The MTV VMA Nominations Prove That This Is Going To Be One Hell Of A Tense Show

Traditionally, the MTV Video Music Awards has been the scene of great pop culture schisms. Miley Cyrus twerking on Robin Thicke! Kanye West crashing the stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech! Taylor exercising her divine social influence!

Judging by the VMA nominations this year, the awards show will once again be a bubbling pot of politics and shady Twitter fingers — and Taylor Swift isn’t even nominated! (Wouldn’t her Out of Africa ‘Wildest Dreams’ video be eligible this year? Hm.) The video of the year nominations are as follows:

‘Formation’ – Beyoncé

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‘Hotline Bling’ – Drake

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‘Sorry’ – Justin Bieber

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‘Hello’ – Adele

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‘Famous’ – Kanye West

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Yep, those really were the most interesting videos of the year, all right! Can you imagine if ‘Formation’ doesn’t win, though? There would be absolute mayhem! (Or even worse, if it loses to Adele?) Beyonce is nominated for seven awards, including Breakthrough Long Form Video for Lemonade (Troye Sivan is also nominated for that award).

Kanye West’s very controversial video ‘Famous’ is an interesting inclusion, being as it’s been hailed as an evocative statement about celebrity by some, and a visual representation of rape culture by others. It’s not so outside the realm of possibility though, that the pure meme-ness of Drake’s James Turrell-inspired ‘Hotline Bling’ video will take it out. Drake is also nominated twice with Rihanna for the ‘Work’ video, so here’s hoping they kiss on stage or something.

The MTV Video Music Awards will take place on August 28. You can check out the rest of the VMA nominations here.