Madonna's commanding lead
Madonna tops the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 nods, spanning video, artist and song of the year as well as best collaboration, dance, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects. The pop star has 19 competitive VMA wins and in 1986 became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. A sweep would tie her with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who each hold 30 VMAs, for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history.
Taylor Swift's record-chasing chase
Taylor Swift follows Madonna with nine nominations and is up for video and artist of the year as well as best pop, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects. Taking home even one award would make her the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
A crowded middle of the pack
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter earned seven nominations each, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson received five apiece. Blackpink's LISA has four nods, and Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean are tied with three. The artist of the year field also includes Morgan Wallen alongside Madonna, Swift, Grande, Mars and Carpenter.
The top prizes and the K-pop entrant
For video of the year, Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" faces Madonna's "Confessions II — The Film," Grande's "Hate That I Made You Love Me," Mars' "I Just Might," Carpenter's "Tear" and GENER8ION's "Storm" featuring Yung Lean. K-pop boy band CORTIS is among 26 first-time nominees, earning two nominations. The best dance category returns after a seven-year absence.
Broadcast and viewing details
The two-hour show will air live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and 4:30 p.m. Pacific from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. It will become available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV. CBS will lose the Grammys to ABC starting in 2027.
What to watch next
The 2026 VMAs air Sept. 27, when the network will reveal whether Madonna can sweep to a record-tying 30 wins and whether Swift will surpass that mark to become the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
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