Austin Mahone Plans To ‘Throw A Party, Go Crazy’ To Celebrate VMA Nomination

Shortly after the nomination was announced, the singer jumped on Skype with MTV News, and he could barely hold his grin back after learning of the achievement. “Thank you so much! It’s huge! I’m so excited,” he said. “Oh man, I don’t even know where to begin. I mean, I never thought I’d be nominated for a VMA. So, I mean, this is a huge honor. I’m just honored to even be going there. I’m excited and I’m ready to go.”

He added, “It’s a huge honor to be nominated for Artist to Watch. It means I’m getting noticed out there and I’m getting that exposure. I’m pretty excited and I really can’t wait to go and hang out.”

The nomination is a dream come true for the young pop star, who recalls early memories of watching the annual party. “It’s so incredible because I can remember back in like, 7th, 8th grade … I would be supposed to be doing my homework, but I would stay up watching the VMAs, just admiring everyone on the show,” he said. “It’s really cool to be on the other side for once.”

Mahone needs to mark Sunday, August 25, on his calendar. That’s when the show goes live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. He’s up against Twenty One Pilots (“Holding On to You”), Zedd featuring Foxes (“Clarity”), the Weeknd (“Wicked Games”) and Iggy Azalea (“Work”). “I mean, the Weeknd’s pretty big. He has a good chance at that,” Mahone said when asked who he thinks might take home the fan-voted prize. “Everyone has a good chance at it. You never know who’s going to win.”