Magnus Ferrell Lands VMA Best New Artist Nomination — SkimNews
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- Magnus Ferrell, 22-year-old son of actor Will Ferrell, is nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 VMAs, where he'll compete against Bella Kay, CORTIS, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro, and Stella Lefty.
- Will Ferrell played his son's song "Asleep Talking" during an appearance on Michelle Obama's podcast "IMO," after which the track debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Digital Song Sales Chart and was shared by Heidi Klum, Charlie Puth, and Khloe Kardashian.
- Magnus Ferrell signed with Visva/Republic Records after pivoting from acting studies at USC, where his parents had enrolled him in piano lessons that led to a teen jazz band.
- Magnus Ferrell will open select dates on the Jonas Brothers' Burning Up tour; he previously toured with Nick Jonas, telling interviewers the shows "reminded us what it's like to be human."
- Magnus Ferrell leans into the nepo-baby conversation rather than dodging it, posting on TikTok after his Outside Lands debut: "beating the nepo baby allegations one groovy song at a time," and telling the Hollywood Reporter he "can't control the attention" his father's fame brings.
- "Slow Down" by Magnus Ferrell appeared on the soundtrack of Will Ferrell's 2025 romantic comedy "You're Cordially Invited," and the pair shared the stage at Magnus's debut concert for the Cancer for College charity, where Will hopped on cowbell.
- The 2026 VMAs broadcast live from Los Angeles on Sept. 7, airing simultaneously on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, with Best New Artist fan voting continuing into the show itself before closing Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. ET for the other 12 categories.
Why it matters: Magnus Ferrell joins a Best New Artist field where six of the seven nominees lack a globally famous father, making his nomination a live test of whether viral momentum and family-driven publicity can translate into industry hardware — and MTV's decision to keep Best New Artist voting open during the broadcast gives fans an unusually direct lever over the outcome.
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