Tate McRae’s performance at the 2025 VMAs earned her a nomination for Best Choreography at the 2026 Emmy Awards. The highly athletic performance, presented yesterday during the awards announcement on July 8, represents a major achievement for the Canadian pop star and is only the second VMA performance to receive Emmy recognition in this category.Choreographed by Robbie Blue, the performance featured a medley of McRae’s hit singles ‘Sports Car’ and ‘Revolving Door’, with several acrobatic sections performed from a sand pit. The nomination places the performance alongside other prestigious productions including a major Super Bowl Halftime Show, the ‘Wicked: One Wonderful Night’ TV special, the 2026 Oscars and a popular drag competition series, underscoring the caliber of the recognition.
Historical Significance of Emmy Nomination
The achievement has particular significance within the history of the Emmys. McRae’s performance becomes only the second VMA performance to be recognized at the Emmys, following Michael Jackson’s iconic 1995 VMA medley, which earned a Primetime Emmy nomination in the same category in 1996. This rare distinction highlights the exceptional quality and artistry of the choreography.
Tate McRae’s recent commercial and graphic success
The Emmy nomination represents the latest accolade in a highly successful series for McRae’s third album, ‘So Close to What,’ which topped the Canadian Albums Chart and the Billboard 200. The album helped her dominate the charts throughout the year, establishing her as the top Canadian artist of 2025.
Tate McRae’s high-energy MTV VMA performance became only the second VMA performance to earn an Emmy nomination for choreography. Image Credit (Tate McRae Instagram)
Her single ‘Sports Car’ proved to be an inescapable radio hit, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and the top 15 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 year-end 100 Canadian songs for 2025. Earlier this year, the 26-year-old artist was honored with the Hitmaker Women In Music Award in Los Angeles, achieving another status as a Billboard Women In Music Award. of today’s most successful artists in the industry.
Robbie Blue’s rising profile in choreography
Choreographer Robbie Blue, who is credited with the nomination, celebrated the achievement publicly on social media. “This is unreal!!!. Huge thanks to my team, cast, creative department and everyone who made it possible! We did it!!!” he exclaimed, expressing the importance of recognition to his creative work.As a rising star in the dance industry, the 26-year-old choreographer has worked on several high-profile projects. Last year, he choreographed a viral commercial with Katseye, as well as Doechii’s star performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The Grammy performance marked his first professional concert and represented his biggest stage at the time, launching his career to new heights.Speaking to the publication about his approach to selecting artists, Blue described his creative philosophy. “I think the artists that look to me are mostly artists that are willing to put in the effort and really want to dance and love to dance. To me, the perfect artist is a Doechii, it’s Twigs, it’s Tinashe, it’s Tate. [McRae]he’s someone who’s really willing to go into a studio and work really hard,” he said, emphasizing the collaborative commitment that his more ambitious choreographic visions require.