MTV will hold the Video Music Awards ceremonies in the metaverse

“The VMA Experience” metaverse will include games with dance and musical themes, a virtual red carpet for photo shoots, concerts, parties, and different events. Also, users will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists. Moreover, MTV announced a new VMA nomination – “The best performance in the metaverse”, where artists will be awarded for their online concerts in different network spaces.

Roblox, the virtual platform on which MTV events are planned, was created in 2006. It’s not the usual MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game, where you have to develop your characters and complete tasks), but rather a “sandbox” where everyone can create their own space. Users can customize locations and invite other players to participate in the mutual activity.

According to the MMO Population portal, Roblox has more than 500 thousand daily logins, and the total “population” of the site is more than 27 million players. Roblox ranked sixth out of 137 monitored by MMO. More than two million people all over the planet, including teenagers, develop games for the platform.

Bosses from ViacomCBS believe that the collaboration with such a platform and the creation of its metaverse will allow Video Music Awards to update the format and attract a younger and more active audience. According to Billboard, 2011 was the most-watched year for the VMA ceremony, with 12.4 million viewers. As for the current situation, less than a million viewers watched the ceremony in 2021. The high level of competition can explain this decrease.

This year, six performers are competing for “The best performance in the metaverse” award, with Ariana Grande and Rift Tour, BTS, Blackpink, Justin Bieber, Charlie XCX, and 21 Pilots. They all held their concerts in the metaverse.

The actual VMA awards ceremony will take place on August 28. Lizzo, Blackpink, and Maneskin are scheduled to perform at it, along with other artists.