Nigerian global music heavyweights Burna Boy and Tems have added fresh momentum to Afrobeats’ international rise with new nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.

The nominations, announced ahead of the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, place both artists in highly competitive categories dominated by some of the world’s biggest pop, Latin and R&B stars.

Burna Boy scores two nods for “Dai Dai,” his high-profile collaboration with Colombian icon Shakira and the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The track is up for Best Collaboration, where it faces Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice for “Chains & Whips,” French Montana and Max B for “Ever Since U Left Me,” Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love,” PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for “Stateside,” and Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye for “Hard Part.”

“Dai Dai” also lands Burna Boy in the Best Latin category, a field traditionally dominated by Spanish-language acts. There, he and Shakira compete against Anitta and Shakira’s “Choka Choka,” Bad Bunny’s “NUEVAYoL,” Fuerza Regida’s “TU SANCHO,” Karol G’s “Papasito,” Rosalía featuring Yahritza y Su Esencia on “La Perla,” and Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta’s “LA VILLA.” The nomination underscores Burna Boy’s growing influence beyond Afrobeats, positioning him firmly within the global Latin crossover space.

Tems, one of Nigeria’s most acclaimed vocal exports, earns a Best R&B nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave. The track goes up against Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” Chris Brown’s “It Depends/Obvious,” Justin Bieber’s “Yukon,” Kehlani’s “Folded,” and Mariah the Scientist featuring Kali Uchis on “Is It a Crime,” placing Tems in the heart of mainstream R&B competition.

Madonna leads the 2026 field with 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine, reflecting a ceremony where legacy acts and contemporary pop powerhouses dominate the top categories. The VMAs will air live on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+, while fans are able to vote in most categories until just days before the show.

In a notable shift, the Best Afrobeats category, which had previously recognized the genre directly, is absent from this year’s line-up. Yet the presence of Burna Boy and Tems in major cross-genre categories suggests Afrobeats is no longer treated as a niche sound, but as a core part of global pop music.