MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction

Last updated
MTV Video Music Award
for Best Direction
Awarded for Direction
CountryUnited States
Presented by MTV
First awarded1984
Currently held by Taylor Swift – "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone (2024)
Website VMA website

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly renamed Best Director. The category acquired its current name with the 2008 awards.

Contents

American artist Taylor Swift is the biggest winner in this category with four wins from six nominations.

The most nominated director is David Fincher with eight nominations. Remarkably, seven of Fincher's nominations were achieved in a three-year span (1989–1991), as he was nominated a record three times in both 1989 and 1990. Fincher's recent nomination (and win) occurred over twenty years later in 2013 for his work on Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie." Closely following him are Dave Meyers with seven nominations and Francis Lawrence with six. Hype Williams is the director with the most nominations and no wins at five.

The performers whose videos have won the most awards are Madonna and Taylor Swift, whose videos have garnered three direction moonmen respectively. However, Eminem's videos have received the most nominations with seven. Swift is also the only performer to have won four moonmen in this category for her work directing.

Five other performers have won a moonman in this category for their work directing/co-directing their videos: George Michael, Beck, Erykah Badu, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X. An additional nine performers have been nominated for their work co-directing/directing videos: Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, Jared Leto (as Bartholomew Cubbins), Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, Tyler, the Creator (as Wolf Haley) and Travis Scott.

Recipients

1980s

YearWinner(s)WorkNomineesRef.
1984 Tim Newman"Sharp Dressed Man" (performed by ZZ Top)
 [1]
1985 Jean-Baptiste Mondino "The Boys of Summer" (performed by Don Henley) [2]
1986 Steven Barron "Take On Me" (performed by a-ha)
 [3]
1987 Stephen R. Johnson "Sledgehammer" (performed by Peter Gabriel)
 [4]
1988 Andy Morahan and George Michael "Father Figure" (performed by George Michael) [5]
1989 David Fincher "Express Yourself" (performed by Madonna) [6]

1990s

YearWinner(s)WorkNomineesRef.
1990 David Fincher "Vogue" (performed by Madonna)
 [7]
1991 Tarsem "Losing My Religion" (performed by R.E.M.)
 [8]
1992 Mark Fenske"Right Now" (performed by Van Halen) [9]
1993 Mark Pellington "Jeremy" (performed by Pearl Jam)
 [10]
1994 Jake Scott "Everybody Hurts" (performed by R.E.M.)
 [11]
1995 Spike Jonze "Buddy Holly" (performed by Weezer)
 [12]
1996 Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris "Tonight, Tonight" (performed by The Smashing Pumpkins) [13]
1997 Beck "The New Pollution" (performed by Beck) [14]
1998 Jonas Åkerlund "Ray of Light" (performed by Madonna)
 [15]
1999 Torrance Community Dance Group "Praise You" (performed by Fatboy Slim) [16]

2000s

YearWinner(s)WorkNomineesRef.
2000 Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris "Californication" (performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
 [17]
2001 Spike Jonze "Weapon of Choice" (performed by Fatboy Slim)
 [18]
2002 Joseph Kahn "Without Me" (performed by Eminem) [19]
2003 Jamie Thraves "The Scientist" (performed by Coldplay) [20]
2004 Mark Romanek "99 Problems" (performed by Jay-Z) [21]
2005 Samuel Bayer "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (performed by Green Day) [22]
2006 Robert Hales "Crazy" (performed by Gnarls Barkley)
 [23]
2007 Samuel Bayer "What Goes Around... Comes Around" (performed by Justin Timberlake)
 [24]
2008 Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto "Honey" (performed by Erykah Badu) [25]
2009 Marc Webb "21 Guns" (performed by Green Day)
 [26]

2010s

YearWinner(s)WorkNomineesRef.
2010 Francis Lawrence "Bad Romance" (performed by Lady Gaga) [27]
2011 Adam Yauch "Make Some Noise" (performed by Beastie Boys)
 [28]
2012 Romain Gavras "Bad Girls" (performed by M.I.A.)
 [29]
2013 David Fincher "Suit & Tie" (performed by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z)
 [30]
2014 DANIELS "Turn Down for What" (performed by DJ Snake and Lil Jon)
 [31]
2015 Colin Tilley and the Little Homies"Alright" (performed by Kendrick Lamar)
 [32]
2016 Melina Matsoukas "Formation" (performed by Beyoncé)
 [33]
2017 Dave Meyers and The Little Homies"HUMBLE." (performed by Kendrick Lamar)
 [34]
2018 Hiro Murai "This is America" (performed by Childish Gambino)
 [35]
2019 Calmatic "Old Town Road (Remix)" (performed by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus)
 [36]

2020s

YearWinner(s)WorkNomineesRef.
2020 Taylor Swift "The Man" (performed by Taylor Swift)
 [37]
2021 Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" (performed by Lil Nas X)
 [38]
2022 Taylor Swift All Too Well: The Short Film (performed by Taylor Swift) [39]
2023 Taylor Swift "Anti-Hero" (performed by Taylor Swift)
 [40]
2024 Taylor Swift "Fortnight" (performed by Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone)
 [41]

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  40. ↑ Tinoco, Armando (8 August 2023). "MTV VMA Nominations: Taylor Swift Leads Pack With Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith & More Close By". Deadline. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  41. ↑ Atkinson, Kaite (September 11, 2024). "Here's the Full List of 2024 MTV VMAs Winners". Billboard . Retrieved September 12, 2024.

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