Here's why Taylor Swift won't be at the MTV VMA's today

Taylor Swift attended the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards last year. Photo / Getty

The seating chart for today's MTV Video Music Awards will have a blank space, baby.

Taylor Swift, who has not been nominated for any awards this year, won't be attending the star-studded event at Madison Square Garden in New York at 9pm on Sunday (1pm NZ time today).

But bad blood is not the reason for the no-show, apparently. Sources told The Independent the 26-year-old pop star, who split from DJ Calvin Harris this year, was never scheduled to go to the ceremony.

At least Swift will avoid a confrontation with enemies Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, who are gearing up for the star-studded show.

Kardashian enlisted the help of her Twitter followers to help her decide on a showstopping look.

"I can't decide on my VMA look! Casual chill vibes or dressy sexy? And blonde hair or dark?" the wife of Kanye West tweeted.

OK I will take a poll, what should I wear tonight?

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 28, 2016

She also revealed she will be presenting an award, but didn't sat to whom.
"And I see you guys guessing on who I am presenting....A little hint, it's someone i am obsessed with!!!! LIKE OBSESSED!!!!! #VMAs," she wrote.

Singer Ariana Grande will be performing alongside rapper Nicki Minaj on the VMAs stage.

The pop princess shared a steamy sneak peek of their performance for Side To Side, their duet off Grande's album, Dangerous Woman.

Meanwhile, Rihanna is set to receive MTV's highest honour. The Barbadian singer, 28, is being presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, MTV's equivalent of a lifetime achievement honour.

West, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears are among the past recipients of the award.

Rihanna, who is the youngest solo artist in US chart history to score 14 number one singles, will open the VMAs with a medley of some of her biggest hits.

The ceremony will see Adele battle it out for the top awards with Beyonce, who has the most nominations with 11.

Adele, who has eight nominations, is up for video of the year for her smash-hit single Hello, while Beyonce has been nominated in the same category for her Black Lives Matter-themed video Formation.

The women will compete against Drake's Hotline Bling, Justin Bieber's Sorry and West's controversial video Famous, which features nude waxworks of himself and a host of celebrities including his wife, Donald Trump and Swift.

West, who famously interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, will attend this year's show and has reportedly been promised four minutes of stage time at the event.

Adele and Beyonce will compete with Rihanna, Sia and Ariana Grande for the best female video prize.

West and Drake are nominated in the best male video category, along with Bryson Tiller, Calvin Harris and The Weeknd.

Miley Cyrus, who hosted the event last year has said via her Instragram account that she won't be attending this year becuse she is "doing yoga and making out with her dogs."