Justin Bieber to make triumphant return to MTV VMAs

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards will get a dose of “Bieber fever” for the first time in six years.

Justin Bieber is set to return to the VMAs stage for an all-star caliber event that will air Sunday night at 8 p.m. EDT. The awards show will be held in-person at the Barclays Center in New York after holding a mostly virtual show last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bieber leads this year’s show with seven nominations, including video of the year for “POPSTAR” and artist of the year. He last took the VMAs stage in 2015 when he performed “What Do You Mean?”

Other scheduled performances include Lil Nas X, Camila Cabello, Chloe, Kacey Musgraves, Shawn Mendes, Olivia Rodrigo Machine Gun Kelly and Doja Cat — who will also serve as the show’s host.

Presenters include Billy Porter, Conor McGregor, 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Megan Fox, Ashanti, Rita Ora, Simone Biles and Travis Barker.

Megan Thee Stallion enters the show as the second-leading nominee with six nominations. BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo, a first time nominee, each have five nods.

Bieber and Megan Thee Stallion will compete with Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Rodrigo and Taylor Swift for artist of the year.

The Foo Fighters will perform and receive the Global Icon Award, an honor handed out for the first time at the VMAs. The award recognizes an artist or band “whose unparalleled career and continued impact and influence has maintained a unique level of global success in music and beyond.”

The prestigious award was previously presented at the annual MTV Europe Music Awards. Past recipients include Queen, Eminem and Whitney Houston.

The rock band — comprised of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee — will perform at the VMAs for the first time since 2007.

The show will simulcast across CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1 and The CW Network.