The Hollywood Music Video Awards (HMVAs) is an annual international festival and awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to honoring outstanding creative achievement in music videos. Unlike awards programs that focus primarily on recording artists, the HMVAs center on the craftspeople behind the camera, including directors, cinematographers, editors, production designers, choreographers, stylists, and visual effects artists. The awards are submission-based and cover both popular and technical categories, including Music Video of the Year, Director of the Year, Producer of the Year, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Pop, Best International and Best Low Budget.
The first ceremony was hosted by Max Goodrich and took place on April 5, 2025, at the W Hollywood hotel in Hollywood, California, with American music video, commercial and film director Dave Meyers in attendance.
History
Founding The Hollywood Music Video Awards were founded by Danny Pollack and Abi Perl, with the first ceremony held in 2025. Pollack, who serves as the organization's president, had previously founded Dojohouse Media Group in 2019, a Los Angeles-based production company and creative collective specializing in music video and album-driven visual storytelling.
Pollack conceived of the awards as a counterpart to existing music video recognition programs, with a specific focus on the behind-the-scenes workforce. In an interview with USC Annenberg Media, he stated: "The people behind the curtains don't always get the most love and flowers as they should. The VMAs are about the artist, and this is about the creators. We wanted to have a night to celebrate the unsung heroes of the videos."
Ceremonies
The inaugural ceremony took place on April 5, 2025, at the W Hollywood hotel in Hollywood, California, hosted by digital content creator Max Goodrich. The Music Video of the Year award was presented to "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter, and Ukrainian director Tanu Muino was named Director of the Year for her work on Lady Gaga's "Disease."
The second ceremony took place on March 28, 2026, again at the W Hollywood hotel. Music Video of the Year was awarded to "Berghain" by Rosalía featuring Björk, directed by Nicolás Méndez. The ceremony introduced new categories including Best Animation, Best Innovative Direction, Best Color Grading, and Best Shot on Phone. Pollack indicated that subsequent editions would expand programming to include artist involvement and industry seminars.
Selected past winners 2026 Category Winner Music Video of the Year "Berghain" by Rosalía ft. Björk Director of the Year Christian Breslauer Breakout Director of the Year Claire Bishara Producer of the Year Collin Druz Cinematographer of the Year Neema Sadeghi Production Designer of the Year Brittany Porter Editor of the Year Sofia Kerpan Stylist of the Year Brett Alan Nelson Choreographer of the Year Robbie Blue Best Directing "Berghain" by Rosalía ft. Björk Best Cinematography "Nuevayol" by Bad Bunny Best Production Design "Supernatural" by Ariana Grande Best Choreography "Anxiety" by Doechii Best Acting "Loser" by Tame Impala Best Casting "Little Bit Closer" by Sam Fender Best Styling "Sports Car" by Tate McRae Best Hair & Makeup "Gorgeous" by Doja Cat Best Editing "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA Best Color Grading "High Fashion" by Addison Rae Best Narrative "Denial Is a River" by Doechii Best Action "Stranger" by Doja Cat Best Pop "Tears" by Sabrina Carpenter Best Rap "The Birds Don't Sing" by Clipse, John Legend & Voices of Fire Best R&B "Sugar on My Tongue" by Tyler, the Creator
2025 Category Winner Music Video of the Year "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter Director of the Year Tanu Muino Best New Director Aerin Moreno Producer of the Year Aiden Magarian Cinematographer of the Year Nyk Allen Production Designer of the Year Cody Fusina Editor of the Year Ally Gondeck Stylist of the Year Rachel Haas Choreographer of the Year Sean Bankhead Best Directing "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)" by Ariana Grande Best Cinematography "HAHAHA" by Lil Dicky Best Production Design "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar Best Choreography "It's OK I'm OK" by Tate McRae Best Acting "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter Best Casting "Eusexua" by FKA Twigs Best Styling "New Woman" by Lisa ft. Rosalía Best Hair & Makeup "Disease" by Lady Gaga Best Editing "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter Best Concept "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar Best Narrative "War in the Trenches" by Nige Best Comedy "Taste" by Sabrina Carpenter Best Pop "Please Please Please" by Sabrina Carpenter Best Hip Hop & Rap "Squabble Up" by Kendrick Lamar Best R&B "Here We Go (Uh Oh)" by Coco Jones Best Sci-Fi/Thriller "Make You Mine" by Madison Beer
References
External links Official website