How to Watch MTV Music Awards for Free: Streaming From Anywhere
The MTV Music Awards 2023 are almost here, with the likes of Sam Smith, Kim Petras, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj and many more nominated for the different categories. If you want to stream it, this guide shows how to watch MTV Music Awards 2023 and for free.
Written by Sandra Pattison (Writer, Editor)
Reviewed by Sapphire Fox (Editor)
Last Updated: 2024-10-12T03:53:17+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Stream the MTV VMAs for Free
- Sign up for a NordVPN subscription at a 73% discount.
- Connect to a U.S. server.
- Go to Pluto TV and stream the VMAs for free.
BestVPNs for Streaming the MTV VMAs:
- NordVPN — Secure, swift and packed with advanced features. Get 73% off the first two years with NordVPN, covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Surfshark — Connect all your devices without breaking the bank. Surfshark’s best deal is available at a 86% discount.
- ExpressVPN — High-end VPN that welcomes beginners. Sign up now to get 49% off the first year.
What to Know About the MTV Music Awards:
- The 2023 MTV VMAs air on Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST on MTV and other channels. The pre-show starts an hour and a half earlier at 3:30 p.m. PST / 6:30 p.m. EST.
- You can watch it for free on the MTV website or the Pluto TV MTV channel in the U.S.
- If you’re not in the U.S., you can use a VPN to watch it. We recommend using NordVPN.
The 2023 MTV VMAs are almost here and this year is its 40th anniversary. it’ll air live on Tuesday, Sept. 12 across a few streaming services and other places online. If you want to know how to watch MTV Music Awards 2023 online from anywhere and for free, this guide has everything you need to know.
The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were created by MTV in 1984. It’s similar to the Grammy Awards, but aimed at a younger audience and allows viewers to vote for their favorite artists.
The ceremony includes performances from famous artists, tributes, announcements and often some crazy moments that cause a stir in the media after. Of course, there’s also the recognition and awards for top artists in multiple categories.
There are a lot of choices for where you can watch the MTV Video Music Awards, since it’ll air in over 150 countries. However, some options are restricted to certain regions. If you’re not in that region, you’ll be blocked from accessing it. That said, you can use a VPN to bypass the blocks and the best VPN, NordVPN, can do so easily.
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11/14/2023
Updated the article to reflect ExpressVPN’s expansion of server presence from 94 to 105 countries.
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10/01/2024
We streamlined installation steps and updated the VPN list to match our current performance evaluations.
How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023: Date, Time & Location
The 2023 MTV VMAs will be held at the same venue as last year; the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It’s scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12 and it’s the first time the awards ceremony will be held on a Tuesday.
A 90-minute pre-show is set to start at 3:30 p.m. PST / 6:30 p.m. EST, hosted by rapper Saweetie, as well as Nessa, Kevan Kenney and Dometi Pongo. The pre-show will see a bunch of top performances from various artists.
Nicki Minaj will perform her latest single Last Time I Saw You and once again host the awards show. Last year, Minaj won the Video Vanguard Award, as well as the Best Hip-Hop award. This year, she has five nominations, but we’ll go into more detail further down. The main awards show begins at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST.
Complete List of Presenters: 2023 VMAs
- Bebe Rexha
- Coco Jones
- Charli D’Amelio
- Dixie D’Amelio
- Emily Ratajkowski
- French Montana
- Ice Spice
- GloRilla
- Jared Leto
- Rita Ora
- Madelyn Cline
- Sabrina Carpenter
Which Paid Streaming Services Have MTV Music Awards 2023?
The MTV Video Music Awards 2023 will air live on multiple channels including MTV, MTV2, BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, VH1, Logo, Nickelodeon and the Paramount Network. If you have a cable or satellite subscription, you should have no trouble accessing at least one of those channels.
If not, then you can use a live TV streaming service to watch it. Sling TV, fuboTV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, among others, carry the MTV channel, meaning you can easily watch it online. Both fuboTV and YouTube TV also offer a free trial.
U.S. Paramount+ subscribers will also have access to the MTV VMAs. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need a U.S. payment method. A U.S. VPN server can help you access it if you’re not in the country.
How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 for Free
If you want to watch the MTV Video Awards for free, there are a couple of options. There are the free trials for live TV streaming services as we mentioned in the last section, but you can also watch a live stream on the MTV website.
Usually, the only way to access this is by logging in with TV provider credentials, but MTV are providing a free 24-hour pass to watch the MTV VMA live stream. All you need to do is create a free account.
on the MTV website for free with a 24-hour pass.
