How to watch the MTV VMAs 2020 online

How to watch MTV VMAs 2020 online
(Image credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty)
2020 MTV VMA Awards start time, channel

The 2020 MTV VMAs airs on Sunday, August 30 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.

It's almost time to watch the 2020 MTV VMAs online and see who goes home with a moon man trophy. This year's MTV Video Music Awards are broadcasting from New York City and feature new categories like Best Quarantine Performance and Best Music Video From Home.

But instead of taking place at the Barclays Center, as previously scheduled, the show will be set in outdoor locations to ensure social distancing during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In an official statement, MTV said, "In close consultation with state and local health officials‎, it became clear at this time that outdoor performances with limited or no audience would be more feasible and safer than an indoor event. The VMAs will highlight the boroughs in an exciting show and return to Barclays Center in 2021. MTV will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, state and local officials, the medical community, and key stakeholders to ensure the safety of all involved.”

The 2020 MTV VMAs will be hosted by Keke Palmer, who told USA Today that it will be unlike any other VMAs in history. "It'll be a lot of darting from stage to stage, and showing the beautiful boroughs in New York," she explained.

Performers will include Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, BTS and more. On tap as presenters are Anthony Ramos, Bella Hadid, Drew Barrymore, Jaden Smith, Kelly Clarkson, Nicole Richie and others.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the 2020 MTV VMAs. Watch a teaser of BTS' performance of "Dynamite" below:

How to watch 2020 MTV VMAs online anywhere, with a VPN

Trying to watch 2020 MTV VMAs online, but thwarted because you're away from home and geo-fenced restrictions took away the service you're paying for? Well, with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), you can watch 2020 MTV VMAs no matter where you are. 

Our pick for the best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets all the VPN needs and is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV. Plus, game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. 

ExpressVPN

Our favorite VPN service, <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Foffer%2Ftomsguide%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN, is a top choice for anyone who wants to watch the 2020 MTV VMAs. It's got a solid mix of safety, speed and ease-of-use. Plus, you get an extra 3 months free if you sign up for a year. And if you've never used a VPN before and are curious and not sure, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you just want to give it a try.

How to watch 2020 MTV VMAs in the US 

If you're in the U.S., you can watch the 2020 MTV VMAs on Sunday, August 30 at 8 p.m. ET. It's preceded by a pre-show special at 6:30 p.m. ET, also on MTV — but you can only them if you have a cable or satellite package that includes the network. 

If you've already cut the cord, you can get MTV on multiple live TV streaming services including Sling TV, Fubo TV, Philo, YouTube TV and AT&T TV Now.

Of these options, we recommend Sling TV, which is $30 a month and offers more than 50 channels. Fubo is also a great option at $55 per month for over 109 channels, including a ton of sports networks.

Sling TV

Either of the <a href="https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/221109/1132376/14334?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sling TV packages — both Sling Blue and Sling Orange — are compatible with the Comedy Extra add-on, which has MTV, MTV2, CMT, Paramount, TV Land and more. Sling Blue costs $30 a month and has more than 50 channels, including Bravo, AMC, Food Network, HGTV, Lifetime and USA.

FuboTV:

<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">FuboTV: If you want a ton of live channels, including sports, you probably want to check out FuboTV. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front. The Family plan comes with 109 channels, including local networks as well as MTV, ESPN, AMC, Food Network, FX, Syfy and TLC.

How to watch 2020 MTV VMAs in the UK

Brits can tune into the 2020 MTV VMAs on MTV UK or MTV.com on Monday, August 31 at 1 a.m. BST. 

How to watch 2020 MTV VMAs in Canada

MTV is available in Canada, so those up north can tune into the VMAs at the same time as American fans on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

2020 MTV VMAs performers and presenters

This year's VMAs will feature some of music's biggest names, who will perform or present at the awards show, either from NYC or virtually. 

Presenters

  • Anthony Ramos
  • Bebe Rexha
  • Bella Hadid
  • Drew Barrymore
  • Jaden Smith
  • Joey King
  • Kelly Clarkson
  • Machine Gun Kelly
  • Madison Beer
  • Nicole Richie
  • Sofia Carson
  • Travis Barker

Performers:

  • Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga
  • Black Eyed Peas
  • BTS
  • CNCO
  • DaBaby
  • Doja Cat
  • Maluma
  • Miley Cyrus
  • The Weeknd

Pre-show performers:

  • Chloe x Halle
  • Jack Harlow
  • Lewis Capaldi
  • Machine Gun Kelly featuring Travis Barker and blackbear

2020 MTV VMA nominees

Here are the nominees for the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – "everything i wanted”
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD – “Godzilla”
Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift – “The Man”
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
DaBaby
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Megan Thee Stallion
Post Malone
The Weeknd

SONG OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – "everything i wanted”
Doja Cat – “Say So”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage”
Post Malone – “Circles”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box"

