The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner is Frank Gatson with six wins. Michael Rooney follows closely behind with five wins.
Frank Gatson is also the most nominated choreographer with eleven nominations. He is followed by Tina Landon with nine nominations (and yet only one win). The performers whose videos have won the most awards are Janet Jackson and Beyoncé, garnering a total of four Moonmen for choreography. Madonna's videos have received the most nominations with twelve.
Seven performers have won a Moonman in this category for their work choreographing or co-choreographing their own videos: Michael Jackson ("Thriller"), Prince ("Raspberry Beret"), Paula Abdul ("Straight Up"), Janet Jackson ("Rhythm Nation"), Madonna ("Ray of Light"), Shakira ("Hips Don't Lie"), Bruno Mars ("Treasure"), and OK Go ("I Won't Let You Down"). An additional ten other performers/groups have been nominated for their work choreographing their own videos: Toni Basil, Morris Day, Bobby Brown, MC Hammer, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Quad City DJ's, Jason Kay, Janelle Monáe, Beyoncé and Solange. Abdul, a professional choreographer before launching her musical career, was nominated twice for choreographing two Janet Jackson videos, and won for "Nasty" before winning again for her own video for "Straight Up". Basil, who is also a professional choreographer, is the only other artist to have been nominated for work on both their own videos and other artists.
Actor Christopher Walken won this award in 2001 for helping choreograph the video for Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," in which he appears dancing. Similarly, Spike Jonze (as Richard Koufey) won this award in 1999 for his own dancing in Fatboy Slim's video "Praise You".
Recipients 1980s Year Winner(s) Work Nominees Ref. and Michael Peters "Thriller" "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" "Raspberry Beret" "Nasty" "The Pleasure Principle" "Straight Up"
1990s Year Winner(s) Work Nominees Ref. and Anthony Thomas "Rhythm Nation" "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" , Travis Payne and LaVelle Smith Jr. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" , LaVelle Smith Jr. and Travis Payne "Free Your Mind" and Randy Connor "Whatta Man" , Tina Landon, Travis Payne and Sean Cheesman "Scream" "It's Oh So Quiet" "The New Pollution" Madonna and Jonas Åkerlund "Ray of Light" and Michael Rooney "Praise You"
2000s Year Winner(s) Work Nominees Ref. "Bye Bye Bye" , Spike Jonze and Christopher Walken "Weapon of Choice" "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and LaVelle Smith Jr. "Crazy in Love" "Hey Mama" "Hollaback Girl" Shakira "Hips Don't Lie" "Let Me Talk to You/My Love" "Run" and JaQuel Knight "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
2010s Year Winner(s) Work Nominees Ref. "Bad Romance" , Sheryl Murakami and Jeffrey Page "Run the World (Girls)" "Turn Up the Music" "Treasure" "Chandelier" , air:man and Mori Harano "I Won't Let You Down" , JaQuel Knight and Dana Foglia "Formation" , Guapo, Matthew Pasterisa, Jae Blaze and Derek Watkins "Fade" Sherrie Silver "This is America" Charm La'Donna "Con Altura"
2020s Year Winner(s) Work Nominees Ref. The Lab and Son Sung Deuk "On" Paul Roberts "Treat People with Kindness" "Fullout Cortland" (Cortland Brown) "Woman" Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX) and Taryn Cheng (YGX) "Pink Venom" Charm La'Donna "Houdini" Robbie Blue "Anxiety" 2026 Damien Jalet, Megan Lawson, Young Boy Dancing Group and Nicolas Huchard Confessions II – The Film
Choreographer Statistics Multiple wins 6 wins Frank Gatson
5 wins Michael Rooney
4 wins
3 wins Travis Payne
2 wins Charm La'Donna JaQuel Knight Paula Abdul
Multiple nominations 11 nominations Frank Gatson
9 nominations Tina Landon
8 nominations Fatima Robinson Sean Bankhead
7 nominations Jamaica Craft
6 nominations Michael Rooney
5 nominations Marty Kudelka Charm La'Donna
Paula Abdul Rich and Tone Talauega
4 nominations Flii Stylz Hi-Hat JaQuel Knight MC Hammer Michael Jackson Ryan Heffington Travis Payne Vincent Paterson
3 nominations Tanisha Scott Jamie King Beyoncé Zoï Tatopoulos Laurieann Gibson Randy Connor Chris Grant Brad Jeffries Barry Lather Bruno Mars Mikey Minden Arlene Phillips Son Sungdeuk
2 nominations BHM Performance Directing Team Brian Nicholson and Scott Nicholson Buddha Stretch Calvit Hodge Dana Foglia Danielle Polanco Ho Frat Hooo! Janet Jackson Jeri Slaughter JR Taylor Madonna Prince Robin Antin Russell Clark Toni Basil
Artist Statistics Multiple wins 4 wins Beyoncé Janet Jackson
3 wins En Vogue
2 wins Fatboy Slim Michael Jackson Madonna
Multiple nominations 13 nominations Beyoncé
12 nominations Madonna
10 nominations Janet Jackson
7 nominations Michael Jackson
6 nominations Lady Gaga
5 nominations Chris Brown Jennifer Lopez Justin Timberlake
4 nominations Britney Spears BTS Christina Aguilera Ciara Dua Lipa FKA Twigs MC Hammer Missy Elliott Usher
3 nominations Ariana Grande Bruno Mars En Vogue Kendrick Lamar Paula Abdul Prince The Pussycat Dolls Sia Will Smith
2 nominations Camila Cabello Cardi B Ed Sheeran Elton John Fatboy Slim Halsey Harry Styles Jay-Z Mýa Normani Pitbull Salt-n-Pepa Sean Paul Shakira will.i.am Wyclef Jean
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