MTV has postponed its annual Video Music Awards (VMAs) by one day to prevent a scheduling conflict with the upcoming U.S. presidential debate.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have agreed to participate in a televised debate on September 10, which was originally the same date as the VMAs. The awards ceremony will now be held on September 11.
Had both events taken place on the same night, it would likely have negatively impacted viewership for both, particularly for the VMAs, given the high interest expected in the debate, which is the only one currently scheduled between the two candidates.
This scheduling change also addresses potential image concerns for MTV, which has actively promoted voter engagement since the 1992 election when Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush.
In addition to the debate hosted by ABC, Trump has proposed two more debates to be hosted by Fox News and NBC, while Harris has shown openness to additional debates, though none have been confirmed yet.
At this year’s VMAs, Taylor Swift leads with 10 nominations, including artist, video, and song of the year. Last year, she won nine awards from 11 nominations, including video of the year for “Anti-Hero.”
Other nominees this year include Post Malone with nine nominations, while Ariana Grande, Eminem, and Sabrina Carpenter each have six. Additional nominees include Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, Teddy Swims, LISA, and Dua Lipa.
The ceremony is set to take place on Wednesday, September 11, at 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET, which will be 1:00 AM BST on Thursday for viewers in the UK.
