VMAs 2015: MTV is bringing out the stars; Miley Cyrus will be hosting

Lisa Respers France
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 7:40 PM EDT, Sun August 30, 2015
The nominees are in for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards; here are some of the biggies. Video of the year: Beyoncé (pictured), "7/11"; Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"; Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright."
The nominees are in for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards; here are some of the biggies. Video of the year: Beyoncé (pictured), "7/11"; Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"; Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright."
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Best male video: Ed Sheeran (pictured), "Thinking Out Loud"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"; The Weeknd, "Earned It"; Nick Jonas, "Chains."<br />
Best male video: Ed Sheeran (pictured), "Thinking Out Loud"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"; The Weeknd, "Earned It"; Nick Jonas, "Chains."
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Best female video: Sia (pictured), "Elastic Heart"; Beyoncé, "7/11"; Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"; Nicki Minaj, "Anaconda"; Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do." <br />
Best female video: Sia (pictured), "Elastic Heart"; Beyoncé, "7/11"; Taylor Swift, "Blank Space"; Nicki Minaj, "Anaconda"; Ellie Goulding, "Love Me Like You Do."
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Best hip-hop video: Nicki Minaj (pictured), "Anaconda"; Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"; Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"; Big Sean feat. E-40, "IDFWU."<br />
Best hip-hop video: Nicki Minaj (pictured), "Anaconda"; Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"; Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"; Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, "See You Again"; Big Sean feat. E-40, "IDFWU."
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Best pop video: Taylor Swift (pictured), "Blank Space"; Beyoncé, "7/11"; Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Maroon 5, "Sugar."<br />
Best pop video: Taylor Swift (pictured), "Blank Space"; Beyoncé, "7/11"; Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Maroon 5, "Sugar."
Carrie Davenport/Getty Images for TAS
Best rock video: Walk the Moon (pictured), "Shut Up and Dance"; Hozier, "Take Me To Church"; Fall Out Boy, "Uma Thurman"; Florence + the Machine, "Ship To Wreck"; Arctic Monkeys, "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"<br /> <br />
Best rock video: Walk the Moon (pictured), "Shut Up and Dance"; Hozier, "Take Me To Church"; Fall Out Boy, "Uma Thurman"; Florence + the Machine, "Ship To Wreck"; Arctic Monkeys, "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?"
Michael Buckner/Stubb Hubb/Getty Images
Artist to watch: FKA Twigs (pictured), "Pendulum"; Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"; Vance Joy, "Riptide"; George Ezra, "Budapest"; James Bay, "Hold Back the River." <br /> <br />
Artist to watch: FKA Twigs (pictured), "Pendulum"; Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"; Vance Joy, "Riptide"; George Ezra, "Budapest"; James Bay, "Hold Back the River."

Matt Cowan/Getty Images
Best collaboration: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth (pictured), "See You Again"; Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Ariana Grande & The Weeknd, "Love Me Harder"; Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, "Bang Bang."<br />
Best collaboration: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth (pictured), "See You Again"; Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, "Bad Blood"; Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk"; Ariana Grande & The Weeknd, "Love Me Harder"; Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, "Bang Bang."
Michael Kovac/Getty Images
Video with a social message: Rihanna (pictured), "American Oxygen"; Jennifer Hudson, "I Still Love You"; Colbie Caillat, "Try"; Big Sean feat. Kanye West and John Legend, "One Man Can Change the World"; Wale, "The White Shoes." <br /> <br />
Video with a social message: Rihanna (pictured), "American Oxygen"; Jennifer Hudson, "I Still Love You"; Colbie Caillat, "Try"; Big Sean feat. Kanye West and John Legend, "One Man Can Change the World"; Wale, "The White Shoes."

Larry Busacca/Getty Images
2015 Video Music Award nominees

Story highlights

Miley Cyrus hosts Sunday night awards show

Nicki Minaj is set to open the show

CNN  — 

MTV is promising that Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards will be “an unforgettable night of music and moments.”

If that doesn’t happen, it won’t be for lack of star power.

Why the VMAs matter: Miley, music videos and mayhem

By now you probably already know that Miley Cyrus will be hosting. If you didn’t know that, you clearly have not been following Cyrus on social media because she is pumped about it.

Cyrus, of course, has a storied history with the awards show, having twerked her way to infamy on the MTV VMAs stage in 2013.

Miley Cyrus arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Miley Cyrus arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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Related gallery The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet

Raptress Nicki Minaj will open the show and performances are scheduled from Justin Bieber, The Weekend, Twenty One Pilots, Demi Lovato, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Pharrell Williams, Tori Kelly and A$AP Rocky.

VMA highlights from 2014

Nominee Taylor Swift will premiere her video for “Wildest Dreams” and Kanye West will be presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the day after what would have been the pop icon’s 57th birthday.

Expect social media to explode during the show as fans are already talking about it. The consensus seems to be that folks are looking forward to the show, which has historically yielded a controversial moment or two.

Expect the cameras to possibly pan at some point to Nicki Minaj or Taylor Swift when the other is mentioned, because of the recent “beef” between the two.

Minaj complained that her hit “Anaconda” wasn’t nominated for video of the year. Swift took Minaj’s tweets about it personally, but eventually apologized to the rapper.

MTV’s VMAs will air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday.