Eminem to open the 2024 MTV VMAs for the first time in 14 years

Rap icon Eminem is set to open the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards for the first time in 14 years.

The Grammy-winning artist, 51, who is nominated for eight awards at this year’s ceremony at New York’s UBS Arena on Thursday, will treat fans to the first TV show performance from his recently released 12th studio LP The Death of Slim Shady.

Eminem last opened the ceremony in 2010 when he performed hit song Not Afraid, as well as a duet of Love the Way You Lie with pop star Rihanna.

His most recent performance at the awards show was in 2022, when an NFT company presented his and Snoop Dogg’s avatars in a metaverse attended by the MTV audience.

In 2012, Eminem made a surprise appearance during Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s performance of Forgot About Dre and Still D.R.E.

Eminem was nominated for his memorable performance of ‘The Real Slim Shady’ and ‘The Way I Am’ at the VMAs in 2000

His 8 nominations this year include Video of the Year, Best Hip-Hop, Song of the Summer, Presented by Hilton, and VMAs Most Iconic Performance for his 2000 medley of Real Slim Shady and The Way I Am.

This new category will acknowledge one of five nominees who participated in legendary VMAs performances between 1984 and 2013.

The talked-about nominees in this category include Eminem, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift.

Eminem was nominated for his memorable performance of The Real Slim Shady and The Way I Am at the VMAs in 2000.

While he performed, 100+ ‘Eminem clones’ were following the rapper into the Radio City Music Hall, and walked down the aisles as he went on stage.

Eminem has a busy year ahead as he has been announced as the first headliner for the 2024 edition of MDLBEAST’s Soundstorm festival.

The Detroit rapper will make his debut performance in Saudi Arabia as part of the Middle East’s biggest music festival, which is set to take place from December 12 to 14.

No doubt Eminem’s UK fans will be thrilled to hear the rapper is taking on festival gigs outside of the States, as he is rumoured to perform at Glastonbury 2025.

Festival organisers hope to brush off jibes that this year’s festival was the ‘worst ever’ by persuading rap sensation Eminem to headline next year.

His most recent performance at the awards show was in 2022, when an NFT company presented his and Snoop Dogg’s avatars in a metaverse attended by the MTV audience

It comes after MailOnline reported that Glastonbury bosses are trying to persuade Eminem to headline in 2025 after ‘worst ever festival’

Talks are already under way to persuade the American star to perform in 2025 after many of the 210,000 fans who attended last weekend’s event slammed the ‘dreadful’ top-of-the bill acts Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA.

A festival source said: ‘While many are putting a brave face on the fact that the festival wasn’t exactly a success this year, they are already preparing for a bigger and better line-up next year.

Glastonbury is barely over but the bosses want Eminem – they hope he will be their saviour after so few people went to watch SZA. They have everything crossed that he will say yes.’

Eminem has already headlined UK festivals including Reading and Leeds in 2017 but has never played Glastonbury’s main Pyramid stage.