How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 for Free: Streaming From Anywhere

Key Takeaways: Stream the MTV VMAs for Free

  • The 2023 MTV VMAs air on Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST on MTV and other channels. The pre-show starts an hour and a half earlier at 3:30 p.m. PST / 6:30 p.m. EST.
  • You can watch it for free on the MTV website or the Pluto TV MTV channel in the U.S.
  • If you’re not in the U.S., you can use a VPN to watch it. We recommend using ExpressVPN.

The 2023 MTV VMAs are almost here and this year is its 40th anniversary. it’ll air live on Tuesday, Sept. 12 across a few streaming services and other places online. If you want to know how to watch MTV Music Awards 2023 online from anywhere and for free, this guide has everything you need to know. 

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were created by MTV in 1984. It’s similar to the Grammy Awards, but aimed at a younger audience and allows viewers to vote for their favorite artists. 

The ceremony includes performances from famous artists, tributes, announcements and often some crazy moments that cause a stir in the media after. Of course, there’s also the recognition and awards for top artists in multiple categories.

There are a lot of choices for where you can watch the MTV Video Music Awards, since it’ll air in over 150 countries. However, some options are restricted to certain regions. If you’re not in that region, you’ll be blocked from accessing it. That said, you can use a VPN to bypass the blocks and the best VPN, ExpressVPN, can do so easily. 

How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023: Date, Time & Location

The 2023 MTV VMAs will be held at the same venue as last year; the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It’s scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12 and it’s the first time the awards ceremony will be held on a Tuesday. 

2023 mtv vmas
The 2023 MTV VMAs take place on Sept. 12 on the MTV channel.

A 90-minute pre-show is set to start at 3:30 p.m. PST / 6:30 p.m. EST, hosted by rapper Saweetie, as well as Nessa, Kevan Kenney and Dometi Pongo. The pre-show will see a bunch of top performances from various artists. 

Nicki Minaj will perform her latest single Last Time I Saw You and once again host the awards show. Last year, Minaj won the Video Vanguard Award, as well as the Best Hip-Hop award. This year, she has five nominations, but we’ll go into more detail further down. The main awards show begins at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST.

Complete List of Presenters: 2023 VMAs

  • Bebe Rexha
  • Coco Jones
  • Charli D’Amelio
  • Dixie D’Amelio
  • Emily Ratajkowski
  • French Montana
  • Ice Spice
  • GloRilla
  • Jared Leto
  • Rita Ora
  • Madelyn Cline
  • Sabrina Carpenter

Which Paid Streaming Services Have MTV Music Awards 2023?

The MTV Video Music Awards 2023 will air live on multiple channels including MTV, MTV2, BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, VH1, Logo, Nickelodeon and the Paramount Network. If you have a cable or satellite subscription, you should have no trouble accessing at least one of those channels. 

If not, then you can use a live TV streaming service to watch it. Sling TV, fuboTV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, among others, carry the MTV channel, meaning you can easily watch it online. Both fuboTV and YouTube TV also offer a free trial.

U.S. Paramount+ subscribers will also have access to the MTV VMAs. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need a U.S. payment method. A U.S. VPN server can help you access it if you’re not in the country.

How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 for Free

If you want to watch the MTV Video Awards for free, there are a couple of options. There are the free trials for live TV streaming services as we mentioned in the last section, but you can also watch a live stream on the MTV website

Usually, the only way to access this is by logging in with TV provider credentials, but MTV are providing a free 24-hour pass to watch the MTV VMA live stream. All you need to do is create a free account.

mtv 24 hour pass
You can watch the live streaming of the MTV VMAs
on the MTV website for free with a 24-hour pass.

Another way you can watch it for free is via the MTV Pluto channel in the U.S., just keep in mind that it’s not ad-free. If you’re not located in the U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN to get a U.S. IP address. We’ll show you how further down.

Is MTV Music Awards 2023 on Netflix?

No, the MTV Video Music Awards are not on Netflix. It’s unlikely that they ever will be either, especially due to it being a live event.

How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 For Free With a VPN

In this section, we’ll show you how to watch the 2023 MTV VMAs for free. We’ve used ExpressVPN to access the MTV channel on Pluto. If you want to watch the VMAs on a different service but still need to use a VPN, just change the steps where needed.

  1. Sign Up for a VPN

    Subscribe to a VPN like ExpressVPN. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

    expressvpn get started
  2. Install the VPN App

    Download and install the VPN app for your device. After installation has finished, open the app and log in with your credentials.

