Rock and roll icon Lenny Kravitz performed a ripping three-song medley at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

Introduced by British singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse — who called him a “rock God with a sound completely his own” — Kravitz started his set with his signature 1993 classic “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” wearing a white boa and a barely-there silver-fringe vest. He then segued seamlessly into his disco-tinged 2024 single “Human,” flanked by backing dancers and going back-to-back with his open-vested co-guitarist.

Kravitz ended the medley with a performance of “Fly,” the Quavo-featuring reinvention of his huge 1998 hit “Fly Away” that he originally dropped in May. The trap-ified redo had everyone in the crowd from Post Malone to Paris Hilton singing along to the still-unforgettable original chorus.

Kravitz already took home a moonperson in the Video Music Awards’ preshow, winning best rock for “Human.” (He had been nominated in the category three times previously, back when it was still called “best rock video,” but had not won it before.) It was his second overall win at the awards, following his taking home best male video at the 1993 awards for “Are You Gonna Go My Way” — which he also performed at that year’s ceremonies in his VMAs stage debut, with help from legendary Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones.

Kravitz’s history at the Video Music Awards also includes a pair of notable appearances during the 1998 VMAs. He presented best rock video to Aerosmith for their “Pink,” along with Gwen Stefani (then of No Doubt), and played guitar with Madonna for her performance of “Ray of Light” — that year’s winner for video of the year.

Megan Thee Stallion is working overtime at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. In addition to playing host for the night, the Houston Hottie also performed an energetic medley of fiery tracks from her Megan album on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

Hot Girl Meg hit the stage in a pair of strappy boots that made it look like she could either be performing on the mic or ready to jump off the top rope of a wrestling ring. (Perhaps a WWE diva cameo could be in her future?)

She set the tone with her serpentine-themed “Boa” before heading into the crowd and an alternate stage to fire up “B.A.S” and her bristling Billboard Hot 100 solo hit “Hiss.”

The 29-year-old finished off the medley with “Mamushi” and a special surprise up her sleeve, bringing out Yuki Chiba for the Japanese rapper’s VMAs debut. Yuki Chiba didn’t hold back with for his first time on the VMAs stage, rocking a furry and loud red hat paired with a bedazzled denim jacket.

“Mamushi” has been scorching on TikTok, and Meg even hit the signature dance moves that have helped the track remain at No. 52 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 in its 10th week on the chart.

Meg and GloRilla’s “Wanna Be” lost out to Taylor Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight” for best collaboration honors, but “Boa” was also nominated for best hip-hop, best direction, best visual effects and best art direction.

Watch Megan Thee Stallion’s medley performance below.

Gov. Tim Walz has responded to Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as she runs for the office of President of the United States – and as a “fellow cat owner,” he’s happy.

Walz, the Minnesota governor who is Harris’ VP pick on the Democratic ticket for the President of the United States, was on MSNBC speaking to Rachel Maddow on Tuesday (Sept. 10) night, shortly after the 2024 presidential debate wrapped, when news broke that Taylor Swift had endorsed Harris.

“I am incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and I say that as a fellow cat owner,” Walz said after Maddow read him part of Swift’s lengthy, heartfelt Instagram statement. “That was eloquent and that was clear and that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up. We’ve seen it out of those Republicans who were at the DNC. We’ve seen it out of women who would like to have their personal lives kept personal but are forced to go out there because they nearly died because they can’t get abortion services in a pregnancy. And now you have somebody like Taylor Swift coming out making that very clear. This would be the opportunity, Swifties: KamalaHarris.com, get on over there, get things going.”

Swift’s statement was both a rebuke of fake AI content that falsely claimed she endorsed Trump and an explanation of her political priorities in the upcoming election.

“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” Swift posted on her Instagram immediately after the 2024 Presidential Debate wrapped. “It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

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The MTV VMAs are back with a star-studded lineup of presenters, performers and honorees. The ceremony will air live from New York’s USB Arena on MTV on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

Megan Thee Stallion will emcee in addition to performing on the show.

Taylor Swift leads this year’s nominees race with 12 nods, followed by Post Malone with 11 nominations. Eminem, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA and Megan Thee Stallion are tied with seven nominations each. LISA, Billie Eilish, GloRilla, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Benson Boone and Teddy Swims landed four nods each.

Anitta, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Bleachers, Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Rauw Alejandro and Tyla earned three nominations. Rounding out the list with two nominations apiece are Bad Bunny, Camila Cabello, Drake, Hozier, Imagine Dragons, Jelly Roll, Jesse Murph, Jung Kook, NCT Dream, NewJeans, Sexxy Redd, Tate McRae, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Usher and Victoria Monét.

Katy Perry will receive the Video Vanguard Award during the ceremony and will perform a medley of her hits.

See below for everything you need to know about the 2024 VMAs, including broadcast information, how to watch online, performers and more.

When Are the 2024 MTV VMAs?

The VMAs returns to UBS Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 11, airing at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

The show will also be simulcast on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, BET, BET Her, MTV2, VH1, Nickelodeon and Paramount Network. Additionally, the VMAs will stream live on UniMás and air on Univision at 11:30 p.m. ET.

How to Watch the 2024 MTV VMAs on Paramount+

If you don’t have access to MTV through cable, satellite or a streaming service, you can watch the 2024 VMAs for free on Paramount+. The streamer offers a free trial for the first week, plus a 50% discount on its annual plans. The limited deal means you can subscribe to the Essential plan for just $30, or $60 for Paramount+ with Showtime.

