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How to watch the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards without cable tonight

The VMA's are happening tonight. Learn which live-TV streaming services offer MTV and who is hosting and performing.

Matt Elliott Senior Editor
Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he's not writing about laptops, Matt likes to play and watch sports. He loves to play tennis and hates the number of streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the various sports he wants to watch.
Expertise Laptops, desktops, all-in-one PCs, streaming devices, streaming platforms
Matt Elliott
3 min read
Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is this year's MTV Video Vanguard Award recipient.

Erika Goldring / Getty Images

It's time for the VMAs, aka the MTV Video Music Awards, and you know what that means: pop stars doing the crazy! From Kanye West invading the stage to Miley Cyrus twerking, this show is always entertaining. Tonight there's some big names up for VMAs: Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift lead the field with 10 nominations apiece, Billie Eilish earned 9 nominations, and Lil Nas X picked up 8 nominations including Video and Song of the Year for Old Town Road (Remix) featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. 

If Ariana Grande wins a VMA, she could really keep MTV's awards show moving along with a simple, three-word acceptance speech. "Thank you, next." Meanwhile Cardi B, BTS, Drake, Lady Gaga, Halsey, Anderson .Paak, Travis Scott, Solange and Kanye West are among the other nominated artists.

Here's what you need to know to see, and participate in, all of the awards.

When are the VMAs?

The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards will air live tonight (Monday, Aug. 26) at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT, from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Who is scheduled to perform?

Taylor Swift is scheduled to perform at the VMAs for the first time in four years. Missy Elliott will also perform and receive the Video Vanguard Award -- the VMA equivalent of a lifetime achievement award -- for her 20-plus-year (and counting) career of awesome music and music videos. You can keep an eye other VMA performers here as they get added to the lineup.

Who is hosting the show?

After a hostless show last year, comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco is set to host the VMAs this time around.

How can I watch the VMAs?

You can stream the show live on MTV.com or the MTV app, but you'll need to prove you have a pay TV subscription that includes MTV. You can also watch live on Twitter ; according to Variety, as MTV will have a live stream that it's calling the MTV VMA Stan Cam. MTV will ask folks on Twitter to vote from three celebrities in the audience and display the winners' live reactions throughout the show. 

If you don't have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can stream the show on MTV with some live-TV streaming services -- but not all. MTV is not offered on Hulu with Live TV , PlayStation Vue or YouTube TV .

Things to know about live TV streaming services:

Note CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. 

Philo costs $20 a month and includes MTV.

MTV is part of the $5-a-month Comedy Extra package, which you can add to either Sling TV's $25-a-month Blue or Orange plan.

DirecTV Now's basic $50-a-month Plus package includes MTV. (DirectTV Now will soon be rebranded as AT&T Now.)

FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes MTV.