Madonna Leads the 2026 MTV VMAs With 11 Nominations
Forty-two years after Madonna helped turn the very first MTV Video Music Awards into pop-culture history, the Queen of Pop is back on top of the nominations list.
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMAs with 11 nominations, including Video of the Year for “Confessions II – The Film”, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for her Sabrina Carpenter collaboration “Bring Your Love.” Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each picked up seven.
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And our girlies are absolutely in the mix. PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson scored five nominations each, including shared recognition for their “Stateside” collaboration, while Shakira landed three.
The ceremony heads west this year. The two-hour 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT. CBS and MTV will carry the broadcast, with Paramount+ streaming the show in the United States.
No host has been announced yet. Fan voting is open across 13 categories through September 25, while Best New Artist voting will remain open into the live telecast.
2026 MTV VMA Nominations
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
GENER8ION – “Storm Starring Yung Lean”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Madonna
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
BTS – “Swim”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
HUNTR/X: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami – “Golden”
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
RAYE – “Where Is My Husband!!”
Best New Artist
Bella Kay
CORTIS
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips”
French Montana x Max B – “Ever Since U Left Me”
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – “Hard Part”
Best Pop
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
Charli xcx – “SS26”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Olivia Rodrigo – “Drop Dead”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B ft. Kehlani – “Safe”
Don Toliver – “E85”
Drake – “Janice STFU”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Lover Girl”
Travis Scott – “Dumbo”
Tyler, the Creator – “Sugar on My Tongue”
Best R&B
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
Chris Brown – “It Depends/Obvious”
Dave & Tems – “Raindance”
Justin Bieber – “Yukon”
Kehlani – “Folded”
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
Geese – “Taxes”
MGK & Fred Durst – “Fix Ur Face”
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
Olivia Rodrigo – “The Cure”
Sombr – “Homewrecker”
Tame Impala – “Dracula”
Twenty One Pilots – “Drag Path”
Best Dance
Bebe Rexha & Faithless – “New Religion”
Harry Styles – “Aperture”
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “Runway”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Slayyyter – “Dance…”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
Anitta with Shakira – “Choka Choka”
Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”
Fuerza Regida – “Tu Sancho”
Karol G – “Papasito”
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – “La Perla”
Ryan Castro, Kapo & Gangsta – “La Villa”
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
BLACKPINK – “Jump”
BTS – “Swim”
CORTIS – “REDRED”
KATSEYE – “Pinky Up”
LE SSERAFIM feat. J-Hope of BTS – “Spaghetti”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Best Country
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
Kacey Musgraves – “Dry Spell”
Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”
Luke Combs – “Back in the Saddle”
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
Stella Lefty – “Boston”
Tucker Wetmore – “Brunette”
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
GENER8ION – “Storm Starring Yung Lean”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Taylor Swift – “Opalite”
Best Art Direction
Charli xcx – “SS26”
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “Runway”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Sombr – “My Body Isn’t Ready”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Cinematography
A$AP Rocky – “Punk Rocky”
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
GENER8ION – “Storm Starring Yung Lean”
Harry Styles – “Dance No More”
KATSEYE – “Pinky Up”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
JISOO x ZAYN – “Eyes Closed”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – “Click Clack Symphony”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Madonna Is Back on Top of the VMA Nominations
Forty-two years after her unforgettable first-VMAs appearance, Madonna enters the 2026 ceremony as the year’s most-nominated artist.
Sources: MTV VMAs and MTV VMA voting; Associated Press for the nomination totals, Peacock Theater broadcast details and voting window; Billboard for the full nominations list; YouTube for the Madonna 2026 VMA nominations clip.