Another way you can watch it for free is via the MTV Pluto channel in the U.S., just keep in mind that it’s not ad-free. If you’re not located in the U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN to get a U.S. IP address. We’ll show you how further down.
Is MTV Music Awards 2023 on Netflix?
No, the MTV Video Music Awards are not on Netflix. It’s unlikely that they ever will be either, especially due to it being a live event.
How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 For Free With a VPN
In this section, we’ll show you how to watch the 2023 MTV VMAs for free. We’ve used NordVPN to access the MTV channel on Pluto. If you want to watch the VMAs on a different service but still need to use a VPN, just change the steps where needed.
- Sign Up for a VPN
Go to NordVPN’s website and sign up at a 73% discount. The two-year plan works out the cheapest. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available if you change your mind.
- Install the VPN App
Download and install the VPN app for your device. After installation has finished, open the app and log in with your credentials.
- Connect to a U.S. Server
Find and connect to a server in the U.S. You can use NordVPN’s map or full server list. Once you find a server, click on it to connect. If it doesn’t connect by itself, click the “connect” button.
- Go to Pluto TV
Go to the Pluto.TV website and use the search function to search for MTV. Then, click on the MTV Pluto TV channel.
- Click on the MTV Pluto TV Channel
Click on “watch live channel” to load the live stream of the MTV Pluto TV channel. The live channel will load and you can start watching the MTV VMAs.
The Best VPNs for Watching the MTV VMAs 2023
There are a lot of VPNs on the market, but to ensure you have the best quality streaming experience, you should choose one with fast speeds and servers where you need them. Here are our recommendations for watching the MTV Video Music Awards online.
1. NordVPN — Best Streaming VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming and it offers affordable plans. You get access to servers in more than 100 countries, meaning you can easily watch the VMAs on a bunch of different services and NordVPN has a great track record of accessing multiple services easily. It also has some of the fastest average VPN speeds, as you can see in our VPN speed tests.
The service includes top-notch security and easy-to-use apps for different device types. The app also has a neat server map which you can move around and pick servers easily. That said, the map isn’t great to use on small screens.
As we already said, NordVPN is a cheap option, but you need to sign up for the two-year plan to get the low-priced deal. We know two years sounds like a long time, but you’ll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can get a refund if you don’t like it. Read our NordVPN review for more information.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Cheap Streaming VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $59.76 for one year, $59.76 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $79 for one year & $79 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Easy to Use Streaming VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
The MTV Music Awards 2023 Nominees
The nominations for this year’s VMAs were announced at the beginning of August. Taylor Swift and SZA have the most nominations overall, with music videos from both artists in the category for Video of the Year for Kill Bill and Anti-Hero.
Other artists with more than one nomination include Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith, Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato, KAROL G and Miley Cyrus. There are also 35 artists who are first time nominees.
There are two other important awards given at the ceremony: the Video Vanguard Award and the Global Icon Award. The Video Vanguard Award is to honor an artist’s lifetime achievement and contribution in the music industry and will be awarded to Shakira this year. The Global Icon Award honors an artist who has made a global impact and will be awarded to Diddy.
Here’s the full list of the category nominations:
| Award | Nominees |
|---|---|
| Best New Artist | GloRilla Ice Spice Kaliii Peso Pluma PinkPantheress Renee Rapp |
| Album of the Year | Beyonce – Renaissance Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation SZA – SOS Taylor Swift – Midnights |
| Song of Summer | Beyonce – Cuff It Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? Doechii ft. Kodak Black – What It Is (Block Boy) Doja Cat – Paint the Town Red Dua Lipa – Dance the Night FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid Gunna – fukumean Jung Kook ft. Latto – Seven Luke Combs – Fast Car Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – Barbie World (With Aqua) Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire SZA – Kill Bill |
| Video of the Year | Doja Cat – Attention Miley Cyrus – Flowers Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire Sam Smith, Kim Petras – Unholy SZA – Kill Bill Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero |
| Song of the Year | Miley Cyrus – Flowers Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down Sam Smith, Kim Petras – Unholy Steve Lacy – Bad Habit SZA – Kill Bill Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero |
| Artist of the Year | Beyonce Doja Cat KAROL G Nicki Minaj Shakira Taylor Swift |
