The VMAs are getting even more legendary. On Wednesday morning, MTV announced that Halsey, Benson Boone, Lisa, and Lenny Kravitz will perform at the Video Music Awards on Sept. 11 in New York.
Boone has had a massive year thanks to his hit track, “Beautiful Things.” He’s up for three awards including Best New Artist and Best Alternative. Halsey — who returned with “Lucky” this summer — is up for Artist of the Year after winning Best K-Pop in 2019 for “Boy With Luv” alongside BTS. She last performed at the awards show in 2016, when she joined the Chainsmokers for a rendition of “Closer.”
Lisa will make her VMAs solo performance debut next month after releasing “New Woman” with Rosalía last week and dropping “Rockstar” earlier this summer. She became the first solo K-pop star to win a Moon Person thanks to her single “Lalisa” in 2022. (Blackpink performed “Pink Venom” onstage that year.)
Meanwhile, Kravitz will perform at the VMAs for the first time in over 25 years after taking the stage in 1993 for a performance of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” alongside John Paul Jones, and in 1998, when he joined Madonna for a rendition of “Ray of Light.” The VMAs have yet to announce what he’ll perform, but he’s up for Best Rock for his single “Human.”
The new performer announcement comes about a week after the VMAs revealed that Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Sabrina Carpenter, and Rauw Alejandro will also hit the stage at the awards show at the UBS Arena in New York City. MTV also revealed last week that pop icon Katy Perry will take home the Video Vanguard trophy and perform a medley of her hits as well.
The VMAs dropped its list of nominees earlier this month, with Taylor Swift leading the charge with 10 total nominations, many of which were for Tortured Poets Department single with Post Malone, “Fortnight,” including for Video of the Year. Malone picked up nine nods, Ariana Grande has six, as does Eminem and Carpenter. The Artist of the Year category includes Swift, Grande, Eminem, Carpenter, Bad Bunny, and SZA.