  3. Connect to a U.S. Server

    Find and connect to a server in the U.S. You can see ExpressVPN’s full server list by clicking the three dots. Once you find a server, click on it to connect. If it doesn’t connect by itself, click the big “on” button.

    expressvpn servers connected
  4. Go to Pluto TV

    Go to the Pluto.TV website and use the search function to search for MTV. Then, click on the MTV Pluto TV channel.

    pluto tv search mtv
  5. Click on the MTV Pluto TV Channel

    Click on “watch live channel” to load the live stream of the MTV Pluto TV channel. The live channel will load and you can start watching the MTV VMAs.

    mtv pluto tv watch

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The Best VPNs for Watching the MTV VMAs 2023

There are a lot of VPNs on the market, but to ensure you have the best quality streaming experience, you should choose one with fast speeds and servers where you need them. Here are our recommendations for watching the MTV Video Music Awards online. 

1. ExpressVPN

Expressvpn usa dallas
ExpressVPN easily unblocks any streaming services and has fast enough speeds.

Pros:

  • Fast streaming speeds
  • Excellent unblocking
  • Easy to use apps

Cons:

  • Expensive plans

ExpressVPN is our top overall VPN choice, but it’s also the best VPN for streaming. It was given this title for many reasons, the main one being that it can access pretty much any streaming service you want. 

It has servers in 90 countries, giving you access to a ton of different content libraries and services. ExpressVPN’s speeds are fast and you’ll be protected by its strong security while you stream. Apps are available for most devices and they’re easy to use across the board. 

What’s not so great is ExpressVPN’s price. The monthly plan is on par with most VPN services, but you don’t get as large a discount when you opt for a longer plan. That said, you are getting a top-quality service for your money and you can always make use of the 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind. Check out our ExpressVPN review for more details.

 2. NordVPN

hulu nordvpn us
NordVPN’s speeds are the fastest around and it can access streaming platforms easily.

Pros:

  • Fastest average speeds
  • Unblocks streaming apps
  • Affordable long-term plan

Cons:

  • Server map isn’t great on mobile

NordVPN is another great choice for streaming and it offers a more affordable plan than our top pick. You get access to servers in 60 countries, meaning you can easily watch the VMAs on a bunch of different services and NordVPN has a great track record of accessing multiple services easily. It also has some of the fastest average VPN speeds, as you can see in our VPN speed tests

The service includes top-notch security and easy-to-use apps for different device types. The app also has a neat server map which you can move around and pick servers easily. That said, the map doesn’t work great on small screens, so it’s only really good on a desktop.

As we already said, NordVPN is a cheaper option, but you need to sign up for the two-year plan to get the low-priced deal. We know two years sounds like a long time, but you’ll be covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can get a refund if you don’t like it. Read our NordVPN review for more information.

The MTV Music Awards 2023 Nominees

The nominations for this year’s VMAs were announced at the beginning of August. Taylor Swift and SZA have the most nominations overall, with music videos from both artists in the category for Video of the Year for Kill Bill and Anti-Hero

Other artists with more than one nomination include Olivia Rodrigo, Sam Smith, Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Demi Lovato, KAROL G and Miley Cyrus. There are also 35 artists who are first time nominees. 

There are two other important awards given at the ceremony: the Video Vanguard Award and the Global Icon Award. The Video Vanguard Award is to honor an artist’s lifetime achievement and contribution in the music industry and will be awarded to Shakira this year. The Global Icon Award honors an artist who has made a global impact and will be awarded to Diddy.

Here’s the full list of the category nominations:

