2015 MTV Video Music Awards

{{short description|Award ceremony}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox award

| name = 2015 MTV Video Music Awards

| image = MTV VMA 2015 logo.svg

| imagesize = 250px

| date = Sunday, {{start date|2015|8|30}}

| venue = Microsoft Theater (Los Angeles, California)

| country = United States

| host = Miley Cyrus

| website = {{url|http://www.mtv.com/vma/2015/}}

| network = {{flatlist|

• MTV
• MTV2
• VH1
• VH1 Classic
• Logo TV
• BET
• Centric
• Comedy Central
• TV Land
• CMT{{cite news|last=Yahr|first=Emily|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style-blog/wp/2015/08/30/vmas-2015-faq-where-to-watch-the-show-whos-performing-red-carpet-details/|title=VMAs 2015 FAQ: Where to watch the show, who's performing, red carpet details|date=August 30, 2015|access-date=August 31, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite web|url=http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/2015-mtv-video-music-awards/EP02229333?aid=tvschedule|title=2015 MTV Video Music Awards|work=Zap2it|access-date=August 31, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150902171315/http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/2015-mtv-video-music-awards/EP02229333?aid=tvschedule|archive-date=September 2, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

}}

| producer = Amy Doyle
Jesse Ignjatovic
Dave Sirulnick
Van Toffler

| director = Hamish Hamilton

| runtime = 190 minutes

| most_awards = Taylor Swift (4)

| most_nominations = Taylor Swift (10)

| previous = 2014

| main = {{nowrap|MTV Video Music Awards}}

| next = 2016

}}

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1996758/2015-vmas/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120032607/http://www.mtv.com//news//1996758//2015-vmas//|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 20, 2014|title=Save The Date! The 2015 VMAs Are Set For… |last=Linder|first=Emilee |date=November 13, 2014 |website=MTV.com |access-date=April 26, 2015}} The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2218135/2015-vma-nominations-announcement/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722181022/http://www.mtv.com/news/2218135/2015-vma-nominations-announcement/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2015|title=Start Freaking, The 2015 MTV VMA Nominations Are Coming |last=Alexis|first=Nadeska |date=July 20, 2015 |website=MTV.com |access-date=July 20, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2218106/miley-cyrus-2015-vma-host/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721225535/http://www.mtv.com/news/2218106/miley-cyrus-2015-vma-host/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2015|title=Miley Cyrus Is Hosting The 2015 VMAs. This Is Not A Drill. |last=Lindner|first=Emilee |date=July 20, 2015 |website=MTV.com |access-date=July 20, 2015}} Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, followed by Ed Sheeran, who had six,{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2219077/2015-vma-nominations/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723030226/http://www.mtv.com/news/2219077/2015-vma-nominations/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 23, 2015|title=2015 VMA Nominations: Get The Full List Now |last=Lindner|first=Emilee |date=July 21, 2015 |website=MTV.com |access-date=July 21, 2015 |quote=The list... is lead [sic] by Taylor Swift, who is up for nine Moonmen.}}{{efn|Another nominee, Kendrick Lamar, received four nominations for his video "Alright." The videos for Swift's "Bad Blood" and Flying Lotus' "Never Catch Me" (both of which he features on) earned seven and two nominations respectively—however, those are not counted since he is not the lead artist.}} bringing his total number of mentions to 13. Swift's "Wildest Dreams" music video premiered during the pre-show.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2248825/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-vmas/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826222809/http://www.mtv.com/news/2248825/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-vmas/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 26, 2015|title=Taylor Swift's 'Wildest Dreams' Video Will Premiere During The VMA Pre-Show|last=Hosken|first=Patrick |date=August 23, 2015 |website=MTV.com |access-date=August 23, 2015}} Cyrus also announced and released her studio album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, right after her performance at the end of the show.{{cite web|date=August 31, 2015|last=Bell|first=Crystal|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2256616/miley-cyrus-dead-petz-surprise-album/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831111043/http://www.mtv.com/news/2256616/miley-cyrus-dead-petz-surprise-album/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 31, 2015|title=Miley Cyrus Just Dropped A Free Surprise Album – Here's Where You Can Hear It|publisher=MTV News|access-date=August 31, 2015}} During his acceptance speech, Kanye West announced that he would be running in the 2020 United States presidential election.{{cite web|last=Stone|first=Natalie|title=Kanye West: 'I Have Decided in 2020 to Run for President'|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mtv-vmas-2015-kanye-west-818595|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 30, 2015|access-date=August 30, 2015}} Taylor Swift won the most awards with four, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/vma/6678711/vmas-2015-winners-list-full | title=MTV Video Music Awards 2015: The Winners Are… | magazine=Billboard | date=August 30, 2015 | access-date=April 5, 2016}} The VMA trophies were redesigned by Jeremy Scott.{{cite web|last=Lindner|first=Emilee|title=Jeremy Scott Redesigned The VMA Moonman, And It's Totally Rad|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2242533/jeremy-scott-moonman-2015-vmas/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819043406/http://www.mtv.com/news/2242533/jeremy-scott-moonman-2015-vmas/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 19, 2015|website=MTV.com|date=August 17, 2015|access-date=August 17, 2015}}

This 2015 edition was seen by 9.8 million people in the United States during its simulcast across ten Viacom-owned networks.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6685050/2015-vmas-ratings-drop-miley-cyrus|title=2015 VMAs Ratings: Miley-Hosted Show Suffers 3 Million Viewer Drop From 2014 on MTV|magazine=Billboard|date= September 1, 2015|access-date= August 29, 2015|last=O'Connell|first=Michael}}{{cite web|url=http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/2015-mtv-video-music-awards/EP02229333?aid=tvschedule|title=2015 MTV Video Music Awards|work=Zap2it|access-date=August 29, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150902171315/http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/2015-mtv-video-music-awards/EP02229333?aid=tvschedule|archive-date=September 2, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} However, the ceremony's airing on the flagship MTV network alone had one of the lowest audience in the ceremony's 31-year history (with the following year's ceremony being the lowest of all time). According to Nielsen, it logged 5.03 million viewers on MTV, 39% less than the previous year, while cumulative viewers drew 9.8 million with the nine other simulcasting networks. The lowest viewed edition since Nielson began tracking in 1994 was in 1996, with 5.07 million viewers. This broadcast, however, broke the "US Twitter record", being the most tweeted about non-sports program, with 21.4 million tweets delivered by 2.2 million people.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/music/news/video-music-awards-viewership-plummets-on-mtv-1201581910/|title=Video Music Awards Viewership Plummets on MTV|work=Variety|last=Kissell|first=Rick|date=September 1, 2015|access-date=September 1, 2015}} It was also streamed live through the MTV app for authenticated users on mobile devices and television sets via iOS, Android and Chromecast. Through its website, viewers could also get to see un-aired audience shots and backstage coverage.{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/08/vmas-2015-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-mtv-video-music-awards-show/|title=MTV VMAs 2015 Live Stream: How To Watch Online|work=Heavy.com|access-date=September 1, 2015}} mtvU aired a behind-the-scenes feed and MTV Hits went dark.