MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop

MTV Video Music Award
for Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B & Kehlani is the most recent recipient for Safe
Awarded forhip-hop music videos
CountryUnited States
Presented byMTV
First award1999
Currently held byCardi B featuring Kehlani – "Safe" (2026)
Most awardsNicki Minaj (5)
Most nominationsDrake (16)
WebsiteVMAs website

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop is an award given out at the annual MTV Video Music Awards. The category was first presented at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The award, was originally intended for hip-hop songs that incorporated both R&B and rap elements, separate from rap music videos (which were instead honored by Best Rap Video), citing rap-singing artists such as TLC and Lauryn Hill as examples. This explains the recognition of songs such as "Thong Song" and "I'm Real (Remix)".

The award was not given out in 2007, as the VMAs were revamped and most original categories were eliminated, however, Best Hip Hop Video was reinstated in 2008. By then, though, the rules had relatively changed, as R&B and rap videos also became eligible for nominations in this category since the awards for Best Rap Video and Best R&B Video were not brought back. From the 2017 edition onwards, the word "Video" was removed from the names of all genre categories, leaving this award with its current name: Best Hip-Hop.

As of 2025, Nicki Minaj holds the record for most wins in this category, with five, followed by Drake and Eminem, both having received three awards. Drake also holds the record for most nominations, with sixteen times.

Recipients

Inaugural winners Beastie Boys.
Jennifer Lopez was the first female act to win the category with "I'm Real (Remix)" with Ja Rule in 2002.
Missy Elliott was the first solo act and the first female rapper to win the category with "Work It" in 2003.
Nicki Minaj is the most awarded artist of the category with five awards.
Drake is the most nominated act with fourteen. He is also the second most awarded artist with three awards.
Lil Wayne received seven nominations in his career, winning two-time.
Kanye West received ten nominations in the category, without win.

1990s

Recipients
Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Ref.
1999 Beastie Boys "Intergalactic"

2000s

Recipients
Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Ref.
2000 Sisqó "Thong Song"
2001 Outkast "Ms. Jackson"
2002 Jennifer Lopez (featuring Ja Rule) "I'm Real (Remix)"
2003 Missy Elliott "Work It"
2004 Outkast "Hey Ya!"
2005 Missy Elliott (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop) "Lose Control"
2006 The Black Eyed Peas "My Humps"
2007 N/a
2008 Lil Wayne (featuring Static Major) "Lollipop"
2009 Eminem "We Made You"

2010s

Recipients
Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Ref.
2010 Eminem "Not Afraid"
2011 Nicki Minaj "Super Bass"
2012 Drake (featuring Lil Wayne) "HYFR"
2013 Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton) "Can't Hold Us"
2014 Drake (featuring Majid Jordan) "Hold On, We're Going Home"
2015 Nicki Minaj "Anaconda"
2016 Drake "Hotline Bling"
2017 Kendrick Lamar "Humble"
2018 Nicki Minaj "Chun-Li"
2019 Cardi B "Money"

2020s

Recipients
Year Winner(s) Video Nominees Ref.
2020 Megan Thee Stallion "Savage"
2021 Travis Scott (featuring Young Thug and M.I.A.) "Franchise"
2022 Nicki Minaj (featuring Lil Baby) "Do We Have a Problem?"
2023 Nicki Minaj "Super Freaky Girl"
2024 Eminem "Houdini"
2025 Doechii "Anxiety"
2026 Cardi B featuring Kehlani "Safe"

Statistics

Artists with multiple wins

5 wins
3 wins
2 wins

Artists with multiple nominations

16 nominations
10 nominations
9 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

See also

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.
  3. ↑ Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.
  4. ↑ Each year is linked to the article about the MTV Video Music Awards held that year.

References

  1. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1999-07-10.
  2. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 1999". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  3. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2000". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2001". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2002". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2003". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  7. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2004". MTV. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  8. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2005". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  9. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2006". MTV. Archived from the original on July 6, 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  10. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2008". MTV. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  11. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2009". MTV. Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  12. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2010". MTV. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  13. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2011". MTV. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  14. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2012". MTV. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  15. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2013". MTV. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  16. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2014". MTV. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  17. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards 2015". MTV. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  18. 1 2 "2016 VMA Nominations: See the Full List Now". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  19. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (August 20, 2018). "VMAs: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Here Are All the Winners From the 2019 MTV VMAs". Billboard. August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga Lead 2020 MTV VMA Nominations: See Full List". Billboard. July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ Grein, Paul (July 26, 2022). "Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow & Kendrick Lamar Lead 2022 MTV VMA Nominations: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  24. ↑ Grein, Paul (August 8, 2023). "Taylor Swift Is Top Nominee for 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (Complete List)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  25. ↑ Atkinson, Kaite (September 11, 2024). "Here's the Full List of 2024 MTV VMAs Winners". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  26. ↑ Grein, Paul (August 5, 2025). "Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars are 1-2 in Nominations for 2025 MTV VMAs (Full List)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (September 27, 2026). "Here Are All the 2026 MTV VMAs Winners: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2026.