Award Nominees
Best New Artist GloRilla
Ice Spice
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Renee Rapp
Album of the Year Beyonce – Renaissance 
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS
Taylor Swift – Midnights
Song of Summer Beyonce – Cuff It
Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For?
Doechii ft. Kodak Black – What It Is (Block Boy)
Doja Cat – Paint the Town Red
Dua Lipa – Dance the Night
FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid
Gunna – fukumean
Jung Kook ft. Latto – Seven
Luke Combs – Fast Car
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – Barbie World (With Aqua)
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
SZA – Kill Bill
Video of the Year Doja Cat – Attention
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – Unholy
SZA – Kill Bill
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Song of the Year Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – Unholy
Steve Lacy – Bad Habit
SZA – Kill Bill
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Artist of the Year Beyonce
Doja Cat
KAROL G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Taylor Swift
Performance of the Year Saucy Santana – Booty
Stephen Sanchez – Until I Found You
JVKE – Golden Hour
Flo Milli – Conceited
Renee Rapp – Colorado
Sam Ryder – All the Way Over
Armani White – GOATED
Fletcher – Becky’s So Hot
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Sugar Rush Ride
Ice Spice – Princess Diana
FLO – Losing You
Lauren Spencer Smith – That Part
Best Collaboration David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – I’m Good (Blue)
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – Gotta Move On
KAROL G, Shakira – TQG
Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage & Diddy – Creepin’
Post Malone with Doja Cat – I Like You (A Happier Song)
Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Best Hip-Hop Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – Gotta Move On
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – STAYING ALIVE
GloRilla & Cardi B – Tomorrow 2
Lil Uzi Vert – Just Wanna Rock
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX – Kant Nobody
Metro Boomin ft. Future – Superhero
Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl
Best R&B Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – Stay
Chloe, Chris Brown – How Does It Feel
Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage & Diddy – Creepin’
SZA – Shirt
Toosii – Favorite Song
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – Love In The Way
Best Pop Demi Lovato – SWINE
Dua Lipa – Dance the Night
Ed Sheeran – Eyes Closed
Miley Cyrus – Flowers
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
P¡NK – TRUSTFALL
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best Alternative Blink-182 – EDGING
boygenius – The Film
Fall Out Boy – Hold Me Like a Grudge
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – Candy Necklace
Paramore – This Is Why
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Stuck
Best Rock Foo Fighters – The Teacher
Linkin Park – Lost
Maneskin – THE LONELIEST
Metallica – Lux Æterna
Muse – You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Tippa My Tongue
Best Latin Anitta – Funk Rave
Bad Bunny – Where She Goes
Eslabón Armado, Peso Pluma – Ella Baila Sola
Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny – un x100to
KAROL G, Shakira – TQG
ROSALIA – DESPECHA
Shakira – Acrostico
Best Afrobeats Ayra Starr – Rush
Burna Boy – It’s Plenty
Davido ft. Musa Keys – UNAVAILABLE
Fireboy DML & Asake – Bandana
Libianca – People
Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Wizkid ft. Ayra Starr – 2 Sugar
Best K-Pop aespa – Girls
BLACKPINK – Pink Venom
FIFTY FIFTY – Cupid
SEVENTEEN – Super
Stray Kids – S-Class
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Sugar Rush Ride
Video for Good Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)
Bad Bunny – El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente
Demi Lovato – SWINE
Dove Cameron – Breakfast
Imagine Dragons – Crushed
Maluma – La Reina
Show of the Summer Beyonce
BLACKPINK
Drake
Ed Sheeran
KAROL G
Taylor Swift
Group of the Year BLACKPINK
FIFTY FIFTY
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Maneskin
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Who Is Performing at the 2023 MTV Music Awards?

As usual, the MTV Video Music Awards has a great lineup with performances from major artists. Here’s a complete list of who’s performing at the 2023 MTV VMAs.

Pre-Show Sabrina Carpenter
NLE Choppa
Main Show Sean “Diddy” Combs
Shakira
Olivia Rodrigo
Demi Lovato
Maneskin
KAROL G
Stray Kids
Doja Cat
Lil Wayne
Kelsea Ballerini
TOMORROW X TOGETHER ft. Anitta
Anitta
Fall Out Boy
Metro Boomin ft. Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee & NAV
Pesa Pluma
Extended Play Stage Kaliii
Renee Rapp
The Warning

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide has helped you to know all the places you can watch the 2023 MTV VMAs. If you want to watch it for free, the MTV Pluto TV channel or the MTV website live stream are your best options. If you’re not in the U.S., you can use a VPN to access them.

We suggest using ExpressVPN, since it’s excellent at accessing streaming platforms and bypassing blocks. You can take it for a spin with the 30-day money-back guarantee, too. If you’re looking for something cheaper in the long run, consider NordVPN.

Who’s your favorite artist? Do you have any favorite music videos? Where will you watch the 2023 MTV VMAs? Will you need a VPN to watch the ceremony? If so, which VPN will you choose? Let us know in the comment section and, as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: MTV VMAs

  • Yes, you can buy tickets to the MTV VMAs. At their cheapest, you can get tickets for a little under $300 a piece, but seats that are closer to the stage cost upward of $1,000.

  • The PUSH Performance of the Year award is to highlight up and coming artists. It aims to give recognition to artists that aren’t yet well known, with a new artist being interviewed and providing a performance each month. One artist is then picked as the overall winner.

  • Viewers get to vote on their favorite artists and videos in multiple categories, bar a few that are not open to public voting. These are professional categories and the winners are decided by experts in the industry.

  • You can watch the MTV VMAs for free on the MTV website or on Pluto TV in the U.S. If you’re not in the U.S., a VPN can help.

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The post How to Watch MTV Music Awards 2023 for Free: Streaming From Anywhere appeared first on Cloudwards.

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