street Video)”

Best Rock

Fall Out Boy – “Champion”
Foo Fighters – “The Sky Is a Neighborhood”
Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes” *WINNER
Linkin Park – “One More Light”
Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Walk on Water”

Video With a Message

Childish Gambino – “This Is America” *WINNER
Dej Loaf and Leon Bridges – “Liberated”
Drake – ‘God’s Plan”
Janelle Monáe – “PYNK”
Jessie Reyez – “Gatekeeper”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid – “1-800-273-8255”

Best Cinematography

Alessia Cara – “Growing Pains” (Cinematography by Pau Castejón)
Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry” (Cinematography by Scott Cunningham)
The Carters – “APES**T” (Cinematography by Benoit Debie) *WINNER
Childish Gambino – “This Is America” (Cinematography by Larkin Seiple)
Eminem ft. Ed Sheeran – “River” (Cinematography by Frank Mobilio & Patrick Meller)
Shawn Mendes – “In My Blood” (Cinematography by Jonathan Sela)

Best Direction

The Carters – “APES**T” (Directed by Ricky Saix)
Childish Gambino – “This Is America” (Directed by Hiro Murai) *WINNER
Drake – “God’s Plan” (Directed by Karena Evans)
Ed Sheeran – “Perfect” (Directed by Jason Koenig)
Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton – “Say Something” (Directed by Arturo Perez Jr.)
Shawn Mendes – “In My Blood” (Directed by Jay Martin)

Best Art Direction

The Carters – “APES**T” (Art Direction by Jan Houllevigue) *WINNER
Childish Gambino – “This Is America” (Art Direction by Jason Kisvarday)
Cole – “ATM” (Art Direction by Miles Mullin)
Janelle Monáe – “Make Me Feel” (Art Direction by Pepper Nguyen)
SZA – “The Weekend” (Art Direction by SZA and Solange)
Taylor Swift – “Look What You Made Me Do” (Art Direction by Brett Hess)