Madonna has come out on top of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations, picking up eleven nods across everything from Video of the Year to Best Choreography. Taylor Swift isn’t far behind with nine nominations of her own, setting up one of the more stacked VMA fields in recent memory when the ceremony airs next month.
The nominee list, revealed on August 18, spans the usual marquee categories along with genre-specific awards covering pop, hip-hop, R&B, Latin, country, K-pop and more. Voting for most categories is open now at vote.mtv.com, while Best New Artist stays open through the live broadcast itself.
Who’s Leading the Nominations
Madonna’s eleven nominations come largely from “Confessions II — The Film,” which is up for major honors including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, along with a string of nods in the craft categories like direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects. It’s a reminder that even decades into her career, Madonna remains one of the industry’s most decorated visual artists.
Taylor Swift trails with nine nominations, led by “The Fate of Ophelia,” which lands in the Video of the Year and Artist of the Year races. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter tie for third with seven nominations apiece, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each picked up five. LISA of BLACKPINK earned four nominations, and Shakira and Tate McRae rounded out the top tier with three each.
Video and Artist of the Year: The Marquee Races
Video of the Year pits Madonna’s “Confessions II — The Film” against Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears,” Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” and GENER8ION’s “Storm,” featuring Yung Lean.
The Artist of the Year category is similarly loaded, with Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Bruno Mars joined by Morgan Wallen as the lone country crossover nominee in that particular race. Song of the Year, meanwhile, brings a more eclectic mix of nominees including BTS, HUNTR/X, Olivia Dean, PinkPantheress, RAYE, Ella Langley, and a Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter collaboration.
Best New Artist and the Genre Categories
The Best New Artist field features first-time nominees Bella Kay, CORTIS, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro and Stella Lefty, a category that stays open to fan voting all the way through the live show rather than closing early like most others.
Beyond the marquee races, this year’s genre categories tell their own story. Best Pop includes Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae and LISA. Best Hip-Hop features Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator, Don Toliver and Cardi B. Best R&B brings in Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani and a joint nomination for Dave and Tems. Best K-Pop nominates BLACKPINK, BTS, CORTIS, KATSEYE, LE SSERAFIM and LISA as a solo act, while Best Country lists Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs and Shaboozey among its nominees.
One notable return: Best Dance is back on the ballot after a seven-year hiatus, with nominees including Madonna, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Doechii, PinkPantheress, Tate McRae, Bebe Rexha and Faithless, and Slayyyter competing for the revived honor.
When and Where to Watch
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET, simulcast across CBS, MTV and Paramount+. A host and confirmed performers hadn’t been announced as of this writing, though MTV traditionally reveals its performer lineup in the weeks leading up to the show.
Fan voting for most of the night’s categories runs through MTV’s official voting site and closes September 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET, with Best New Artist remaining open right up through the broadcast.
What Fans Should Expect
With Madonna and Taylor Swift leading the pack, and a genuinely wide spread of nominees across pop, hip-hop, Latin, K-pop and country, this year’s VMAs look set to be one of the more competitive in recent memory. Swift already shares the record for most all-time VMA wins with Beyoncé at 30 apiece, so another strong night in September could push her further ahead of the pack outright. Meanwhile, categories like Best K-Pop and Best Dance give the show a broader, more global feel than in past years, reflecting how much MTV’s voting base has diversified beyond traditional pop and hip-hop dominance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most 2026 MTV VMA nominations?
Madonna leads the field with eleven nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine, and Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter tied with seven each.
When do the 2026 MTV VMAs air?
The ceremony airs live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV and Paramount+.
How can fans vote for the 2026 VMAs?
Fans can vote at vote.mtv.com. Most category voting closes September 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET, while Best New Artist voting stays open through the live broadcast.
For more on this year’s nominees, check out how LISA’s four 2026 VMA nominations set a new record for the BLACKPINK star, or catch up on Taylor Swift’s 2026 net worth breakdown as she chases another VMA milestone this September.
