# MTV Video Music Awards Japan

The MTV Video Music Awards Japan (MTV VMAJ for short) are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.
Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers. Initially Japan was part of the MTV Asia Awards, which included all Asian countries, but because of the musical variety existent in Japan, in May 2002 began to hold their own awards independently.
On June 25, 2011, MTV Video Music Japan changed the 2011 ceremony to MTV Video Music Aid Japan 2011 as a charity event for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Since 2017 the winners have been announced by the official Instagram account without previous nominations.

## Host cities

| Edition | Date | Venue | City | Host |
| 1st | May 24, 2002 | Tokyo International Forum | Tokyo | London Boots Ichi-gō Ni-gō |
| 2nd | May 25, 2003 | Saitama Super Arena | Saitama | Zeebra and Nana Katase |
| 3rd | May 23, 2004 | Tokyo Bay NK Hall | Urayasu | Tomomitsu Yamaguchi |
| 4th | May 29, 2005 | Tokyo Bay NK Hall | Urayasu | Takashi Fujii and Megumi |
| 5th | May 27, 2006 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium | Tokyo | Mokomichi Hayami and Masami Hisamoto |
| 6th | May 26, 2007 | Saitama Super Arena | Saitama | Misaki Ito and Hidehiko Ishizuka |
| 7th | May 31, 2008 | Saitama Super Arena | Saitama | Cyril |
| 8th | May 30, 2009 | Saitama Super Arena | Saitama | Gekidan Hitori |
| 9th | May 29, 2010 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium | Tokyo | — |
| 10th | June 25, 2011 | Makuhari Messe | Chiba | AKB48 |
| 11th | June 23, 2012 | Makuhari Messe | Chiba | Perfume |
| 12th | June 22, 2013 | Makuhari Messe | Chiba | Nobuaki Kaneko and Atsuko Maeda |
| 13th | June 14, 2014 | Maihama Amphitheater | Chiba | Sayumi Michishige |
| 14th | November 26, 2015 | act*square | Tokyo | Verbal |
| 15th | October 26, 2016 | Shinkiba STUDIO COAST | Tokyo | Rip Slyme |
| 16th | September 27, 2017 | Shinkiba STUDIO COAST | Tokyo | Ken Ayuga and JOANN |
| 17th | October 10, 2018 | Shinkiba STUDIO COAST | Tokyo | Ken Ayuga and JOANN |
| 18th | September 18, 2019 | Shinkiba STUDIO COAST | Tokyo | Hinatazaka46 |
| 19th | October 29, 2020 | | Tokyo | Bish |
| 20th | December 18, 2021 | | Tokyo | Akari Kitō and Ken Ayugai |
| 21st | November 2, 2022 | Musashino Forest Sport Plaza | Tokyo | Iwai Yuki, Mukai Satoshi and Yuka Sagai |
| 22nd | November 22, 2023 | K Arena | Yokohama | Ryota Yamasato and Sachi Fujii |
| 23rd | March 19, 2025 | K Arena | Yokohama | |

## Awards categories
### Annual awards

* Video of the Year (2002–present)
* Artist of the Year (2018–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2018 | Daichi Miura |
| 2019 | One Ok Rock |
| 2020 | Daiki Tsuneta |
| 2021 | Yoasobi |
| 2022 | Vaundy |
| 2023 | Mrs. Green Apple |
* Song of the Year (2019–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2019 | Official Hige Dandism | "Pretender" |
| 2020 | Yoasobi | "Yoru ni Kakeru" |
| 2021 | Yuuri | "Dry Flower" |
| 2022 | Ado | "New Genesis" |
| 2023 | Yoasobi | "Idol" |
* Album of the Year (2003–present)
* Group of the Year (2022–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2022 | Sakurazaka46 |
| 2023 | Be First |
| 2024 | SixTones |

### Video awards

* Best Solo Artist Video (2021–present)
| Year | Japan | Japan | International | International |
| Year | Artist | Song | Artist | Song |
| 2021 | Gen Hoshino | "Fushigi" | Billie Eilish | "Happier Than Ever" |
| 2022 | Aimer | "Zankyōsanka" | Harry Styles | "As It Was" |
| 2023 | Aiko | "Hateshinai Futari" | Olivia Rodrigo | "Vampire" |
* Best Group Video (2002–present)
* Best New Artist Video (2002–present)
* Best Rock Video (2002–present)
* Best Alternative Video (2017–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2017 | Rekishi | "Katoku" |
| 2018 | Dean Fujioka | "Echo" |
| 2019 | Bish | "Stereo Future" |
| 2020 | millenium parade | "Fly with me" |
| 2021 | Zutomayo | "Kuraku Koruku" |
| 2022 | Momoiro Clover Z | "Mysterion" |
| 2023 | Mrs. Green Apple | "Magic" |
* Best Pop Video (2002–present)
* Best R&B Video (2002–present)
* Best Hip-Hop Video (2002–present)
* Best Dance Video (2010–present)
* Best Collaboration Video (2003–present)
* Best Story Video (2022–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2022 | CreepHyp | "Night on the Planet" |
| 2023 | Macaroni Enpitsu | "Kanashimi wa Bus ni Notte" |
* Best Animation Video (2023–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2023 | Yoasobi | "Idol" |
* Best Art Direction Video (2018, 2020–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2018 | Gen Hoshino | "Idea" |
| 2020 | Generations from Exile Tribe | "One in a Million -Kiseki no Yoru ni-" |
| 2021 | Hinatazaka46 | "Tteka" |
| 2022 | King Gnu | "Sakayume" |
| 2023 | Aina the End | "Red:Birthmark" |
* Best Cinematography (2018, 2020–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2018 | Little Glee Monster | "Sekai wa Anata ni Waraikakete Iru" |
| 2020 | Bish | "Letters" |
| 2021 | Aina the End | "Kinmokusei" |
| 2022 | Radwimps | "Ningen Gokko" |
| 2023 | Hinatazaka46 | "Am I Ready?" |
* Best Visual Effects (2021–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2021 | Vaundy | "Shiwaawase" |
| 2022 | Fujii Kaze | "Damn" |
| 2023 | Mrs. Green Apple | "Que Sera Sera" |
* Best Choreography (2013–present)

