Nicki Minaj will perform and serve as emcee at MTV’s 2023 Video Music Awards, taking place Tuesday.
Minaj, who is nominated for six VMAs this year, will perform her new single “Last Time I Saw You” as well as announce this year’s performers, presenters and winners. She also will join Lil Wayne, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and LL Cool J for a tribute performance to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary that will close out the show.
Last year, she was one of three emcees, along with LL Cool J and Jack Harlow, and received the Video Vanguard Award.
She joins a list of performers that also includes Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Kelsea Ballerini, Anitta, Tomorrow X Together, Demi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin, Stray Kids, Fall Out Boy, Peso Pluma and Metro Boomin featuring Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee and NAV.
Cardi and Megan are set to reunite for a debut performance of their new single “Bongos.”
The Grammy winners previously teamed up on the No 1 hit “WAP,” which received five VMA nominations in 2021.
And both are VMA nominees this year, with four-time winner Cardi up for best hip hop and two-time winner Megan up for three awards.
Rodrigo is up for six VMAs this year, including video of the year. Her performance will come following Friday’s release of Guts, her sophomore album. Rodrigo previously performed her hit song “good 4 u” at the 2021 VMAs, where she also was named best new artist and push artist and also won song of the year.
This will mark Lil Wayne’s first performance at the VMAs in more than a decade. In addition to the hip-hop tribute, he will perform his new single “Kat Food,” which drops Friday, live for the first time. He also is a nominee this year, competing in the category of best hip-hop, which he won in 2008.
Doja Cat returns to the VMA stage after hosting and performing “Been Like This” and “You Right” in 2021. She’s also up for five VMAs, including video of the year and artist of the year.
Ballerini will give a world-premiere performance of the expanded version of her EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (for Good). This will mark her first VMA performance.
Anitta will perform a medley of hits from her latest release, Funk Generation: A Favela Love Story. She made her VMA debut last year, where she also became the first Brazilian to take home a Moon Person trophy. Anitta is aiming for a repeat win in the best Latin category this year.
Tomorrow X Together (TXT) will hit the stage with Anitta to debut a new single. The group is also up for best K-pop and push performance of the year.
Fall Out Boy has won three VMAs and is nominated for two again this year for work from their latest album So Much (For) Stardust.
Peso Pluma, who received the top spot on Spotify’s Global Songs of the Summer list for his single “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado, will compete for his first VMA (he’s nominated in three categories) and is set to take the stage at the awards show for the first time.
Metro Boomin, up for four awards this year including album of the year, will make his VMAs performance debut when he takes the stage with Future for their VMA-nominated “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)” and with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee and Nav for “Calling.”
Also as previously announced, Shakira will receive the Video Vanguard Award and perform at the show.
Diddy is also set to perform at the show, where he’ll receive the Global Icon Award.
Taylor Swift leads the nominees with a total of 11 mentions, followed by SZA with eight; Blackpink, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Minaj and Rodrigo with six; Kim Petras and Sam Smith (five each), Beyoncé, Diddy, Drake, Ice Spice, Karol G, Metro Boomin, Shakira and Tomorrow X Together (four each).
The 2023 VMAs will air live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center at 8 p.m. ET (delayed PT) on Tuesday. Awards are voted on by fans.
The show is executive produced by Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic, with Barb Bialkowski serving as co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba are the executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is the executive in charge of celebrity talent, and Lisa Lauricella is the music talent executive.
Sept. 7, 9:20 a.m.: This story has been updated to add news of Rodrigo’s performance.
Sept. 8, 6 a.m.: This story has been updated to add Minaj emceeing and performing.
Sept. 8, 2:02 p.m.: This story has been updated to add Fall Out Boy, Peso Pluma and Metro Boomin featuring Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee and Nav to the performers list.
Sept. 9, 11 a.m.: This story has been updated to add Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s performance.
Sept. 11, 10:57 a.m.: This story has been updated to add news of the tribute performance to hip-hop.
Hilary Lewis contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Aug. 31 at 1:13 p.m.
