Tate McRae received a 2026 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography for her performances at the 2025 MTV VMAs for Sports Car and Revolving Door.Photo credit (Tate McRae Instagram)
Tate McRae’s 2025 VMA performance earned her a nomination for Outstanding Choreography at the 2026 Emmy Awards. The extremely athletic performance, revealed yesterday during the July 8 awards announcement, represents a major accomplishment for the Canadian pop star and marks only the second VMA performance ever to receive an Emmy in this category.The show, choreographed by Robbie Blue, featured a medley of McRae’s singles “Sports Car” and “Revolving Door”, with several acrobatic segments performed from inside a sandpit. The nomination places this performance alongside other prestigious productions, including the major Super Bowl Halftime Show, the TV special “Wicked: One Wonderful Night,” the 2026 Academy Awards and the popular drag competition series, underscoring the importance of this recognition.
The historical significance of the Emmy nomination
This achievement holds special significance in Emmy’s history. McRae’s performance became the second VMA performance ever to be recognized at the Emmys, following Michael Jackson’s iconic mix at the 1995 VMAs, which received 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 chart success
The Emmy nomination marks the latest accolade in a hugely successful run 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, making her the top Canadian artist of 2025.
Tate McRae’s high-energy MTV VMAs performance became the second VMAs performance ever to receive an Emmy nomination for choreography. Image credit (Tate McRae Instagram)
Her song “Sports Car” proved to be an inevitable radio hit, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and cracking the top 15 on the 2025 Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Year-End Songs chart. Earlier this year, the 26-year-old was honored with the Hitmaker Award at the Billboard Women In Music 2026 in Los Angeles, cementing her position as one of the most successful current female artists in Los Angeles. Industry.
Ruby Blue is a rising figure in choreography
Choreographer Robbie Blue, who is credited with the nomination, celebrated the accomplishment publicly on social media. “This is unreal!!!. Thank you so much to my team, cast, creative department and everyone who made this happen! We did it!!!” he exclaimed, expressing the importance of recognizing his creative work.
As a rising star in the dance industry, the 26-year-old choreographer has worked on several notable projects.
He notably choreographed a viral commercial featuring Katseye last year as well as Doechii’s star-making performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The Grammy performance marked his first professional ceremony and represented his biggest stage at the time, launching his career to new heights.Speaking to the magazine about his approach to selecting artists, Blue explained his creative philosophy. “I think the artists that look up to me are mostly artists that want to push themselves and really want to dance and love to dance. For me, the perfect artist is Doechii, it’s Twigs, it’s Tinashe, it’s Tate [McRae]“He’s someone who really wants to get into the studio and work hard,” he said, highlighting the collaborative commitment required for his most ambitious choreographic visions.