2026 MTV Video Music Awards Nominations: Madonna Leads with 11 Nominations
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations have been announced, with Madonna leading the pack with 11 nominations, including video of the year for "Confessions II - The Film." Taylor Swift follows closely with nine nominations, hoping to add to her record 30 Moon Persons. Other artists like Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson also received multiple nominations.
The dance category is making a comeback after a seven-year hiatus, with Madonna nominated for "Confessions II - The Film." Some categories like rock and afrobeats were absent this year, along with awards for pop artist, push performance of the year, album, video for good, long-form video, group, and song of the summer.
The VMAs will be broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET, and simulcast on MTV and Paramount+. Fans can vote for 13 categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Sept. 25, with votes counting double during the "Power Hour" from Aug. 20 to Sept. 25. The best new artist can still be voted on during the show.
The nominations cover various categories, including video of the year, artist of the year, pop, dance, collaboration, and more. Artists like Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, and others are recognized for their outstanding work in the music industry.