Madonna leads the nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nods, putting the pop icon ahead of Taylor Swift, who follows with nine nods. The nominations continue Madonna’s long-running relationship with the VMAs, dating to the inaugural ceremony in 1984. She is nominated for video, artist and song of the year, among several technical and performance-related categories.
Swift’s nine nominations include video and artist of the year, as well as recognition for “The Fate of Ophelia,” while Madonna is competing for video of the year with “Confessions II — The Film.” Swift enters the ceremony with 30 career VMA wins, tied with Beyoncé for the most in the show’s history. A single victory this year would give Swift the record outright. If Madonna were to win all 11 of her nominations, she would also reach 30 career wins.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter rank next with seven nominations apiece. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each received five, while LISA of Blackpink has four. Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean each earned three nominations. The artist of the year field also includes Grande, Mars, Carpenter and Morgan Wallen alongside Madonna and Swift.
The 2026 ceremony will feature 26 first-time nominees, including Noah Kahan, Kali Uchis, Olivia Dean and Don Toliver. The best dance category is also returning after a seven-year absence. Fan voting is underway in 13 categories and will remain open through Sept. 25, two days before the ceremony.
The two-hour VMAs will be held Sept. 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will air live on CBS and MTV, with streaming available on Paramount+ in the United States. The ceremony will mark the VMAs’ return to Los Angeles after years of shows in New York and New Jersey.
Fan voting is open at: https://vote.mtv.com/.
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