Kendrick Lamar secured his second Emmy on Sunday, winning Outstanding Music Direction for his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance, which he co-directed with Tony Russell. The Apple Music production earned seven nominations overall. Other winners included the 2024 Grammys broadcast and SNL 50. Beyoncé’s Netflix special was edged out this round, though she recently won an Emmy for costume design.
In related news, Kendrick Lamar and SZA held down the culture this summer with their Grand National tour. They also took over the Billboard charts, landing at the No. 5 spot on the Billboard’s “Top Songs of the Summer 2025” list. The “Luther” single is the highest entry for Hip-Hop in the year. And the only in the top 10.
In related news, Kendrick is primed for a big night at the VMAS. MTV has announced the nominees for the 2025 Video Music Awards, with Lady Gaga leading the field with 12 nominations. Gaga’s impressive haul includes nods for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Best Album.
Bruno Mars follows closely with 11 nominations, while Kendrick Lamar comes in third with 10. ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter round out the top five with eight nominations each.
The 2025 MTV VMAs will air live from New York on September 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and MTV, with streaming available on Paramount+.
See the nominations for Video of the Year below and the full list here.