The maleic anhydride-grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-g-MA) have been introduced into polypropylene/ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (PP/EVA) blend. To clearly describe the effects of MWCNTs-g-MA on the morphology and mechanical properties of PP/EVA blends, the selective distribution of MWCNTs-g-MA in the blends is realized through different sample preparation methods, namely, MWCNTs-g-MA disperse in EVA phase and MWCNTs-g-MA disperse in PP matrix. The results show that the distribution of MWCNTs-g-MA has an important effect on the final morphology of EVA and the crystallization structure of PP matrix. Compared with PP/EVA binary blend, distribution of MWCNTs-g-MA in PP matrix induces the aggregation of EVA phase at high EVA content and the decrease of spherulite diameters of PP matrix simultaneously. However, when MWCNTs-g-MA are dispersed in the EVA phase, they induce more homogeneous distribution of EVA, and the crystallization behavior of PP is slightly affected by MWCNTs-g-MA. The corresponding mechanical properties including impact strength and tensile strength are tested and analyzed in the work. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1481-1491, 2009