MTV’s VMA nominations are in. Taylor Swift has done very well. Nicki Minaj, on the other hand, hasn’t.
Taylor Swift has garnered nine nominations off the back of the video for Bad Blood, her collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, which is all well and good until you realise Nicki Minaj has only got two for Anaconda, neither of which are for Best Video. Let’s be real here: Anaconda broke the internet back in August. That controversial cover art went viral, the video smashed the VEVO record for views at the time (19.6 million clicks in 24 hours), a million memes were spawned, and as recently as June this year, 1,000 Nicki cutouts graced the steps of Helinski Cathedral. Anaconda was, and is, an event.
And there’s not just Anaconda – the Minaj and Beyonce-fronted Feeling Myself has been completely ignored by MTV, despite a complete Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr roadblock when it was released on Tidal as a surprise on the same day as Taylor’s incredibly hyped and star-studded Bad Blood video. No wonder Nicki took to Twitter to vent about the snub.
Hey guys @MTV thank you for my nominations. 😘😘😘 Did Feeling Myself miss the deadline or…?
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
U couldn’t go on social media w/o seeing ppl doing the cover art, choreo, outfits for Halloween…an impact like that & no VOTY nomination?
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
If I was a different “kind” of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well. 😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
When the “other” girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture they get that nomination. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Taylor, for some unknown reason, saw Nicki’s tweets and decided to weigh in despite none of the vitriol being aimed specifically towards her, including a deeply patronising invitation to Minaj “if I win”.
@NICKIMINAJ I’ve done nothing but love & support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot.. — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 21, 2015
@NICKIMINAJ If I win, please come up with me!! You’re invited to any stage I’m ever on. — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 21, 2015
Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn’t say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this. @taylorswift13 — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
Amongst the ‘DRAG HER QUEEN’, ‘slaaay’ and ‘queen’ comments Nicki’s supporters are inevitably making, people are talking about how MTV’s choice of nomination reflects how the media treats black women overall.
.@taylorswift13 stop using “support all girls” as an excuse to not be critical of racist media that benefits and glorifies you
— berenice (@itsbereniced) July 21, 2015
nicki was making valid points about the history of racism in the music industry, taylor should be standing by her not making it about her
— becca (@margaerytyreII) July 21, 2015
I’m baffled as to WHY @taylorswift13 felt the need to come at @NickiMinaj for speaking on behalf of unsung black female entertainers..
— Elgin Charles (@ElginCharles) July 21, 2015
If there’s anything good to come out of this, it’s that Nicki’s justified outrage has served as a platform for other people of colour to speak out about how mainstream media will take any excuse to disenfranchise black women.
Amandla Stenberg is treated completely differently to Kylie Jenner, despite there being only a year between them. Rihanna was branded an aggressive, anti-feminist rape apologist when she released her Bitch Better Have My Money video while Uma Thurman gets to murder, torture and tear other women’s eyes out to critical acclaim in the Kill Bill series.
Nicki even had to call out Ryan Seacrest for painting her as an aggressor as the conversation was going on last night.
Ryan posted a headline of Taylor saying she loves & supports me. But not me saying the same to her. Lol. Their headline says I took a “jab”? — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
I get the feeling that Nicki’s been putting up with this shit for years and that this was the final straw. But who better than a riled Nicki Minaj to set stuff straight?
Oh but trust me. I’ll be on that stage to collect my awards for vid of the year. Feeling Myself & Anaconda. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 — NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015
This year’s VMAs should be hell of a show.
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