'Black Panther' knocks out 'Infinity War' in MTV movie nominations

Superhero movie "Black Panther" scored a leading seven nominations on Thursday for the MTV Movie & TV awards, delivering a knockout punch to box-office blockbuster "Avengers: Infinity War."

Supernatural television show "Stranger Things" landed six nods, MTV announced, including a best performance nomination for 14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown who will also compete in the fan favorite best kiss category.

The youth-oriented TV network, known for its irreverent award shows, again dispensed with gender classifications, placing men and women together in performance categories in a move to embrace equality and gender fluidity.

Other entries in the best kiss category include the Ferris wheel scene between actors Nick Robinson (Simon) and Keiynan Lonsdale (Bram) in popular teen coming out movie "Love, Simon."

The MTV awards show, to be held in June in Los Angeles, features the stars of blockbuster productions and has established itself as an antidote to the winter Hollywood awards season, which honors more serious fare. Winners are chosen by fans voting online.

"Black Panther" got nominations for Chadwick Boseman as both best hero and best performance, as well as Michael B. Jordan (best villain), Letitia Wright (scene stealer), best fight for the battle between Boseman's Black Panther and Winston Duke's M'Baku, and best movie.

"Avengers: Infinity War," which assembles more than 20 Marvel superheroes and set a new world record for its opening weekend box office, got just three nominations, including best fight, best villain (Josh Brolin's Thanos) and best movie.

Other best movie nominees included "Wonder Woman," horror movie "IT" and comedy "Girls Trip," while best TV shows nods went to teen suicide drama "13 Reasons Why," "Game of Thrones," "Riverdale," and "grown-ish."

Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver scored nods as best hero and best villain respectively for their roles in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," although their lightsaber battles failed to make the cut in the race for best fight.

"Girls Trip" breakout star Tiffany Haddish will host the MTV Movie & TV Awards ceremony on June 18.