Here's Why Ariana Grande Skipped The VMAs Despite Being Nominated For 12 Awards
Heyyyy, VMAs! You're lookin' great tonight! Giving us all the celebrity content you know we need! One celeb fans don't get to see tonight, however, is Ariana Grande. Grande, along with Taylor Swift, is the most nominated artist this year with 12 nominations, so why isn't Ariana Grande at the 2019 VMAs? Well, to make things simple, she's busy.
On July 23, Grande celebrated her VMA nominations on Twitter, the best way she knows how. She tweeted a meme of her friend, Doug Middlebrook, standing in front of a mariachi band and holding sign that was really a screenshot of the list of Grande's VMA noms, which are:
Artist of the Year
Video of the Year ("Thank U, Next")
Song of the Year ("Thank U, Next")
Best Pop ("Thank U, Next")
Best Direction ("Thank U, Next")
Best Cinematography ("Thank U, Next")
Best Visual Effects ("God Is A Woman")
Best Hip-Hop ("Rule The World")
Best Art Direction ("7 Rings")
Best Editing ("7 Rings")
Best Power Anthem ("7 Rings")
Song of the Summer ("Boyfriend")
What a list! Still, Grande unfortunately was not at the award show — but it wasn't out of protest like it was at the 2019 Grammys.
She tweeted at a fan on July 23 that she might not be able to make it to the show because of her tour schedule.
"I have shows in London the day before and after," she tweeted. She's currently on the London leg of her Sweetener tour (Demi Lovato attended night one and had the time of her life — it was also her birthday!), and tour life demands basically all of your time. So it's understandable that she wouldn't be able to make it to the show, but I'm sure she recorded some acceptance speeches for when she inevitably wins at least a few of the awards she's nominated for. You don't become the most-nominated artist at an award show without taking home some trophies. (Well, unless it's the Grammys, which JAY-Z says, "F*ck that 0 for eight sh*t" to.)
Grande's tweet about voting for her at the VMAs starring her pal Middlebrook is a trophy enough, honestly.
Look at that. Look. At that.
Grande made it clear to her fans that she wouldn't be able to attend the VMAs by posting on Instagram from a different country on Aug. 26. Instead of posting photos/videos of her glam squad helping her get ready for the show like other artists have been leading up to the VMAs red carpet, Grande was posting videos of her dogs, Toulouse and Myron, to her Instagram story. No glam to see here!
Grande still has a presence at the 2019 VMAs though, considering the fact that Normani is performing "Motivation" for the first time live, and Grande is one of the song's writers!
If you haven't seen the "Motivation" music video yet, f*cking get on that sh*t immediately.
Grande's mother, Joan Grande, tweeted her excitement and congratulations for her daughter on a successful writing credit, and of course a congratulations to Normani for the f*cking superstar solo debut.
"Congratulations to my daughter @ArianaGrande on her first song placement as a writer for another artist," Grande tweeted on Aug. 16. "Motivation sung beautifully by @Normani ... how exciting, I’m very proud and so much love to @Normani ... SMASH!!! Congratulations @Savan_Kotecha and team as well!!!!"
If you're counting down the minutes, no, seconds, no, MILLISECONDS until Normani hits the stage and performs that certified f*cking bop of a Grande co-written song, then same!
We miss you at the VMAs, Ari, but your girl Normani has you covered!
