What you need to know for the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards
— -- This year's MTV Video Music Awards is expected to be bigger than ever, with five stages, the largest number of performances and host Katy Perry expected to make an entrance like Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl.
The 36th annual awards show is also shaking things up this year by doing away with gender-specific categories and replacing them with the more general Artist of the Year category. That means Kendrick Lamar, who leads with eight nominations, will go head to head with Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and more. And the coveted Moonman trophy has been renamed Moon Person.
That hasn't stopped Perry from calling herself the show's "Moonwoman" ahead of Sunday's broadcast. Not only will she host, she is also scheduled to give a space-themed performance.
Rumors are that Perry will start the show with a grand entrance, descending from the ceiling. Viewers should also expect Lamar to open the 2017 VMAs.
The MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Here's what you need to know before you see the show:
Who's performing?
Besides Perry, the lineup of performers includes Lamar, Lorde, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, Shawn Mendes and Fifth Harmony. Alessia Cara and rapper KYLE, plus Demi Lovato, Khalid, Julia Michaels and Thirty Seconds to Mars will also take the stage. Rod Stewart will do a remote, reworked version of his hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
Wild card
Though Taylor Swift is not on the list of performers, it seems awfully coincidental that she dropped new music a couple days before the broadcast. In fact, the pop star will exclusively premiere the music video for "Look What You Made Me Do" tonight. The internet is rife with rumors that she could show up and take the stage with Perry, essentially burying the hatchet on a feud that has been brewing between them the last few years. Meanwhile, Kanye West has been nominated for an award but is not expected to show. Still, he's been known for a few last-minute surprises of his own.
Who will win?
Lamar is favored for Video of the Year for "Humble," while "Despacito" should win Song of the Summer. But Artist of the Year is still anyone's guess. Meanwhile, Pink is slated to receive the Michael Jackson Vanguard award, joining such past recipients as Madonna, Britney Spears and David Bowie.
Politics
This year, there is a new category, "Best Fight Against the System," which honors music that does just that. Competing in this category are Logic for "Black Spider-Man," "The Hamilton Mixtape" for "Immigrants," Big Sean for "Light," Alessia Cara for "Scars to Your Beautiful," Taboo for "Stand N Rock #NoDAPL" and John Legend for "Surefire." Though this is the most overt political category, expect to hear some political speeches by winners in other categories as well. There's also a chance that transgender soldiers will take the stage: There are reports that VMA producers extended an invitation and are awaiting word from the Pentagon.
