Skip to main content

Water under the bridge? Nicki Minaj will open MTV VMAs despite nomination snub

nicki minaj super bass
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Nicki Minaj has now been confirmed to open the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) this Sunday. The singer announced the news herself in an Instagram post.

Both confirming her appearance and teasing about rumors of a bun in the oven with boyfriend Meek Mill, Minaj posted a photo of a sonogram that featured an astronaut floating in the womb with an MTV flag.

Related: Wait, what? MTV Video Music Awards to honor Kanye West

MTV has already confirmed a number of performers for the event, including Justin Bieber, The Weeknd (who will do his first live performance of the hit song I Can’t Feel My Face), Pharrell Williams, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, A$AS Rocky, and Twenty One Pilots.

This year’s show is bound to be a bumpy ride. Miley Cyrus, who famously brought attention to the show back in 2013 with her sexed up twerking alongside Robin Thicke with an oversized foam finger, will serve as host. And Kanye West will be receiving the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Minaj publicly expressed her displeasure when the video for her song Anaconda was not nominated for Video of the Year, suggesting that only white girls with thin bodies are celebrated. This led to a Twitter feud of sorts with Taylor Swift, who felt the comment was directed at her – the only white female nominee in the category. Adding to the awkwardness, Cyrus later added her two cents, accusing Minaj of not making it about race, but just about herself. It will be interesting to see the camera pan to Minaj should Swift take home an award.

The VMAs will air this Sunday, August 30. Seth Rogen reportedly wrote the opening skit for Cyrus, which, the actress and singer confirmed to Rolling Stone, would not make mention of the much-talked-about 2013 performance. Given that the event will be broadcast live, though, things could get interesting.

Editors' Recommendations

Christine Persaud
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
3 underrated Netflix shows you should watch this weekend (May 3-5)
6 people stand on a beach in The 100.

Even as Netflix attempts to wow subscribers with its constant stream of new shows and movies, many are also aware that there's plenty of stuff on Netflix that the service basically buries. The algorithm might recommend it to you, but if the algorithm doesn't, you're not very likely to find it.

If you're looking for some underrated shows that are nonetheless great, then you're in luck. We've pulled together a list of three underrated titles that are all available on Netflix to be watched immediately. While Netflix does host plenty of good stuff, it'll only keep hosting it if you decide to watch it. Here are three shows you should start with this weekend.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Trailer

Read more
3 Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (May 3-5)
The cast of That Thing You Do!

The first weekend in May has arrived, and Hulu fans should be happy to hear that there's a new lineup of movies to enjoy. Like most of the major streamers, Hulu debuts the majority of its library additions on the first of the month. But there will more movies released on Hulu throughout May.

Since the first weekend of May is traditionally timed around the opening of a superhero movie, our first choice this weekend is a comic book film that's celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Our other two picks include Tom Hanks' directorial debut, and a generation-spanning drama that holds up three decades after its release.
The Mask (1994)

Read more
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (May 3-5)
A man is restrained by other men in A Hero.

Love and Friendship MGM Studios

While Amazon doesn't release as many new movies as some of its competitors, the service has a pretty extensive library of titles that are worth exploring. These titles range from excellent foreign films that might have flown under the radar to underrated movies from some of the best directors to ever sit behind a camera.

Read more