Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande lead MTV VMA nominations

Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande each received 10 nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) on Tuesday, leading the race in the youth-orientated awards show, which this year includes two new categories, best K-pop and video for good.

Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish scored nine nominations, including video of the year, best pop, best new artist and artist of the year, a category that she will compete for against Grande, rapper Cardi B, pop rocker siblings Jonas Brothers as well as singers Halsey and Shawn Mendes.

Grande's breakup anthem "thank u, next" and Swift's "You Need to Calm Down", will contend for prizes including song of the year, best pop and the video of the year.

Taylor Swift at Billboard Music Awards. File photo/Reuters

That major category also includes Eilish's "Bad Guy", Jonas Brothers' "Sucker", "Old Town Road (Remix)" by rapper Lil Nas X featuring country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and "a lot" by rapper 21 Savage featuring J. Cole.

Swift, whose acceptance speech at the 2009 awards was famously interrupted by rapper Kanye West, also received nominations for "ME!" her upbeat duet with Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! at the Disco.

Ariana Grande performs during a concert at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. File photo/Reuters 

The new video for good category features songs that have raised awareness or given out a wider message.

Other nominees include The Killers' "Land Of The Free", a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's planned wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and a remake of Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train", whose 1993 video featured missing children, by Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey and Gallant.

Other music stars with several nominations include Lil Nas X with eight nods, Halsey who received six, Shawn Mendes who earned five and last year's video of the year and artist of the year winner Camila Cabello, who got four.

The VMAs, which are voted for by fans and known for their unpredictable stunts, will be broadcast live on Aug. 26 from Newark, New Jersey.

Reuters