“PAYOLA!” — “2024 MTV VMA” “Best Group” Nominations Spark Wildly Mixed Reactions

The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) will be held on September 10, 2024, and honor various artists across many different categories. On August 6, the initial list of nominees was announced, including many K-pop artists across several categories.

The K-Pop Artist Nominees For The “2024 MTV VMAs” Across Every Category

One category not announced then was one of the larger awards for “Best Group.” Since the award was added back to the list of categories in 2019, a K-Pop group has won, with BTS winning each year except last year’s event, when BLACKPINK took home the award.

BTS | MTV

The VMAs recently shared the list of the groups nominated for the award, which has sparked mixed reactions from netizens.

On August 30, the VMAs added the missing categories and nominees to the original tweet thread made earlier this month.

#VMA Best Group Nominees

🚀 @NSYNC
🚀 @coldplay
🚀 @Imaginedragons
🚀 @NCTsmtown_DREAM
🚀 @NewJeans_ADOR
🚀 @pledis_17
🚀 @TXT_members
🚀 @twentyonepilots

— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 30, 2024

NewJeans, NCT DREAM, SEVENTEEN, and TXT are the K-Pop artists included in the list, while Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, and N*SYNC represent other genres. While many fans were excited to see their favorite groups listed among industry legends like Coldplay and N*SYNC…

Dreamies in 2 VMA nominations 🥹 pic.twitter.com/hnRDF8g0rU

— 강아쮜냥이˙ᵕ˙ (@jisunqpawrk) August 30, 2024

AND OF COURSE SEVENTEEN FOR BEST GROUP EXACTLY 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/TBWQTryW40 https://t.co/aH8kNF8KnK

— hannie ☻ (@minghaocheol_) August 30, 2024

…others have heavily questioned the list.

Some have questioned the selection process for the nominees, questioning why certain groups, specifically aespa and Stray Kids, who had better streaming and video performance did not make the list.

*VIDEO* music awards my ass, could've at least try to hide the fraud https://t.co/LL5hWNVEDR pic.twitter.com/ZlMJtqwOR2

— ATE🥠 (@stays_bitch) August 30, 2024

stray kids not getting a best group nomination for the VMA’s when they’ve arguably been the most successful group this year is actually insane

— 0325 LOVESTRAYKIDS ✻ (@backsdoor) August 30, 2024

skz and aespa (groups who had the best year in terms of achievements) are nowhere to be seen but we’ve got fuckass nct and txt there. what a joke https://t.co/5GdGPYO217

— pluto #1 fan (@ryuseungs) August 30, 2024

Others have questioned how of the three K-Pop nominees only one is a female group, and only one is a non-HYBE Labels group. Some have even brought up old accusations of “HYBE Payola” in regards to the nominations.

So damn disappointed in you @vmas . And you know, you are too obvious with your constant nomination of hybe groups 😆 https://t.co/Or6KB5zig0 pic.twitter.com/LAe9OI1OLR

— mm💋| 🖤🤍 (@evgmonn) August 30, 2024

Which group got the world record for being the FIRST group to have 5 consecutive albums since debut at no.1 on bb200? – Stray Kids
And which group is not even nominated for best group on VMAS? – Stray Kids

Nomination is basically hybe lmao VMA is a Hybe award show?

— 🥠Lessa🐺🍑Chan Bum appreciator (@AdDattebayo) August 30, 2024

"VIDEO music awards" only one actually did well on the charts and even debuted on youtube daily, but isn’t even nominated.

but of course, all the hybe groups are there 😹 their payola is insane https://t.co/vv9a5MqiwP

— ؘ (@linitoss) August 30, 2024

Even outside of the K-Pop nominees, questions about N*SYNC’s nomination have been presented.

like why is nsync even on here?????? https://t.co/VZeTOYsDqP

— mia 🥠 (@justfeeltherock) August 30, 2024

“Best Group” is a fan-voted category, and will begin on September 3. Voting will happen first with two rounds of bracket face-offs, with the final two being a tap to vote.