| Performance of the Year | Saucy Santana – Booty Stephen Sanchez – Until I Found You JVKE – Golden Hour Flo Milli – Conceited Renee Rapp – Colorado Sam Ryder – All the Way Over Armani White – GOATED Fletcher – Becky’s So Hot TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Sugar Rush Ride Ice Spice – Princess Diana FLO – Losing You Lauren Spencer Smith – That Part |
| Best Collaboration | David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue) Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – Gotta Move On KAROL G, Shakira – TQG Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage & Diddy – Creepin’ Post Malone with Doja Cat – I Like You (A Happier Song) Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down |
| Best Hip-Hop | Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – Gotta Move On DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – STAYING ALIVE GloRilla & Cardi B – Tomorrow 2 Lil Uzi Vert – Just Wanna Rock Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX – Kant Nobody Metro Boomin ft. Future – Superhero Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl |
| Best R&B | Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – Stay Chloe, Chris Brown – How Does It Feel Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage & Diddy – Creepin’ SZA – Shirt Toosii – Favorite Song Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – Love In The Way |
| Best Pop | Demi Lovato – SWINE Dua Lipa – Dance the Night Ed Sheeran – Eyes Closed Miley Cyrus – Flowers Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire P¡NK – TRUSTFALL Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero |
| Best Alternative | Blink-182 – EDGING boygenius – The Film Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Like a Grudge Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – Candy Necklace Paramore – This Is Why Thirty Seconds To Mars – Stuck |
| Best Rock | Foo Fighters – The Teacher Linkin Park – Lost Maneskin – THE LONELIEST Metallica – Lux Æterna Muse – You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tippa My Tongue |
| Best Latin | Anitta – Funk Rave Bad Bunny – Where She Goes Eslabón Armado, Peso Pluma – Ella Baila Sola Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny – un x100to KAROL G, Shakira – TQG ROSALIA – DESPECHA Shakira – Acrostico |
| Best Afrobeats | Ayra Starr – Rush Burna Boy – It’s Plenty Davido ft. Musa Keys – UNAVAILABLE Fireboy DML & Asake – Bandana Libianca – People Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down Wizkid ft. Ayra Starr – 2 Sugar |
| Best K-Pop | aespa – Girls BLACKPINK – Pink Venom FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid SEVENTEEN – Super Stray Kids – S-Class TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Sugar Rush Ride |
| Video for Good | Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral) Bad Bunny – El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente Demi Lovato – SWINE Dove Cameron – Breakfast Imagine Dragons – Crushed Maluma – La Reina |
| Show of the Summer | Beyonce BLACKPINK Drake Ed Sheeran KAROL G Taylor Swift |
| Group of the Year | BLACKPINK FIFTY FIFTY FLO Jonas Brothers Maneskin NewJeans SEVENTEEN TOMORROW X TOGETHER |
Who Is Performing at the 2023 MTV Music Awards?
As usual, the MTV Video Music Awards has a great lineup with performances from major artists. Here’s a complete list of who’s performing at the 2023 MTV VMAs.
| Pre-Show | Sabrina Carpenter NLE Choppa |
| Main Show | Sean “Diddy” Combs Shakira Olivia Rodrigo Demi Lovato Maneskin KAROL G Stray Kids Doja Cat Lil Wayne Kelsea Ballerini TOMORROW X TOGETHER ft. Anitta Anitta Fall Out Boy Metro Boomin ft. Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee & NAV Pesa Pluma |
| Extended Play Stage | Kaliii Renee Rapp The Warning |
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has helped you to know all the places you can watch the 2023 MTV VMAs. If you want to watch it for free, the MTV Pluto TV channel or the MTV website live stream are your best options. If you’re not in the U.S., you can use a VPN to access them.
We suggest using NordVPN, since it’s excellent at accessing streaming platforms and bypassing blocks. You can take it for a spin with the 30-day money-back guarantee, too. Alternatively, consider Surfshark.
Who’s your favorite artist? Do you have any favorite music videos? Where will you watch the 2023 MTV VMAs? Will you need a VPN to watch the ceremony? If so, which VPN will you choose? Let us know in the comment section and why not check out our guide on how to stream Glastonbury too? As always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: MTV VMAs
Yes, you can buy tickets to the MTV VMAs. At their cheapest, you can get tickets for a little under $300 a piece, but seats that are closer to the stage cost upward of $1,000.
The PUSH Performance of the Year award is to highlight up and coming artists. It aims to give recognition to artists that aren’t yet well known, with a new artist being interviewed and providing a performance each month. One artist is then picked as the overall winner.
Viewers get to vote on their favorite artists and videos in multiple categories, bar a few that are not open to public voting. These are professional categories and the winners are decided by experts in the industry.
You can watch the MTV VMAs for free on the MTV website or on Pluto TV in the U.S. If you’re not in the U.S., a VPN can help.