MTV has rescheduled its annual Video Music Awards (VMAs) to avoid a conflict with the US presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Initially set for September 10, the VMAs will now be held on September 11.
The change was made to prevent a clash with the high-profile debate, which is the only one currently scheduled between the two candidates. Such a conflict could have adversely affected viewership for both events, with the debate likely to draw significant attention.
MTV, known for encouraging voter engagement since the 1992 election, faced a potential image issue had the VMAs and the debate occurred simultaneously. The network’s efforts to boost political participation could have been undermined by the overlap.
This year’s VMAs, which will take place at 17:00 PT / 20:00 EST on September 11 (01:00 BST on September 12 for British viewers), will feature Taylor Swift leading with 10 nominations, including artist, video, and song of the year. Swift won nine awards from 11 nominations at last year’s ceremony. Other notable nominees this year include Post Malone with nine nominations, and Ariana Grande, Eminem, and Sabrina Carpenter with six each.
The presidential debate will be broadcast by ABC, with Trump proposing additional debates hosted by Fox News and NBC. Harris has expressed openness to more debates, though none are confirmed at this time.
Melissa Enoch
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