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Justin Timberlake, Macklemore Lead 2013 MTV VMA Nominations

justin timberlake, mtv vma awards, nominations

Nominations for the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards are in and Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are tied for the most nods, landing six each.

Timberlake’s epic “Mirrors” clip will compete for the coveted Video of the Year trophy, squaring off against Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Robin Thicke’s porny “Blurred Lines,” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” 

JT’s “Mirrors” also earned mentions for Best Pop Video, Best Male Video, and Best Editing, while the Jay-Z-featuring, David Fincher-directed “Suit & Tie” is in the running for the Best Collaboration and Best Direction awards. As for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, the first-time nominees’ “Thrift Shop” was surprisingly only acknowledged in the night’s top category. That said, the Heist duo’s “Can’t Hold Us” pulled in nods for Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, and Best Editing. What’s more, their “Same Love” clip is up for the title of Best Video With a Social Message. 

Bruno Mars racked up the second-highest number of nominations with a total of four. Aside from Video of the Year, the Unorthodox Jukebox singer is vying for Best Pop Video and Best Male Video on the strength of “Locked Out of Heaven.” 

MTV revealed the 2013 hopefuls on Wednesday, July 17, via Instagram and Vine, making the VMAs the first-ever awards show to do so through these platforms, according to a press release. MTV will upload more Instagram and Vine videos every hour, further highlighting the nominated artists.

The 30th annual MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 25 at 9 p.m. EST. Beginning today, fans can vote in the general categories by visiting the VMAs website. Every artist who wins a VMA will receive a special, limited edition Moonman, designed specifically for this year’s ceremony by New York artist KAWS. 

Video of the Year
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Bruno Mars, “Locked out of Heaven” 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop” 
Robin Thicke, featuring T.I. and Pharrell, “Blurred Lines” 
Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble” 

Best Male Video
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
Bruno Mars, “Locked out of Heaven”
Ed Sheeran, “Lego House”
Kendrick Lamar, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

Best Female Video
Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko, “Stay”
Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble”
Miley Cyrus, “We Can’t Stop”
Pink feat. Nate Ruess, “Just Give Me a Reason”
Demi Lovato, “Heart Attack”

Best Pop Video
Bruno Mars, “Locked out of Heaven”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Fun., “Carry on”
Miley Cyrus, “We Can’t Stop”
Selena Gomez, “Come and Get It”

Artist to Watch, Presented by Taco Bell
Twenty One Pilots, “Holding on to You”
Zedd feat. Foxes, “Clarity”
Austin Mahone, “What About Love”
The Weeknd, “Wicked Games”
Iggy Azalea, “Work”

Best Collaboration
Justin Timberlake, feat. Jay-Z, “Suit & Tie”
Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera, “Feel This Moment”
Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding, “I Need Your Love”
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
Pink feat. Nate Ruess, “Just Give Me a Reason”

Best Video With a Social Message
Kelly Clarkson, “People Like Us”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Same Love”
Snoop Lion, “No Guns Allowed”
Miguel, “Candles in the Sun”
Beyoncé, “I Was Here”

Best Rock Video
Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive”
Fall Out Boy, “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
Mumford & Sons, “I Will Wait”
30 Seconds to Mars, “Up in the Air”
Vampire Weekend, “Diane Young” 

Best Hip-Hop Video
A$AP Rocky feat. 2 Chainz, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, “Fuckin’ Problems” 
J. Cole feat. Miguel, “Power Trip” 
Drake, “Started From the Bottom” 
Kendrick Lamar, “Swimming Pools (Drank)” 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us” 

Best Art Direction
Capital Cities, “Safe and Sound”
30 Seconds to Mars, “Up in the Air”
Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu, “Q.U.E.E.N”
Lana Del Rey, “National Anthem”
Alt-J, “Tesselate”

Best Choreography
Chris Brown, “Fine China”
Ciara, “Body Party”
Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull, “Live It Up”
will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber, “#thatPOWER”
Bruno Mars, “Treasure”

Best Cinematography
30 Seconds to Mars, “Up in the Air”
Lana Del Rey, “Ride”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Sacrilege”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”
A-Trak & Tommy Trash, “Tuna Melt”

Best Direction
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z, “Suit & Tie”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Sacrilege”
Fun., “Carry on”
Drake, “Started From the Bottom”

Best Editing
Pink feat. Nate Ruess, “Just Give Me a Reason”
Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch, “Sweet Nothing”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”
Miley Cyrus, “We Can’t Stop”

Best Visual Effects
Flying Lotus, “Tiny Tortures”
Skrillex feat. The Doors, “Breakin’ A Sweat”
The Weeknd, “Wicked Games”
Duck Sauce, “It’s You”
Capital Cities, “Safe and Sound”