Paramount+ offers monthly subscriptions starting at $8 a month for ad-supported streaming and $13 a month to access Paramount+ and Showtime (commercial free), and a free trial for the first week. But you’ll save more with the annual plan because the 50% off promo slices that monthly price down to $2.50-$5 per month for a year.

You can also subscribe to Paramount+ through Prime Video.

Paramount+ features exclusive TV series, movies, CBS shows, live news, NFL games and more.

Read on for other ways to watch the VMAs from anywhere.

How to Watch the MTV VMAs on Philo, DirecTV & More:

Music lovers can also stream MTV on Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, Philo, fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV. The streaming platforms offer free trials and discounted pricing, and instant access to MTV, so you can watch the 2024 VMAs live or on-demand from your TV or stream the VMAs from your laptop, tablet or phone.

Interested in streaming deals? There are a bunch of discounts to take advantage of. For example, you can join Hulu + Live TV and save $30 off the first month under a limited promo. The web-only offer ends on Sept. 11. Hulu + Live’s streaming plans start at $76.99/month after a three-day free trial.

DirecTV Stream is discounted $80 over three months (reg. $98/month) and Sling TV starts as low as $20/month for a limited time only. There are also streaming packages available for Spanish speakers, including DirecTV’s Óptimo Más, Fubo Latino and Sling Latino.

If you’re streaming from outside of the U.S., use ExpressVPN or NordVPN to watch the VMAs internationally.

Who Is Performing and Presenting at the 2024 MTV VMAs?

Anitta, Carpenter, Boone, Perry, Cabello, Roan, Eminem, GloRilla, Halsey, KAROL G, LISA, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, Megan Thee Stallion and Shawn Mendes are all set to perform at the VMAs.

The list presenters for the 2024 VMAs include Addison Rae, Alessandra Ambrosio, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Big Sean, Busta Rhymes, Carson Daly, Cyndi Lauper, Damiano David (Måneskin), DANNA, DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Flavor Flav, French Montana, Halle Bailey, Jordan Chiles, Lil Nas X, Miranda Lambert, Naomi Scott, Paris Hilton, Suki Waterhouse, Thalía and Tinashe.

The recorded music market in Europe is at risk of falling behind other global regions unless regulators enforce tougher protections for artists, creators and rightsholders, according to a new report from international labels trade body IFPI.

In Europe, music sales grew to over $8 billion in 2023, representing more than a quarter of global revenues (28.1%) and maintaining the continent’s long-held status as the second largest region in the world for recorded music sales behind the U.S. and Canada, according to IFPI data.

Europe’s prominent position is coming under threat, however, from other music markets that are growing at faster rates, states IFPI’s first-ever report focused specifically on recorded music in the European Union, published Tuesday (Sept. 10).

Last year, music sales among the 27 members of the European Union trading block — which the U.K. exited in 2020 — grew by 8.7% to 5.2 billion euros ($5.7 billion), says IFPI. While that places the EU below only the U.S. in total revenue terms, several other international markets are significantly outpacing its growth rate thanks to the widespread global adoption of music streaming services.

Examples cited by IFPI include China, which grew music sales by more than 25% to 1.3 billion euro ($1.4 billion) in 2023; Sub-Saharan Africa, up 25% to 85 million euros ($93 million); Mexico, up 18% to 454 million euros ($500 million); and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which climbed 14% to 102 million euro ($112 million).

Although all of those territories are developing from far lower bases than mature EU markets such as France and Germany — and all have some way to go before they come close to surpassing EU music sales — IFPI said their rapid growth represents “warning signs” that the region is facing strong competition from its global competitors. Notably, some of those fast-growing music markets were virtually non-existent just over a decade ago.

The report, which is titled “Music in the EU: A Global Opportunity,” comes three months after European Parliament elections and ahead of the unveiling of the new European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, which is expected to take place later this month.

The new cohort of Brussels politicians will be responsible for monitoring and enforcing already passed EU legislation such as the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act and the AI Act, which all impact the music business to varying degrees, in some instances significantly.

“The EU is a vitally important place for music,” said IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley in a statement. “However, the data in this report shows us that other parts of the world are developing and growing rapidly and the EU risks falling behind.”

To ensure that the EU’s music market stays competitive, Oakley called on European policymakers to provide “legal certainty and protection for music rightsholders, supporting the development of responsible and ethical AI and creating a competitive playing field on which today’s dynamic music sector can evolve.”

“Today, European music faces great risk but also great opportunity,” Oakley continued. “How policymakers address these issues will help determine its future.”

An accompanying press release from IFPI said its research sets out how policymakers can help “secure a positive future for music at what is a pivotal time for music in Europe” amidst rising global competition.
The report notes that when adjusted for inflation, recorded music revenue in the EU last year was only 61% of where they were in 2001, the music industry’s revenue peak.

Specific areas in which IFPI says policymakers can support creators and rightsholders include effective implementation of the EU’s AI Act, which passed earlier this year, and upholding existing EU copyright laws preventing the use of copyright-protected works and music from being used for training AI systems without prior consent. AI developers must also maintain and provide records of the materials used in training and developing generative AI models that enable rightsholders to exercise and enforce their rights, says IFPI.

When it comes to individual EU markets, the report highlights the continued strong performance of domestic acts in their home countries. In the 22 EU markets where IFPI collects yearly chart data, on average, 60% of the Top 10s were tracks by domestic artists in 2023, compared to only 47% in non-EU markets.

EU markets fared less well in terms of top 10 global chart exports, which were once again dominated by U.S. artists like Miley Cyrus, SZA and Taylor Swift last year, though Latin and Central American artists, most notably from Columbia and Puerto Rico, also performed well.