### Special awards

* Inspiration Award Japan (2014, 2016–2017, 2020, 2022)
| Year | Artist |
| 2014 | Glay |
| 2016 | The Yellow Monkey |
| 2017 | Buck-Tick |
| 2020 | E-girls |
| 2022 | Bish |
* MTV the World Award (2019, 2021–2022)
| Year | Artist | Award |
| 2019 | Glay | MTV Rock the World Award |
| 2021 | Nogizaka46 | MTV Pop the World Award |
| 2022 | Takanori Iwata | MTV Dance the World Award |
* Best Live Performance (2015, 2022)
| Year | Artist |
| 2015 | Basement Jaxx |
| 2022 | JO1 |
* MTV Breakthrough Song (2019–2022)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2019 | Foorin | "Paprika" |
| 2020 | Eito | "Kōsui" |
| 2021 | Ado | "Usseewa" |
| 2022 | Da-iCE | "Star Mine" |
* Best Buzz Award (2017, 2019–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2017 | Keyakizaka46 |
| 2019 | BTS |
| 2020 | Dish |
| 2021 | NiziU |
| 2022 | Ive |
| 2023 | NewJeans |
| 2025 | &TEAM |
* Rising Star Award (2019–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2019 | Ballistik Boyz from Exile Tribe |
| 2019 | The Boyz |
| 2020 | JO1 |
| 2021 | Be First |
| 2022 | XG |
| 2023 | Wolf Howl Harmony |
* Daisy Bell Award (2021–present)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2021 | Hiiragi Kirai | "Love ka?" |
| 2022 | Balloon | "Pamela" |
| 2023 | Marasy, Jin, Shōta Horie (kemu) | "Shinjinrui" |
* Global Icon Award (2023–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2023 | Cha Eun-woo |
* Best Asia Celebrity (2023–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2023 | Bright |
* Best Asia Group (2023–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2023 | The Boyz |
* Upcoming Dance & Vocal Group (2023–present)
| Year | Artist |
| 2023 | DXTEEN |
| 2023 | Lil League from Exile Tribe |

### Discontinued award categories

* Best Male Video (2002–2019)
* Best Female Video (2002–2019)
* Best Latin Video (2021)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2021 | The Rampage from Exile Tribe | "Heatwave" |
* Best Metal Video (2015–2017)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2015 | Babymetal | |
| 2016 | Babymetal | "Karate" |
| 2017 | Metallica | "Hardwired" |
* Best Reggae Video (2010–2014)
* Best Video from a Film (2002–2014)
* Best Karaokee! Song (2009–2014)
* Most Share-worthy Video (2014)
| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2014 | Kana Nishino | "Believe" |
* Best Teen Choice Artist (2016)
| Year | Artist |
| 2016 | Sakura Fujiwara |
* SAS Lifetime Achievement Award Japan (2018)
| Year | Artist |
| 2018 | SAS |
* Special Achievement Award (2014)
| Year | Artist |
| 2014 | Exile Hiro |

## Most wins
### Most wins in a single night

| Artist | Year | Number of awards | Music video |
| Mrs. Green Apple | 2023 | 4 | "Que Sera Sera" (2); "Magic" (1); Artist of the Year (for Mrs. Green Apple) |
| Gen Hoshino | 2017 | 3 | "Family Song"(2), Koi |
| Lady Gaga | 2011 | 3 | "Born This Way" |
| Exile | 2010 | 3 | "Futatsu no Kuchibiru" (1); Aisubeki Mirai e (1); MTV Icon Award (for Exile) |
| Exile | 2009 | 3 | "Ti Amo (Chapter2)" (2); Best Choreography Award (for Exile) |
| Exile | 2008 | 3 | "I Believe" (1); Exile Love (1); "Toki no Kakera" (1) |
| Kumi Koda | 2007 | 3 | "Yume No Uta" (2); Best Stylish Artist in a Video (1) |
| Kumi Koda | 2006 | 3 | "Butterfly" (2); "Trust You" (1) |
| Orange Range | 2005 | 3 | "Hana" (1); MusiQ (1); "Rocoroshon" (1) |
| Ayumi Hamasaki | 2004 | 3 | "Because of You" (1); "No Way to Say" (1); Best Live Performance (for Ayumi Hamasaki) |
| Rip Slyme | 2003 | 3 | "Rakuen Baby" (2); "Funkastic" (1) |

### Most wins overall

Updated till 2020.
| Rank | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
| Artist | Namie Amuro | Exile | Gen Hoshino | Hikaru Utada Kumi Koda Rip Slyme | Daichi Miura Lady Gaga | Ken Hirai Orange Range One Ok Rock |
| Total awards | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |