MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction

Template:Short description Template:Infobox award The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is an award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly renamed Best Director. The category acquired its current name with the 2008 awards.

American artist Taylor Swift is the biggest winner in this category with four wins from six nominations.

The most nominated directors are David Fincher AND Dave Meyers with eight nominations. Remarkably, seven of Fincher's nominations were achieved in a three-year span (1989–1991), as he was nominated a record three times in both 1989 and 1990. Fincher's recent nomination (and win) occurred over twenty years later in 2013 for his work on Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie." Closely following him are Taylor Swift and Francis Lawrence with six. Hype Williams is the director with the most nominations and no wins at five.

The performers whose videos have won the most awards are Madonna and Taylor Swift, whose videos have garnered three direction moonmen respectively. However, Eminem's videos have received the most nominations with seven. Swift is also the only performer to have won four moonmen in this category for her work directing.

Five other performers have won a moonman in this category for their work directing/co-directing their videos: George Michael, Beck, Erykah Badu, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Nas X. An additional nine performers have been nominated for their work co-directing/directing videos: Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, Jared Leto (as Bartholomew Cubbins), Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, Tyler, the Creator (as Wolf Haley) and Travis Scott.

Recipients

1980s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Tim Newman	"Sharp Dressed Man" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1984">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Jean-Baptiste Mondino	"The Boys of Summer" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1985">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Steven Barron	"Take On Me" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1986">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Stephen R. Johnson	"Sledgehammer" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1987">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Andy Morahan and George Michael	"Father Figure" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1988">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	David Fincher	"Express Yourself" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1989">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1990s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	David Fincher	"Vogue" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1990">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Tarsem	"Losing My Religion" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1991">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Mark Fenske	"Right Now" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1992">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Mark Pellington	"Jeremy" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1993">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Jake Scott	"Everybody Hurts" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1994">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Spike Jonze	"Buddy Holly" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1995">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris	"Tonight, Tonight" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1996">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Beck	"The New Pollution" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1997">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Jonas Åkerlund	"Ray of Light" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1998">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Torrance Community Dance Group	"Praise You" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1999">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2000s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris	"Californication" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2000">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Spike Jonze	"Weapon of Choice" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2001">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Joseph Kahn	"Without Me" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2002">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Jamie Thraves	"The Scientist" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2003">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Mark Romanek	"99 Problems" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Samuel Bayer	"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2005">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Robert Hales	"Crazy" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2006">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Samuel Bayer	"What Goes Around... Comes Around" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2007">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto	"Honey" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2008">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Marc Webb	"21 Guns" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2009">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2010s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Francis Lawrence	"Bad Romance" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2010">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Adam Yauch	"Make Some Noise" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Romain Gavras	"Bad Girls" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2012">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	David Fincher	"Suit & Tie" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	DANIELS	"Turn Down for What" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Colin Tilley and the Little Homies	"Alright" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Melina Matsoukas	"Formation" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2016">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Dave Meyers and The Little Homies	"HUMBLE." Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Hiro Murai	"This is America" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Calmatic	"Old Town Road (Remix)" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2019">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2020s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Taylor Swift	"The Man" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2020">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino	"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Taylor Swift	All Too Well: The Short Film Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Taylor Swift	"Anti-Hero" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Taylor Swift	"Fortnight" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Lady Gaga, Bethany Vargas and Parris Goebel	"Abracadabra" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Statistics

Multiple wins

4 wins

• Taylor Swift

3 wins

• David Fincher

2 wins

• Spike Jonze
• Jonathan Dayton
• Valerie Faris

Multiple nominations

8 nominations

• David Fincher
• Dave Meyers

6 nominations

• Francis Lawrence
• Taylor Swift

5 nominations

• Steven Barron
• Mark Romanek
• Spike Jonze
• Jonathan Dayton
• Valerie Faris
• Hype Williams
• Mark Romanek

4 nominations

• Christian Breslauer
• Joseph Kahn

3 nominations

• Daniel Kleinman
• Dr. Dre
• Phillip Atwell
• Billie Eilish
• Jonas Åkerlund
• Bruno Mars

2 nominations

• Tim Newman
• Andy Morahan
• Tarsem
• Stéphane Sednaoui
• Matthew Rolston
• F. Gary Gray
• Jesse Peretz
• Jonathan Glazer
• David LaChapelle
• Joe Hahn
• Jake Nava
• Bartholomew Cubbins
• Kendrick Lamar
• Vania Heymann
• Gal Muggia

See also

• MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker