Tate McRae’s 2025 VMA performance earned a nomination for Outstanding Choreography at the 2026 Emmy Awards. The highly athletic performance, revealed yesterday during the awards announcement on July 8, represents a major achievement for the Canadian pop star and marks only the second VMA performance to receive Emmy recognition in this category.Choreographed by Robbie Blue, the show featured a medley of McRae’s hit singles ‘Sports Car’ and ‘Revolving Door,’ with several acrobatic sections performed from inside a sand pit. The nomination places the show alongside other prestigious productions including a major Super Bowl Halftime Show, the television special ‘Wicked. An Extraordinary Night, ‘the 2026 Oscars and a popular drag competition series, which highlights the caliber of recognition.
Historic significance of the Emmy nomination
The achievement has particular significance within Emmy history. McRae’s performance became only the second VMA performance to be recognized at the Emmys, after Michael Jackson’s iconic medley at the 1995 VMAs, 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 chart success
The Emmy nomination represents the latest accolade in a 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, establishing her as the top charting Canadian artist in 2025.
Tate McRae’s high-energy MTV VMAs performance became only the second VMA performance to earn an Emmy nomination for choreography. Image credit (Tate McRae Instagram)
His single ‘Sports Car’ proved to be an inevitable radio hit, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 and cracked the top 15 on the Year-End Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Songs chart for 2025. most successful performers today.
Robbie Blue’s rising profile in choreography
Choreographer Robbie Blue, who was honored with the nomination, celebrated the success publicly on social media. “This is unreal!!!. A big thank you to my team, the cast, the 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 high-profile projects. He notably choreographed a viral commercial featuring Katseye last year as well as producing Doechii’s star performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The Grammy performance marked his first professional gig and represented his biggest period of time, launching his career to new heights.Speaking to the publication about his approach to selecting artists, Blue outlined his creative philosophy. “I think the artists who seek me out are mostly artists who are willing to push themselves and really want to dance and love to dance. [McRae]it’s someone who’s willing to go into a studio and work hard,” he says, emphasizing the collaborative commitment required for his most ambitious choreographic visions.