Madonna is leading the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 nods — a personal record and the most she has received since 1998, when she won Video of the Year with “Ray of Light.” Her 14-minute “Confessions II – The Film” is nominated for the marquee Video of the Year category alongside Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, and GENER8ION. The VMAs air live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday September 27th on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.
Swift, who holds the record for the most Moon Persons ever won with 30, follows with nine nominations. Grande and Carpenter each have seven. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson each have five. LISA has four. Seven of the eight artists with the most nominations this year are women.
For the first time since the Artist of the Year category was introduced in 2017, no hip-hop artists were nominated. For the first time in five years, no Latin artists were nominated in the category. Grande is nominated in Artist of the Year for a record-extending sixth time. Swift is one behind with her fifth nomination.
The Video of the Year category revisits the recent trend toward longer-form works. Two recent winners were extended pieces — Swift’s 15-minute “All Too Well: The Short Film” in 2022 and Grande’s 26-minute “Brighter Days Ahead” last year. Three past winners are nominated again this year: Grande, Madonna, and Swift. Mars, Carpenter, and GENER8ION are competing for their first Video of the Year win.
Best Dance returns to the VMAs for the first time in seven years. Best New Artist nominees include Bella Kay, CORTIS, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro, and Stella Lefty — with Spiro considered a Grammy favourite for best new artist alongside Ella Langley, who was nominated at last year’s VMAs but did not advance to the final three. Fan voting is open now across 13 categories at vote.MTV.com through September 25th, with a daily Power Hour running 1-2pm ET from August 20th.
Full 2026 MTV VMA Nominations
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
Bruno Mars — I Just Might
GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Sabrina Carpenter — Tears
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Madonna
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
BTS — Swim
Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
HUNTR/X (EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI) — Golden
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love
Olivia Dean — Man I Need
PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson
RAYE — WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!
Best New Artist
Bella Kay
CORTIS
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice — Chains & Whips
French Montana x Max B — Ever Since U Left Me
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love
PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson
Shakira & Burna Boy — Dai Dai
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye — Hard Part
Best Pop
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
Charli xcx — SS26
LISA — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Olivia Rodrigo — drop dead
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B (feat. Kehlani) — Safe
Don Toliver — E85
Drake — Janice STFU
Megan Thee Stallion — LOVER GIRL
Travis Scott — DUMBO
Tyler, The Creator — SUGAR ON MY TONGUE
Best R&B
Bruno Mars — I Just Might
Chris Brown — It Depends/Obvious
Dave & Tems — Raindance
Justin Bieber — YUKON
Kehlani — Folded
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis — Is It a Crime
Best Alternative
Geese — Taxes
mgk & Fred Durst — FIX UR FACE
Noah Kahan — The Great Divide
Olivia Rodrigo — the cure
SOMBR — Homewrecker
Tame Impala — Dracula
twenty one pilots — Drag Path
Best Dance
Bebe Rexha & Faithless — New Religion
Harry Styles — Aperture
Lady Gaga & Doechii — RUNWAY
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson
Slayyyter — DANCE…
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl
Best Latin
Anitta with Shakira — Choka Choka
Bad Bunny — NUEVAYoL
Fuerza Regida — TU SANCHO
KAROL G — Papasito
Rosalía (feat. Yahritza Y Su Esencia) — La Perla
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA — LA VILLA
Shakira & Burna Boy — Dai Dai
Best K-Pop
BLACKPINK — JUMP
BTS — SWIM
CORTIS — REDRED
KATSEYE — PINKY UP
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) — SPAGHETTI
LISA — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Best Country
Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
Kacey Musgraves — Dry Spell
Lainey Wilson — Somewhere Over Laredo
Luke Combs — Back in the Saddle
Shaboozey — Cowgirl
Stella Lefty — Boston
Tucker Wetmore — Brunette
Best Direction
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
Bruno Mars — I Just Might
GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
Taylor Swift — Opalite
Best Art Direction
Charli xcx — SS26
Lady Gaga & Doechii — RUNWAY
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson
SOMBR — My Body Isn’t Ready
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Cinematography
A$AP Rocky — PUNK ROCKY
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
LISA — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Shaboozey — Cowgirl
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Editing
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
Bruno Mars — I Just Might
LISA — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Choreography
GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
Harry Styles — Dance No More
KATSEYE — PINKY UP
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Visual Effects
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
JISOO X ZAYN — Eyes Closed
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson
RAYE (feat. Hans Zimmer) — Click Clack Symphony.
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