David Fincher and Dave Meyers share the record for the most MTV VMA Best Direction nominations, with eight each.
The category honors direction in a music video and has changed names over time. From 1984 through 2006 it was called Best Direction in a Video; it was briefly renamed Best Director in 2007 and became Best Direction in 2008. Those naming changes are why older records may appear under a slightly different title.
Fincher built his record especially quickly: seven of his eight nominations came across the three-year span from 1989 through 1991. He was nominated three times in both 1989 and 1990, an unusual concentration for a single director. His eighth nomination came much later, for Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” in 2013, which he won.
Dave Meyers also reached eight nominations, while Francis Lawrence and Taylor Swift follow with six each. Taylor Swift holds the record for wins in the category, with four, so the nominations record and victories record belong to different directors.