The 2017 VMA nominations were announced Tuesday. The show’s not til Aug. 27, so here are a few other ways Moonman maniacs can get their music video fandom on.
Ah, the VMAs. The place where Kanye interrupted Taylor. Where Madonna kissed Britney. Where Beyonce slayed like the goddess she is. On Tuesday, MTV dropped the list of nominations for the 2017 ceremony and we were happy to see they kept up their record of breaking new ground. Like the MTV Movie & TV Awards back in May, the VMA categories will no longer be divided by gender. They also spiced things up with some new social activism categories. Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry, and the Weeknd nabbed the most nominations this year, but since the show won’t air until August 27, music video enthusiasts will have to find some new ways to entertain themselves in the meantime. Here are a few suggestions:
Watch Party Live
Video streaming site Vevo launched this new service last week. The idea is to connect friends and artists to experience curated video playlists. The site’s Watch Party debuted in the spring, but the new live features allow users to live video chat their friends and the artists themselves to interact with fans. Sort of like an interactive pop up video viewing party (remember pop up video?) When there’s a Watch Party Live session, the artist can curate a playlist of videos, talk with fans, and answer questions during each stream. Kid Ink kicked things off with the first session last week and other planned artists include Becky G. and Grace Vanderwaal.
Best Fight Against the System nominees
Those new categories I mentioned for this year’s show? One of the most intriguing is the Best Fight Against the System. MTV introduced a similar category during this year’s Movie & TV awards—Hidden Figures took home that prize—as a way to honor art that contributes to activism and social justice. Now, I’m pretty psyched about the category because “The Hamilton Mixtape” has been nominated, but songs like Big Sean’s “Light” and John Legend’s “Surefire” are also on the list. It’s another bold, progressive move by MTV (which is kind of their thing), so check out these nominees ahead of the ceremony in particular for the ground they’re breaking.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 22: 2013 Moonman designed by artist KAWS on display during a press conference for the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 22, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Airing LIVE from Barclays Center on Sunday, August 25, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT this year’s “Video Music Awards” will mark the 30th anniversary of the show and become the first major annual award show to take place in the borough of Brooklyn. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for MTV)
Moonman history lesson
Confession: I always thought the golden movie awards popcorn was a cooler trophy but the Moonman is the original MTV icon. If you swing over to MTV’s website, there’s a fascinating history behind the award. Fun facts junkies will enjoy finding out more about MTV’s first broadcast which featured the moonman and knowing its had a few different makeovers over the years.
Next: VMA nominations: MTV keeps the genderless awards coming and we’re into it
What crazy antics will go down at this year’s ceremony? You’ll have to tune in to find out. The 2017 Video Music Awards air Aug. 27 on MTV. For more ways to further fuel your fandoms, check back in with The Rabbit Hole next week.