MTV Video Music Award for Push Best New Artist


The MTV Video Music Award for Push Best New Artist has been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. From then to 2006, the award was named Best New Artist in a Video. In 2007 its name was changed to Best New Artist, as the category underwent a format change to award the artist's body of work for the full year rather than a specific video. For the 2008 ceremony, though, while the award retained its 2007 name, it returned to the format of awarding a specific video rather than the artist's full body of work. The category was later renamed Artist to Watch through 2013 to 2015 while still keeping the format of an award going to a certain video. In 2020, the Best New Artist award merged with the Push Artist of the Year award to create the Push Best New Artist award.
Five artists who won the award, Eurythmics, Nirvana, Eminem, Avenged Sevenfold and Gym Class Heroes, were technically ineligible since the winning song did not come off of their respective debut records, which were released in 1981, 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2004, respectively. Additionally Lady Gaga was also technically ineligible since her debut album and winning single were initially released the year prior to her win in 2009.
Justin Bieber is the youngest artist to win this award or any Video Music Award at the age of 16.

Winners and nominees

1980s

YearWinnerNomineesRef.
Eurythmics – "Sweet Dreams "
'Til Tuesday – "Voices Carry"
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood – "Two Tribes"
  • Julian Lennon – "Too Late for Goodbyes"
  • Sade – "Smooth Operator"
  • Sheila E. – "The Glamorous Life"
    • A-ha – "Take On Me"
  • The Hooters – "And We Danced"
  • Whitney Houston – "How Will I Know"
  • Pet Shop Boys – "West End Girls"
  • Simply Red – "Holding Back the Years"
    • Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"
  • Robert Cray – "Smoking Gun"
  • The Georgia Satellites – "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"
  • Bruce Hornsby and the Range – "The Way It Is"
  • Timbuk3 – "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"
    • Guns N' Roses – "Welcome to the Jungle"
  • The Godfathers – "Birth, School, Work, Death"
  • Buster Poindexter – "Hot, Hot, Hot"
  • Swing Out Sister – "Breakout"
  • Jody Watley – "Some Kind of Lover"
    • Living Colour – "Cult of Personality"
  • Paula Abdul – "Straight Up"
  • Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – "What I Am"
  • Neneh Cherry – "Buffalo Stance"

    • 1990s

    2000s

    2010s

    2020s