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Taylor Swift leads 2015 MTV Video Music Award nominations

Taylor Swift, along with Ed Sheeran and Beyonce, lead in nominations for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Above is Swift's performance at Rock in Rio in Las Vegas in May.

Taylor Swift, along with Ed Sheeran and Beyonce, lead in nominations for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Above is Swift’s performance at Rock in Rio in Las Vegas in May.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé lead in nominations for the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, the network unveiled Tuesday morning through Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio.

Swift, Sheeran and Beyoncé are competing for the night’s biggest award, video of the year, alongside Kendrick Lamar. Mark Ronson is also up for the honor for his Bruno Mars-assisted smash “Uptown Funk.”

In total, Swift is up for nine trophies, with the majority of her Moonman awards for her fiery, action-packed visual for “Bad Blood.”

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The video – which featured a special guest verse from Lamar and a handful of Swift’s famous girlfriends – is also up for collaboration and a slew of technical awards including direction, visual effects and cinematography.

Swift’s “Blank Space” video is also up for best female and pop video.

Sheeran trails behind Swift with six nominations. The romantic visual to his swooning ballad “Thinking Out Loud” took the majority of those nods, including best male and pop video.

Sheeran’s “Don’t” also scored a couple of technical nods.

Beyoncé dominated last year’s ceremony with the most nominations. She stole the show with a 15-minute performance that ran through the entirety of her provocative, self-titled visual album.

This year the pop diva is up for five trophies for album bonus cut “7/11.”

Inspired by super selfies, the video became an instant viral sensation when it was released late last year and is up for best female, pop, choreography and editing.

Fetty Wap, Vance Joy, George Ezra, James Bay and FKA Twigs are vying for new artist.

After being the first awards event to be held at the rejuvenated Forum in Inglewood last year, the VMA’s will return to Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre L.A. Live) where it was last held in 2011.

Fans can vote on the winners online through MTV beginning Tuesday. Nominees for the socially voted song of summer award will be announced at a later date.

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The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Microsoft Theater on Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Miley Cyrus is set to host.

See full list of nominations below:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”

BEST MALE VIDEO
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
The Weeknd – “Earned It”
Nick Jonas – “Chains”

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Sia – “Elastic Heart”
Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Big Sean ft. E-40 – “IDFWU”

BEST POP VIDEO
Beyoncé – “7/11”
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Maroon 5 – “Sugar”

BEST ROCK VIDEO
Hozier – “Take Me To Church”
Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman”
Florence + the Machine – “Ship To Wreck”
Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
Arctic Monkeys – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”

BEST COLLABORATION
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder”
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”

VIDEO WITH A SOCIAL MESSAGE
Jennifer Hudson – “I Still Love You”
Colbie Caillat – “Try”
Big Sean ft. Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World”
Rihanna – “American Oxygen”
Wale – “The White Shoes”

BEST ART DIRECTION
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Charles Infante)
Snoop Dogg – “So Many Pros” (Jason Fijal)
Jack White – “Would You Fight For My Love” (Jeff Peterson)
The Chemical Brothers – “Go” (Michel Gondry)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano)
OK Go – “I Won’t Let You Down” (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano)
Chet Faker – “Gold” (Ryan Heffington)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Nappy Tabs)
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Keone and Mari Madrid)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Larkin Sieple)
Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” (Daniel Pearl)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Christopher Probst)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Justin Brown)
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free” (Mike Simpson)

BEST DIRECTION
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Joseph Kahn)
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy)
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)
Hozier – “Take Me To Church” (Brendan Canty, Conal Thomson)
Childish Gambino – “Sober” (Hiro Murai)

BEST EDITING
Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing)
Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Jacquelyn London)
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street)
A$AP Rocky – “L$D” (Dexter Navy)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Ingenuity Studios)
FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy)
Childish Gambino – “Telegraph Ave.” (Gloria FX)
Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Tyler, The Creator – “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)

For more music news follow me on Twitter: @gerrickkennedy

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