MTV Video Music Award for Video for Good

Last updated
MTV Video Music Award
for Video for Good
Awarded for Music songs
CountryUnited States
Presented by MTV
First award2011
Currently held by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish – "Guess" (2025)
Most wins Billie Eilish (3)
Most nominations (4 each)
Website VMA website

The MTV Video Music Award for Video for Good is an award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards, first introduced at the 2011 ceremony. Originally named Best Video with a Message, the word "Social" was added to its name in 2013.

Contents

For the 2017 ceremony, the award was renamed Best Fight Against the System while still being known for awarding videos that address current social and political subjects. In 2018, the award's name became Video with a Message, and in 2019, it was changed to its current title.

The inaugural winner of the category was Lady Gaga. As of 2025, Billie Eilish is the biggest winner with three awards, followed by John Legend and Big Sean with two each. Eilish and Demi Lovato are also the most nominated artists, with four nominations each.

Recipients

Inaugural winner Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga interview 2016.jpg
Inaugural winner Lady Gaga.
Billie Eilish is the biggest winner with three. She won in 2021 with "Your Power", 2024 with "What Was I Made For?" and 2025 with "Guess featuring billie eilish" BillieEilishO2140725-39 - 54665577407 (cropped).jpg
Billie Eilish is the biggest winner with three. She won in 2021 with "Your Power", 2024 with "What Was I Made For?" and 2025 with "Guess featuring billie eilish"
Two-time winner Big Sean. Big Sean 2016 October.jpg
Two-time winner Big Sean.
Two-time winner John Legend. John Legend May 2022.jpg
Two-time winner John Legend.

2010s

Recipients
Year [a] Winner(s)VideoNomineesRef.
2011 Lady Gaga "Born This Way" [1]
2012 Demi Lovato "Skyscraper" [2]
2013 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Mary Lambert)"Same Love"
[3]
2014 Beyoncé "Pretty Hurts"
[4]
2015 Big Sean (featuring Kanye West and John Legend)"One Man Can Change the World" [5]
2016
2017 [6]
2018 Childish Gambino "This is America"
[7]
2019 Taylor Swift "You Need to Calm Down"
[8]

2020s

Recipients
Year [b] Winner(s)VideoNomineesRef.
2020 H.E.R. "I Can't Breathe" [9]
2021 Billie Eilish "Your Power" [10]
2022 Lizzo "About Damn Time" [11]
2023 Dove Cameron "Breakfast" [12]
2024 Billie Eilish "What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture Barbie)" [13]
2025 Charli XCX (featuring Billie Eilish)"Guess"
[14]

Statistics

Artists with multiple wins

3 wins
2 wins

Artists with multiple nominations

4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

Notes

    1. Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.
    2. Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.

    References

    1. "MTV Video Music Awards 2011". MTV. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
    2. "MTV Video Music Awards 2012". MTV. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
    3. "MTV Video Music Awards 2013". MTV. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
    4. "MTV Video Music Awards 2014". MTV. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
    5. "MTV Video Music Awards 2015". MTV. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
    6. Renner Brown, Eric (August 28, 2017). "MTV VMA 2017: See the Complete Winners List". People . Retrieved March 12, 2018.
    7. "VMAs: Camila Cabello Wins Video of the Year for "Havana"; Complete List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
    8. "Here Are All the Winners From the 2019 MTV VMAs". Billboard . August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
    9. Ginsberg, Gab (July 30, 2020). "Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga Lead 2020 MTV VMA Nominations: See Full List". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
    10. Serrano, Athena (August 11, 2021). "The 2021 VMA Nominations Are Here: Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, and More". MTV News. MTV. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
    11. Grein, Paul (July 26, 2022). "Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow & Kendrick Lamar Lead 2022 MTV VMA Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
    12. 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.
    13. Atkinson, Kaite (September 11, 2024). "Here's the Full List of 2024 MTV VMAs Winners". Billboard . Retrieved September 12, 2024.
    14. Nordyke, Kimberly (2025-09-07). "MTV VMAs: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-09-08.