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Posted in: Awards Show, CBS, Events, MTV, Pop Culture, TV | Tagged: mtv, vmas
MTV VMAs Nominations See Madonna, Taylor Swift Leading 2026 Class
Madonna and Taylor Swift lead this year's class for the 2026 MTV VMAs. Here's a rundown of the nominees, how to fan-vote, and much more.
Article Summary
- 2026 MTV VMAs nominations are here, with Madonna leading the field with 11 nods and Taylor Swift close behind with 9.
- The 2026 VMAs air live from Los Angeles on September 27 on CBS and MTV, with U.S. streaming available on Paramount+.
- Top contenders include Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, while several first-time nominees scored major VMA recognition.
- Get the full 2026 VMA nominees list plus fan voting details, including deadlines, categories, and daily Power Hour bonuses.
In case you've missed the teasers that have been hitting screens over the past week, the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards ("VMAs") is set to go live from Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27th, on CBS and MTV, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. On Tuesday, the nominees were announced for the big event, which recognizes artists whose work over the last 12 months has pioneered the music industry and been catalysts for global buzz. The big headlines? Madonna leads this year's nominees with 11 nominations, looking to add to her 19 competitive "VMAs" wins. With 9 nominations, Taylor Swift is looking to add more hardware to her previous 30 award wins. Other top contenders include Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter (7 each), Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson (5 each), LISA (4), and Shakira and Tate McRae (3 each). First-time nominees receiving multiple nods include GENER8ION and Yung Lean (3 each), and CORTIS and Stella Lefty (2 each). Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Sienna Spiro, and Tucker Wetmore are among the first-time nominees.
2026 MTV VMAs Categories & Nominees
Here's a rundown of the categories and nominees. In addition, fan voting is now open for 13 categories by visiting the site through September 25th at 6:00 pm ET (except Best New Artist, presented by The General Insurance, which remains active into the show). Fans can get double the votes per category every day during Power Hour presented by Bacardi Rum, running daily 1:00-2:00 pm ET from August 20th through September 24th.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – "STORM starring Yung Lean" – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – "Tears"- Island
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – Atlantic Records
Madonna – Warner Records
Morgan Wallen – Big Loud/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Taylor Swift – Republic Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
BTS – "Swim" – BIGHIT MUSIC
Ella Langley – "Choosin' Texas" – Columbia Records
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – "Golden" – Republic Records/Visva Records
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" – Warner Records
Olivia Dean – "Man I Need" – Island
PinkPantheress – "Stateside + Zara Larsson" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE – "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!" – Human Re Sources
BEST NEW ARTIST, presented by The General Insurance
Bella Kay – Atlantic Records
CORTIS – BIGHIT MUSIC
Magnus Ferrell -Visva Records/Republic Records
Malcolm Todd – Columbia Records
Myles Smith – RCA Records
Sienna Spiro – Capitol Records
Stella Lefty – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
BEST COLLABORATION
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – "Chains & Whips" – Roc Nation Distribution
French Montana x Max B – "Ever Since U Left Me" – Coke Boys Records
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – "Stateside + Zara Larsson" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Shakira & Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" – Sony Music US Latin
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – "Hard Part" – Def Jam Recordings
BEST POP
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
Charli xcx – "SS26" – Atlantic Records
LISA – "Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi" – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – "drop dead" – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B ft. Kehlani – "Safe" – Atlantic Records
Don Toliver – "E85" – Cactus Jack/ Atlantic Records
Drake – "Janice STFU" – OVO/Republic Records
Megan Thee Stallion – "LOVER GIRL" – Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott – "DUMBO" – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Tyler, The Creator – "SUGAR ON MY TONGUE" – Columbia Records
BEST R&B
Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
Chris Brown – "It Depends/Obvious" – RCA Records
Dave & Tems – "Raindance" – Neighbourhood Recordings/Capitol Records
Justin Bieber – "YUKON" – Def Jam Recordings
Kehlani – "Folded" – Atlantic Records
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – "Is It a Crime" – Epic Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Geese – "Taxes" – Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam
mgk & Fred Durst – "FIX UR FACE" – EST 19XX LLC/Interscope Records
Noah Kahan – "The Great Divide" – Mercury Records
Olivia Rodrigo – "the cure" – Geffen Records
SOMBR – "Homewrecker" – SMB Music/Warner Records
Tame Impala – "Dracula" – Columbia Records
twenty one pilots – "Drag Path" – Fueled By Ramen
BEST DANCE, presented by BACARDÍ® Rum
Bebe Rexha & Faithless – "New Religion" – Bebe Rexha Music LLC/EMPIRE
Harry Styles – "Aperture" – Columbia Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – "RUNWAY" – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – "Stateside + Zara Larsson" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Slayyyter – "DANCE…" – RECORDS/Columbia Records
Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
BEST LATIN
Anitta with Shakira – "Choka Choka" – Republic Records/UMLE
Bad Bunny – "NUEVAYoL" – Rimas Entertainment
Fuerza Regida – "TU SANCHO" – Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music US Latin
KAROL G – "Papasito" – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – "La Perla" – Columbia Records
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – "LA VILLA" – AWOO Corp./ Sony Music US Latin
Shakira & Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" – Sony Music US Latin
BEST K-POP
BLACKPINK – "JUMP" – YG Entertainment
BTS – "SWIM" – BIGHIT MUSIC
CORTIS – "REDRED" – BIGHIT MUSIC
KATSEYE – "PINKY UP" – HYBE x Geffen Records
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – "SPAGHETTI" – SOURCE MUSIC
LISA – "Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi" – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
BEST COUNTRY
Ella Langley – "Choosin' Texas" – Columbia Records
Kacey Musgraves – "Dry Spell" – Lost Highway/Interscope Records
Lainey Wilson – "Somewhere Over Laredo" – Broken Bow Records
Luke Combs – "Back in the Saddle" – Columbia Nashville
Shaboozey – "Cowgirl" – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Stella Lefty – "Boston" – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
Tucker Wetmore – "Brunette" – Back Blocks Music/Mercury Records
BEST DIRECTION
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – "STORM starring Yung Lean" – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
Taylor Swift – "Opalite" – Republic Records
BEST ART DIRECTION
Charli xcx – "SS26" – Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – "RUNWAY" – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – "Stateside + Zara Larsson" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
SOMBR – "My Body Isn't Ready" – SMB Music/Warner Records
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
A$AP Rocky – "PUNK ROCKY" – A$AP Worldwide/RCA Records
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
LISA – "Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi" – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
Shaboozey – "Cowgirl" – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
BEST EDITING
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
LISA – "Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi" – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
GENER8ION – "STORM starring Yung Lean" – Iconoclast Music
Harry Styles – "Dance No More" – Columbia Records
KATSEYE – "PINKY UP" – HYBE x Geffen Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
JISOO X ZAYN – "Eyes Closed" – Warner Records
Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – "Stateside + Zara Larsson" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – "Click Clack Symphony." – Human Re Sources
Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
The VMAs are produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Van Toffler serves as producer. Jesse Ignjatovic of Den of Thieves, Barbara Bialkowski, and Bruce Gillmer serve as executive producers, alongside Barry Barclay and Floris Bauer. Melanie Block serves as co-executive producer, and Gary Lanvy as co-producer.
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