Performances:
Pre-show
Main show
- Charli XCX "Boom Clap"
- Fifth Harmony "Boss"
- Ariana Grande + Zedd "Break Free"
- Beyoncé
- Iggy Azalea + Rita Ora "Black Widow"
- Jessie J + Ariana Grande + Nicki Minaj "Bang Bang"
- Maroon 5 "Maps"
- Nicki Minaj "Anaconda"
- Sam Smith "Stay with Me"
- Taylor Swift "Shake It Off"
- Usher + Nicki Minaj "She Came to Give It to You"
- 5 Seconds of Summer
Nominations:
Video of the Year
Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX) — "Fancy"
Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) — "Drunk in Love"
Miley Cyrus — "Wrecking Ball"
Sia — "Chandelier"
Pharrell Williams — "Happy"
Best Male Video
Eminem (featuring Rihanna) — "The Monster"
John Legend — "All of Me"
Ed Sheeran (featuring Pharrell Williams) — "Sing"
Sam Smith — "Stay with Me"
Pharrell Williams — "Happy"
Best Female Video
Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX) — "Fancy"
Beyoncé — "Partition"
Ariana Grande (featuring Iggy Azalea) — "Problem"
Lorde — "Royals"
Katy Perry (featuring Juicy J) — "Dark Horse"
Artist to Watch
5 Seconds of Summer — "She Looks So Perfect"
Charli XCX — "Boom Clap"
Fifth Harmony — "Miss Movin' On"
Schoolboy Q — "Man of the Year"
Sam Smith — "Stay with Me"
Best Pop Video
Avicii (featuring Aloe Blacc) — "Wake Me Up"
Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX) — "Fancy"
Jason Derulo (featuring 2 Chainz) — "Talk Dirty"
Ariana Grande (featuring Iggy Azalea) — "Problem"
Pharrell Williams — "Happy"
Best Rock Video
Arctic Monkeys — "Do I Wanna Know?"
The Black Keys — "Fever"
Imagine Dragons — "Demons"
Linkin Park — "Until It's Gone"
Lorde — "Royals"
Best Hip-Hop Video
Childish Gambino — "3005"
Drake (featuring Majid Jordan) — "Hold On, We're Going Home"
Eminem — "Berzerk"
Kanye West — "Black Skinhead"
Wiz Khalifa — "We Dem Boyz"
MTV Clubland Award
Disclosure — "Grab Her!"
DJ Snake and Lil Jon — "Turn Down for What"
Martin Garrix — "Animals"
Calvin Harris — "Summer"
Zedd (featuring Hayley Williams) — "Stay the Night"
Best Collaboration
Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) — "Drunk in Love"
Chris Brown (featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga) — "Loyal"
Eminem (featuring Rihanna) — "The Monster"
Ariana Grande (featuring Iggy Azalea) — "Problem"
Katy Perry (featuring Juicy J) — "Dark Horse"
Pitbull (featuring Kesha) — "Timber"
Best Direction
Beyoncé — "Pretty Hurts" (Director: Melina Matsoukas)
Miley Cyrus — "Wrecking Ball" (Director: Terry Richardson)
DJ Snake and Lil Jon — "Turn Down for What" (Directors: DANIELS)
Eminem (featuring Rihanna) — "The Monster" (Director: Rich Lee)
OK Go — "The Writing's on the Wall" (Directors: Damian Kulash, Aaron Duffy & Bob Partington)
Best Choreography
Beyoncé — "Partition" (Choreographers: Svetlana Kostantinova, Philippe Decouflé, Danielle Polanco and Frank Gatson)
Jason Derulo (featuring 2 Chainz) — "Talk Dirty" (Choreographer: Amy Allen)
Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake — "Love Never Felt So Good" (Choreographers: Rich and Tone Talauega)
Kiesza — "Hideaway" (Choreographer: Ljuba Castot)
Sia — "Chandelier" (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington)
Usher — "Good Kisser" (Choreographers: Jamaica Craft and Todd Sams)
Best Visual Effects
Disclosure — "Grab Her!" (Visual Effects: Mathematic and Emile Sornin)
DJ Snake and Lil Jon — "Turn Down for What" (Visual Effects: DANIELS and Zak Stoltz)
Eminem — "Rap God" (Visual Effects: Rich Lee, Louis Baker, Mammal Studios, Laundry! and Sunset Edit)
OK Go — "The Writing's on the Wall" (Visual Effects: 1stAveMachine)
Jack White — "Lazaretto" (Visual Effects: Mathematic and Jonas & François)
Best Art Direction
Arcade Fire — "Reflektor" (Art Director: Anastasia Masaro)
Iggy Azalea (featuring Charli XCX) — "Fancy" (Art Director: David Courtemarche)
DJ Snake and Lil Jon — "Turn Down for What" (Art Director: Jason Kisvarday)
Eminem — "Rap God" (Art Director: Alex Pacion)
Tyler, The Creator — "Tamale" (Art Director: Tom Lisowski)
Best Editing
Beyoncé — "Pretty Hurts" (Editor: Jeff Selis)
Eminem — "Rap God" (Editor: Ken Mowe)
Fitz and The Tantrums — "The Walker" (Editor: James Fitzpatrick)
MGMT — "Your Life Is a Lie" (Editor: Erik Laroi)
Zedd (featuring Hayley Williams) — "Stay the Night" (Editor: Daniel "Cloud" Campos)
Best Cinematography
Arcade Fire — "Afterlife" (Director of Photography: Evan Prosofsky)
Beyoncé — "Pretty Hurts" (Directors of Photography: Darren Lew and Jackson Hunt)
Lana Del Rey — "West Coast" (Director of Photography: Evan Prosofsky)
Gesaffelstein — "Hate or Glory" (Director of Photography: Michael Ragen)
Thirty Seconds to Mars — "City of Angels" (Director of Photography: David Devlin)
Best Video with a Social Message
Avicii — "Hey Brother"
Beyoncé — "Pretty Hurts"
J. Cole (featuring TLC) — "Crooked Smile"
David Guetta (featuring Mikky Ekko) — "One Voice"
Angel Haze (featuring Sia) — "Battle Cry"
Kelly Rowland — "Dirty Laundry"
Best Lyric Video
5 Seconds of Summer — "Don't Stop"
Ariana Grande (featuring Iggy Azalea) — "Problem"
Demi Lovato (featuring Cher Lloyd) — "Really Don't Care"
Austin Mahone (featuring Pitbull) — "Mmm Yeah"
Katy Perry — "Birthday"
Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
Beyoncé[18]