Tate McRae has made MTV Video Music Awards history. Her performance at the 2025 MTV VMAs has earned a nomination for Outstanding Choreography at the 2026 Emmy Awards, becoming only the second VMA performance ever to receive recognition in the category after Michael Jackson’s iconic 1995 appearance, which was honored at the 1996 Emmys.
McRae delivered her first-ever main-stage performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in New York. Performing a medley of “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car” from her chart-topping album So Close to What, she combined intricate choreography, and live vocals in one of the ceremony’s most appreciated moments.
Wearing a sparkling white two-piece outfit, McRae opened the performance barefoot inside a Medusa-inspired concept, transforming dancers into stone statues before launching into a sequence of demanding choreography. The routine featured the signature back-bend leg extension from the “Revolving Door” music video, explosive dance breaks, dramatic splits and movement through a black sand pit surrounded by bursts of fire.
The routine also highlighted McRae’s extensive dance background, blending contemporary movement with pop spectacle in a way that distinguished it from the night’s other performances. Earlier in the broadcast, she also accepted the Song of the Summer award for “Just Keep Watching” from the F1 soundtrack.
The recognition places McRae alongside one of music’s most influential live performers. Michael Jackson’s legendary 1995 MTV Video Music Awards performance remained the only VMA routine ever nominated for Outstanding Choreography until now, making McRae’s achievement a rare milestone nearly three decades later.
Music has a significant presence throughout this year’s Emmy nominations. Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show leads the conversation with nine nominations, the most ever received by a Super Bowl halftime production. Lady Gaga earned her fifth Emmy nomination for “The Dead Dance” from Wednesday, while Taylor Swift received another nomination for Eras Tour: The Final Show, which is competing in Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) alongside four additional categories.
Photo: MTV/YouTube
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