Tate McRae's 2025 MTV Video Music Awards performance has earned a nomination for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming at the 2026 Emmy Awards, making it only the second VMA performance in history to be recognized in the category - the first being Michael Jackson's iconic medley at the 1995 VMAs, nominated the following year.
McRae's nominated performance, choreographed by Robbie Blue, took place September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in New York, where the Calgary-born pop star delivered a medley of "Revolving Door" and "Sports Car" from her album So Close to What. The routine opened with McRae barefoot inside a Medusa-inspired set, transforming her dancers into stone statues before launching into an acrobatic sequence performed partly within a sand pit.
Blue, who is credited with the nomination, celebrated the news on Instagram, calling it "unreal" and thanking his team, cast, and creative department for the achievement. He has also choreographed high-profile routines for Doechii's 2025 Grammy performance and Katseye's viral Gap commercial.
McRae's nomination places her among a stacked field this Emmy cycle. She's up against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, the televised Wicked: One Wonderful Night special starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the 2026 Oscars, and RuPaul's Drag Race. The 2026 Emmys continue a strong year for music on television, with Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift both landing nominations for their own recent specials.
For an artist not yet 23, joining Michael Jackson as the only two VMA performances ever honored by the Television Academy marks a genuine career milestone - not manufactured buzz, but recognition built on nearly three decades of history in the category.
