List of nominees. Winners are highlighted.

Category	Artist	Video	Director
Best video of the year	a-ha	Take on me [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Godley & Creme	Cry	Godley & Creme
	Robert Palmer	Addicted to love [version 1]	Terence Donovan
	Talking Heads	Road to nowhere	David Byrne & Stephen R. Johnson
Best male video	Bryan Adams	Summer of '69 [version 1]	Steve Barron
	Phil Collins	Take me home	Jim Yukich
	Robert Palmer	Addicted to love [version 1] [winner]	Terence Donovan
	Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band	Glory days	John Sayles
	Sting	If you love somebody (set them free)	Godley & Creme
Best female video	Kate Bush	Running up that hill (a deal with God) [version 1]	David Garfath
	Aretha Franklin	Freeway of love	Brian Grant
	Whitney Houston	How will I know? [winner]	Brian Grant
	Grace Jones	Slave to the rhythm	Jean-Paul Goude
	Tina Turner	We don't need another hero [version 1]	George Miller
Best group video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	INXS	What you need [version 1]	Lynn-Maree Milburn
	the Rolling Stones	Harlem Shuffle	John Kricfalusi
	Talking Heads	And she was	Jim Blashfield
Best concept video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Godley & Creme	Cry	Godley & Creme
	Talking Heads	Road to nowhere	David Byrne & Stephen R. Johnson
	Talking Heads	And she was	Jim Blashfield
Best stage performance in a video	Bryan Adams & Tina Turner	It's only love [live] [winner]	David Mallet
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Huey Lewis & the News	The power of love	Tim Newman
	Robert Palmer	Addicted to love [version 1]	Terence Donovan
	Pete Townshend	Face the face	Richard Lowenstein
Best new artist video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2]	Steve Barron
	the Hooters	And we danced	John Jopson
	Whitney Houston	How will I know?	Brian Grant
	Pet Shop Boys	West end girls	Andy Morahan
	Simply Red	Holding back the years	Tony van den Ende
Best overall performance in a video	David Bowie & Mick Jagger	Dancing in the street [winner]	David Mallet
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Robert Palmer	Addicted to love [version 1]	Terence Donovan
	Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band	Glory days	John Sayles
	Sting	If you love somebody (set them free)	Godley & Creme
Best direction in a video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	ZZ Top	Rough boy	Steve Barron
Best choreography in a video	Morris Day	Oak tree	(director unknown)
	Madonna	Dress you up [live]	Danny Kleinman
	Madonna	Like a virgin [version 2]	Danny Kleinman
	Prince & the Revolution	Raspberry beret [winner]	Prince
Best special effects in a video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Dire Straits	Brothers in arms	Bill Mather
	Honeymoon Suite	Feel it again	(director unknown)
	Prince & the Revolution	Raspberry beret	Prince
	Joe Walsh	The confessor	Daniel Kleinman
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	ZZ Top	Rough boy	Steve Barron
	ZZ Top	Sleeping bag	Steve Barron
Best art direction in a video	a-ha	The Sun always shines on TV [version 1]	Steve Barron
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Morris Day	Oak tree	(director unknown)
	Dio	Rock and roll children	Daniel Kleinman
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	El DeBarge	Who's Johnny?	Daniel Kleinman
	Honeymoon Suite	Feel it again	(director unknown)
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	Joe Walsh	The confessor	Daniel Kleinman
	ZZ Top	Rough boy [winner]	Steve Barron
Best editing in a video	a-ha	The Sun always shines on TV [version 1] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Honeymoon Suite	Feel it again	(director unknown)
	Madonna	Dress you up [live]	Danny Kleinman
	Quarterflash	Walking on ice	(director unknown)
	Joe Walsh	The confessor	Daniel Kleinman
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	ZZ Top	Rough boy	Steve Barron
	ZZ Top	Sleeping bag	Steve Barron
Best cinematography in a video	a-ha	The Sun always shines on TV [version 1] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Adam Ant	Apollo 9	Daniel Kleinman
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Morris Day	Oak tree	(director unknown)
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	Dire Straits	Walk of life [version 1]	Stephen R. Johnson
	Madonna	Dress you up [live]	Danny Kleinman
	Joe Walsh	The confessor	Daniel Kleinman
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	ZZ Top	Rough boy	Steve Barron
Most experimental video	a-ha	Take on me [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron
	Pat Benatar	Sex as a weapon	Danny Kleinman
	Dire Straits	Money for nothing [version 2]	Steve Barron
	X	Burning house of love	(director unknown)
	ZZ Top	Rough boy	Steve Barron
Viewer's choice award	a-ha	Take on me [version 2] [winner]	Steve Barron