Getty Justin Bieber is performing at tonight's MTV VMA Awards.
Tonight’s MTV VMA Awards will feature performances from the top acts in the music business.
The VMAs will air from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Eastern Time on MTV and various streaming platforms. In addition to being a nominee and performer, Doja Cat will also be hosting the awards. Tonight’s presenters include Billie Eilish, Cyndi Lauper, and Avril Lavigne.
Read on for the highlights of tonight’s performance schedule as well as a full list of performers for the 2021 MTV VMA Awards.
Justin Bieber & The Kid Laroi
Performing their song “Stay” is Justin Bieber and Australian rapper, The Kid Laroi. Bieber hasn’t taken the VMAs stage since his 2015 performance of “What Do You Mean?” The Canadian singer is nominated for more VMAs than anyone else this year with a total of seven nominations, including Artist of the Year.
Variety named “Stay” the Song of the Summer for 2021.
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is making her VMAs debut tonight with a performance of “Star-Crossed,” the title track from her new album. In conjunction with the album, Musgraves released a film, now streaming on Paramount+.
The film features actor Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), musician Princess Nokia, actor Victoria Pedretti (“You”), and comedian Megan Stalter (“Hacks”). Musgraves wrote the album following her divorce from Ruston Kelly.
Musgraves talked to Elle Magazine about the stress of putting a divorce album out into the world.
“It would be strange if I didn’t acknowledge what happened in my life creatively, but it is scary to be like, ‘I’m about to share my most personal thoughts about me, about this other person, about a union that I had with someone.’ I mean, I’m not a ruthless person. I care about other people’s feelings. So it’s kind of scary,” she told the outlet.
Machine Gun Kelly & Travis Barker
Performing their single “Papercuts” is rapper Machine Gun Kelly and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The song is the first single of Kelly’s album “Born with Horses.” Both Kelly and Barker got tattoos to commemorate the new album.
Barker is currently dating Kourtney Kardashian.
Chlöe
Chlöe of Chloe X Halle will make her solo debut tonight with the performance of her first solo single, “Have Mercy.” Chloe Bailey and her sister Halle were discovered by Beyonce after a YouTube cover of them singing “Pretty Hurts” went viral.
Beyonce ended up contacting the sisters and signing them to her music label, Parkwood Entertainment. Halle voiced her support for her sister’s new single via Instagram.
“GO WATCH THE VIDEO TO #HAVEMERCY !!!!! ❤️❤️❤️😍😍🥳🥳🥳🥳!!!!,” she captioned a video of her lip-syncing with her sister and musical partner.
Full List of Performers
Here is the full list of performers for tonight’s MTV VMA Awards. Tune in at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
- Alicia Keys and Swae Lee
- Anitta
- Camila Cabello
- Chlöe
- Doja Cat
- Ed Sheeran
- Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow
- Kacey Musgraves
- The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber
- Kim Petras
- Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker
- Normani
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Ozuna
- Polo G
- Swedish House Mafia
- Tainy and Shawn Mendes
- Twenty One Pilots
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