It’s one of the most anticipated events of the season! The 2022 MTV VMAs will take place on August 28 at the Prudential Center in New Jersey at 8 PM ET(5 PM PT / 1 AM BST). This year’s awards will be hosted by Doja Cat who is sure to deliver a buzz-worthy show. Featured performances will include Camila Cabello, Kacey Musgraves, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X.
Thankfully, whether you’re at home or abroad, you don’t have to miss out, as it’s possible to watch all the action live, online, and for free. In this post, we’ll explain how you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to live stream the MTV VMAs abroad for free.
How to stream the MTV VMAs with a VPN
MTV’s parent company, Viacom, will be simulcasting the VMAs across a bunch of channels, making it extremely easy to watch:
- CW Network
- BET
- BET Her
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- Logo
- MTV2
- Nickelodeon
- Paramount Network
- Pop
- TVLand
- VH1
While it is possible some international versions of the TV channels mentioned above might show the awards, American live streams are limited to US viewers only.
If you are on vacation outside of the US and want to be able to watch any of the broadcasts listed above, you will need to connect to a VPN server in the US to get a valid US IP address. This will let you spoof your location to America, allowing you to bypass geo-restrictions to watch the VMAs from another country.
Here’s how to watch the MTV VMAs online from anywhere:
- Sign up to your chosen VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark is an excellent cheaper alternative and ExpressVPN is a fantastic all rounder.
- Download the desktop VPN or mobile VPN app for your particular device.
- Enter your credentials to log in to the app.
- Select a server located in the United States.
- Log in to MTV.com, find the MTV VMAs live stream, and enjoy! Alternatively, use one of the other channels mentioned in this article to watch the VMAs.
Setting up your VPN to watch the VMAs while on vacation is extremely easy, but it is still worth doing a test run before the event starts to be sure you are ready! If you experience any issues, we recommend clearing the cookies and cache in your browser. This will prevent any conflicts with the VPN.
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How to watch the MTV VMAs online for free in the US
The MTV VMAs will, of course, be broadcast on MTV, and are usually also shown on other related channels, including MTV2, VH1, and MTV Classic. In 2022 the VMAs will also be shown across the Viacom network on channels including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, and TV Land (full list above).
If you’re in the US, you can watch the show online via the MTV.com site. However, use of the live stream function does require that you log in with credentials from a US cable provider, such as AT&T, Spectrum, or DirecTV.
If you have such a subscription but are traveling outside the US when the award show airs, you can simply use a VPN to spoof your location using the steps above.
If you don’t have a US TV service provider subscription, there is one more option. MTV offers a free 24-hour trial which gives you the perfect window to watch the VMAs. You can sign up through social login or by providing an email address.
You’ll then be granted a 24-hour pass:
How to access MTV VMAs live streams from elsewhere
Viewers in other countries are limited when it comes to online viewing. MTV has a dedicated channel in many countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and many more. These TV channels should all be showing the MTV VMAs live. However, the corresponding local versions of the MTV website (such as MTV.ca and MTV.au) don’t offer a live stream function.
Thankfully, you can still use a VPN to access the MTV.com live stream. Unless you usually live in the US, it’s unlikely you’ll have a US cable provider subscription, so you’ll need to get a 24-hour pass (see the above section).
If you try to complete this process from outside the US without a VPN, you’ll be able to go through the steps for signing up with no issues. However, when you click Watch now, you’ll get an error message: “Sorry this video is no longer available due to rights or restrictions.”
All you need to do is connect to a US VPN server and you should be good to go.
Some streaming services do postpone their free trial periods for big events, but we’re hoping that won’t be the case here.
Who’s up for nomination for the 2022 MTV VMAs?
The nominees for this year’s awards were announced on July 26 and there weren’t too many surprises. Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow, and Lil Nas X led the nominations with seven each. Doja Cat and Harry Styles closely follow with six nods each, and Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd got five nominations each.
Here are the nominees for a few of the top categories:
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Doja Cat – “Woman”
- Drake ft. Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy”
- Ed Sheeran – “Shivers”
- Harry Styles – “As It Was”
- Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY”
- Olivia Rodrigo – “brutal”
- Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
- Bad Bunny
- Drake
- Ed Sheeran
- Harry Styles
- Jack Harlow
- Lil Nas X
- Lizzo
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Adele – “Easy On Me”
- Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
- Doja Cat – “Woman”
- Elton John & Dua Lipa – “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)”
- Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
- The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – “STAY”
BEST NEW ARTIST
- Baby Keem
- Dove Cameron
- GAYLE
- Latto
- Måneskin
- SEVENTEEN
BEST POP
- Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
- Doja Cat – “Woman”
- Ed Sheeran – “Shivers”
- Harry Styles – “As It Was”
- Lizzo – “About Damn Time”
- Olivia Rodrigo – “traitor”
BEST HIP-HOP
- Eminem & Snoop Dogg – “From The D 2 The LBC”
- Future ft. Drake, Tems – “WAIT FOR U”
- Kendrick Lamar – “N95”
- Latto – “Big Energy”
- Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?”
- Pusha T – “Diet Coke”
BEST ROCK
- Foo Fighters – “Love Dies Young”
- Jack White – “Taking Me Back”
- Muse – “Won’t Stand Down”
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer”
- Shinedown – “Planet Zero”
- Three Days Grace – “So Called Life”
MTV VMAs FAQ
Can I use a free VPN to watch MTV VMAs?
No. Although there are some free VPNs on the market, these are not suitable for accessing streams of the VMAs. American streaming services work hard to block VPNs to prevent people from bypassing region locks. They do this to comply with licensing agreements. As a result, most free VPNs have already been blacklisted.
In addition, free VPNs have very few servers that are massively oversubscribed with users around the globe. This causes those servers to be extremely slow, which means that they cause poor quality video reproduction and high levels of buffering. This makes free VPNs unsuitable for streaming live TV.
Besides these performance issues, we also recommend avoiding free VPNs on privacy grounds. Studies have revealed that free VPNs often lack the encryption necessary to keep your devices and data secure.
In addition, free VPNs suffer from leaks and have been found to have app and server vulnerabilities. Plus, some free VPNs have even been found to contain spyware in their apps. This makes free VPNs a huge risk to your online safety and privacy.
Image credit: “Katy Perry at MTV Video Music Awards 2011” by Phillip Neilson licensed under CC BY 2.0.
