MTV Video Music Awards
Madonna Dominates 2026 MTV VMAs With Record 11 Nominations, Taylor Swift Close Behind
Madonna is back on top. The Queen of Pop leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with a career-best 11 nods, setting up a potentially historic night against Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter.
The nominations, announced ahead of the September ceremony, put seven women among the eight most-nominated artists of the year, underscoring another female-dominated VMAs race.
Madonna’s blockbuster haul marks her first time leading the VMA nominations since 1998, when she earned nine nominations and ultimately won Video of the Year for “Ray of Light.” She also topped the nominations in 1990 with nine nods for the “Vogue” era.
Now, at 11 nominations, the 2026 VMAs have given Madonna her biggest nomination haul yet.
Madonna vs. Taylor Swift: The VMAs Showdown
Taylor Swift is the closest challenger, collecting nine nominations and once again putting herself at the center of the biggest MTV awards conversation.
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” is nominated for Video of the Year, while she also competes for Artist of the Year, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Choreography.
Swift enters the ceremony with an extraordinary 30 Moon Person wins, making her the most decorated artist in VMA history.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter follow with seven nominations apiece.
Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each earned five nominations, while LISA received four.
Madonna’s 14-Minute VMA Bombshell
One of the biggest talking points is Madonna’s “Confessions II – The Film,” a 14-minute visual project competing for Video of the Year.
The nomination puts Madonna in a category increasingly willing to embrace long-form storytelling. Taylor Swift’s 15-minute “All Too Well: The Short Film” won Video of the Year in 2022, while Ariana Grande’s 26-minute “Brighter Days Ahead” took the prize last year.
Madonna is also nominated for Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.
The Video of the Year field also includes Grande, Swift, Mars, Carpenter and GENER8ION’s “STORM,” featuring Yung Lean.
Ariana Grande Makes VMA History
Grande is nominated for Artist of the Year for a record-extending sixth time.
Swift follows with her fifth nomination in the category, while Bruno Mars earns his third. Sabrina Carpenter receives her second nomination, and Morgan Wallen returns for the second consecutive year.
Madonna is a first-time nominee in the Artist of the Year category.
Notably, the category has no hip-hop nominees for the first time since its introduction in 2017 and no Latin artists for the first time in five years.
The Biggest Genre Battles
The 2026 MTV VMAs are also bringing back the Best Dance category after a seven-year absence.
Madonna’s “Confessions II – The Film” competes against releases from Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Doechii, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, Tate McRae, Bebe Rexha and Faithless, and Slayyyter.
The Best Hip-Hop category features heavyweights including Drake, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, Tyler, The Creator and Don Toliver.
Meanwhile, Best Country includes chart powerhouse Ella Langley alongside Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Stella Lefty and Tucker Wetmore.
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When Are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The ceremony will air on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the United States. Global viewers can watch the show on Paramount+ and MTV the following day.
Fan voting is open in 13 categories through September 25, while Best New Artist voting remains active through the ceremony.
With Madonna leading the field and Swift hunting down another record, the 2026 VMAs are shaping up to be a battle between pop royalty, chart domination and a new generation of stars.
2026 MTV VMA Nomination Leaders
- Madonna — 11
- Taylor Swift — 9
- Ariana Grande — 7
- Sabrina Carpenter — 7
- Bruno Mars — 5
- PinkPantheress — 5
- Zara Larsson — 5
- LISA — 4
- GENER8ION — 3
- Shakira — 3
- Tate McRae — 3
- Yung Lean — 3
