- Burna Boy earns two nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
- Tems secures a nomination in the Best R&B category.
- The 2026 VMAs will hold in Los Angeles on September 27.
Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, further highlighting the growing global recognition of Nigerian music.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, received two nominations, while Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, earned one nomination.
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Burna Boy is nominated alongside Colombian superstar Shakira for their collaboration, “Dai Dai,” in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories.
Tems, meanwhile, received a nomination in the Best R&B category, continuing her strong run on the international awards circuit.
The nominations were announced ahead of the 2026 MTV VMAs, scheduled to take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27.
This year’s nominations are led by Madonna, who received 11 nods, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each earned seven nominations, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson received five nominations apiece.
The 2026 ceremony will feature several major categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop, Best R&B, Best Hip-Hop, Best Latin and Best K-Pop.
Notably, the Best Afrobeats category, which had featured prominently in recent editions of the VMAs, is absent from this year’s nominations. The category was introduced in 2023 and had recognised African stars including Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Asake and Rema in previous editions.
Burna Boy’s nominations come as another major international recognition for the Grammy-winning singer, who has continued to expand his presence beyond the African music scene.
Tems has also maintained a strong international profile, earning recognition at several major global awards ceremonies in recent years.
The 2026 MTV VMAs will bring together some of the biggest names in global music, with fan voting already open in selected categories. Voting is expected to close on September 25, two days before the main ceremony.
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