Depois de alguns anos sendo ignorada pela MTV, Rihanna teve seus trabalhos com "We Found Love" e "Where Have You Been' reconhecidos. Ela foi a líder de indicações no MTV VMA 2012, com 5 nomeações, 11 indicações no total.

Melhor Vídeo Pop (Vote)

fun. f/ Janelle Monae – ‘We Are Young’
Justin Bieber – ‘Boyfriend’
Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa – ‘Payphone’
One Direction – ‘What Makes You Beautiful’
Rihanna – ‘We Found Love’

Melhor Vídeo Feminino (Vote)

Beyoncé – ‘Love on Top’
Katy Perry – ‘Part of Me’
Nicki Minaj – ‘Starships’
Rihanna – ‘We Found Love’
Selena Gomez & The Scene – ‘Love You Like a Love Song’

Vídeo do Ano (Vote)

Drake f/ Rihanna – ‘Take Care’
Gotye – ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’
Katy Perry – ‘Wide Awake’
M.I.A. – ‘Bad Girls’
Rihanna – ‘We Found Love’

Melhor Coreografia (Vote)

Avicii – ‘Le7els’
Beyoncé – ‘Countdown’
Chris Brown – ‘Turn Up the Music’
Jennifer Lopez f/ Pitbull – ‘Dance Again’
Rihanna – ‘Where Have You Been’

Melhores Efeitos Visuais (Vote)

David Guetta f/ Nicki Minaj – ‘Turn Me On’
Katy Perry – ‘Wide Awake’
Linkin Park – ‘Burn It Down’
Rihanna – ‘Where Have You Been’
Skrillex – ‘First of the Year (Equinox)’

Melhor Direção de Arte


Drake f/ Rihanna – ‘Take Care’
Katy Perry – ‘Wide Awake’
Lana Del Rey – ‘Born to Die’
Of Monsters & Men – ‘Little Talks’
Regina Spektor – ‘All the Rowboats’


Melhor Cinematografia (Vote)


Adele – ‘Someone Like You’
Coldplay f/ Rihanna – ‘Princess of China’
Drake f/ Rihanna – ‘Take Care’
Lana Del Rey – ‘Born to Die’
M.I.A. – ‘Bad Girls’


Melhor Direção (Vote)

Coldplay f/ Rihanna – ‘Princess of China’
Duck Sauce – ‘Big Bad Wolf’
Frank Ocean – ‘Swim Good’
M.I.A. – ‘Bad Girls’
The Throne – ‘Otis’

O VMA acontece em Los Angeles no dia 6 de setembro, resta saber se RiRi irá aparecer.