Why Olivia Rodrigo Skipped the 2022 MTV VMAs

Olivia Rodrigo decided not to spend her Sunday at tonight’s MTV VMAs despite being one of the night’s most heavily-nominated guests. Rodrigo didn’t post her whereabouts on social media; her last post featured her in New York City, not far from where the VMAs were.

Rodrigo is nominated tonight for Video of the Year (“Brutal”), Best Pop Song (“Traitor”), Best Longform (“Driving Home 2 U”), and Best Editing (“Brutal”). Rodrigo may have decided, since she is not performing and is either nominated in more minor or hyper-competitive categories, to skip the ceremony.

Rodrigo’s last public appearance was just days ago, when she performed “Uptown Girl” with Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. “Literally because you played her uptown girl… such an honor to perform with one of the best songwriters alive last night. Billy Joel 4 life!!!!! 💘🎸💘🦋” Rodrigo wrote on her Instagram. She was also photographed in New York City on August 26, two days ago.

Rodrigo reflected on her debut album Sour and where her music is going next in a March 2022 interview with ELLE.com. “I have a little distance from them [the songs on Sour] now,” Rodrigo said. “I actually just feel so proud of them and it’s so much fun to sing them now. And I’m just so excited to sing them on tour and hopefully people will sing them back. And I just think when you put them out into the world and they help people and make people happy … it’s not quite as devastating anymore. And it’s a very empowering thing.”

Of that time generally, Rodrigo admitted, “I guess I was just coming to terms with being like a really young person in the industry and feeling weird about it. But I don’t think I feel that way anymore, which is nice.”