BEST COLLABORATION
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U”
Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin – “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid – “Beautiful People”
Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – “Tusa”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”

PUSH BEST NEW ARTIST
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Lewis Capaldi
Roddy Ricch
Tate McRae
Yungblud

BEST POP
BTS – “On”
Halsey – “You Should Be Sad”
Jonas Brothers – “What a Man Gotta Do”
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo – “Intentions”
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
Taylor Swift – “Lover”

BEST HIP-HOP
DaBaby – “Bop”
Eminem ft. Juice WRLD – “Godzilla”
Future ft. Drake – “Life Is Good”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
Travis Scott – “Highest in the Room”

BEST ROCK
Blink-182 – “Happy Days”
Coldplay – “Orphans”
Evanescence – “Wasted On You”
Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean – “Dear Future Self (Hands Up)”
Green Day – “Oh Yeah!”
The Killers – “Caution”

BEST ALTERNATIVE
The 1975 – “If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
All Time Low – “Some Kind Of Disaster”
FINNEAS – “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”
Lana Del Rey – “Doin’ Time”
Machine Gun Kelly – “Bloody Valentine”
twenty one pilots – “Level of Concern”

BEST LATIN
Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin – “China”
Bad Bunny – “Yo Perreo Sola”
Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul – “Mamacita”
J Balvin – “Amarillo”
Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – “Tusa”
Maluma ft. J Balvin – “Qué Pena”

BEST R&B
Alicia Keys – “Underdog”
Chloe x Halle – “Do It”
H.E.R. ft. YG – “Slide”
Khalid ft. Summer Walker – “Eleven”
Lizzo – “Cuz I Love You”
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”

BEST K-POP
(G)I-DLE – “Oh My God”
BTS – “On”
EXO – “Obsession”
Monsta X – “Someone's Someone”
Tomorrow X Together – “9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)”
Red Velvet – “Psycho”

VIDEO FOR GOOD
Anderson .Paak – “Lockdown”
Billie Eilish – “all the good girls go to hell”
Demi Lovato – “I Love Me”
H.E.R. - ”I Can’t Breathe”
Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
Taylor Swift – “The Man”

BEST MUSIC VIDEO FROM HOME
5 Seconds of Summer – “Wildflower”
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – “Stuck with U”
Blink-182 – “Happy Days”
Drake – “Toosie Slide”
John Legend – “Bigger Love”
twenty one pilots – “Level of Concern”

BEST QUARANTINE PERFORMANCE
Chloe x Halle – “Do It” from MTV’s Prom-athon
CNCO – Unplugged At Home
DJ D-Nice – Club MTV presents #DanceTogether
John Legend – #togetherathome Concert Series
Lady Gaga – “Smile” from One World: Together At Home
Post Malone – Nirvana Tribute

BEST DIRECTION
Billie Eilish – “xanny” – Directed by Billie Eilish
Doja Cat – “Say So” – Directed by Hannah Lux Davis
Dua Lipa – “Don't Start Now” – Directed by Nabil
Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Directed by Dave Meyers
Taylor Swift – “The Man” – Directed by Taylor Swift
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Directed by Anton Tammi

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
5 Seconds of Summer – “Old Me” – Cinematography by Kieran Fowler
Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby – “My Oh My” – Cinematography by Dave Meyers
Billie Eilish – “all the good girls go to hell” – Cinematography by Christopher Probst
Katy Perry – “Harleys In Hawaii” – Cinematography by Arnau Valls
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Cinematography by Thomas Kloss
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Cinematography by Oliver Millar

BEST ART DIRECTION
A$AP Rocky – “Babushka Boi” – Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee Cohen
Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogu ́
Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks
Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Art Direction by Christian Stone
Selena Gomez – “Boyfriend” – Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter
Taylor Swift – “Lover” – Art Direction by Ethan Tobman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Billie Eilish – “all the good girls go to hell” – Visual Effects by Drive Studios
Demi Lovato – “I Love Me” – Visual Effects by Hoody FX
Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Visual Effects by EIGHTY4
Harry Styles – “Adore You” – Visual Effects by Mathematic
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios
Travis Scott – “Highest in the Room” – Visual Effects by ARTJAIL, SCISSOR FILMS & FRENDER

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
BTS – “On” – Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun
CNCO & Natti Natasha – “Honey Boo” – Choreography by Kyle Hanagami
DaBaby – “Bop” – Choreography by Dani Leigh and Cherry
Dua Lipa – “Physical” – Choreography by Charm La'Donna
Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me” – Choreography by Richy Jackson
Normani – “Motivation” – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

BEST EDITING
Halsey – “Graveyard” – Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim Montana
James Blake – “Can't Believe the Way We Flow” – Edited by Frank Lebon
Lizzo – “Good As Hell” – Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia Kerpan
Miley Cyrus – “Mother’s Daughter” – Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico
ROSALÍA – “A Palé” – Edited by Andre Jones
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana

(Image credit: Future)
Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.