MTV VMA Nominations 2026 Full List: Madonna Leads With 11 Nods, Taylor Swift Bags 9 And BTS Gets 2 For SWIM

2026 MTV VMA nominations: Madonna dominates MTV Video Music Awards. The pop icon secured 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with 9 nods and K-pop group BTS with 2 for their return track SWIM. The selections are made from diverse genres, spanning country, Latin, hip-hop, K-pop and pop.

MTV VMAs 2026 nominations

Madonna's 11 nominations for Confessions II - The Film span major and technical categories. She is nominated for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Her work also earned nods for Best Dance, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.

Swift eyes history. She contends for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. The singer currently shares the record for the most Moon Person trophies with Beyoncé at 30 wins. A single victory this year will break the tie.

The 2026 ceremony will feature the return of the Best Dance category after a seven-year hiatus.

BTS leads charge

BTS' comeback track SWIM is nominated for Song of the Year. The group will compete with Bring Your Love by Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter, Golden by HUNTR/X, Man I Need by Olivia Dean, Stateside by PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson and WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! by RAYE.

SWIM is also nominated for Best K-Pop. JUMP by BLACKPINK, REDRED by CORTIS, PINKY UP by KATSEYE, SPAGHETTI by LE SSERAFIM featuring J-hope and Dream by LISA featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi are also competing in the same category.

Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have earned seven nominations each. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson have five nominations each, followed by BLACKPINK's LISA with four nods. Shakira and Tate McRae have secured three nominations each.

Have a look at MTV VMAs 2026 full nominations list here.

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 ft. 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

Rosala ft. 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 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

Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me

JISOO X ZAYN — Eyes Closed

Madonna — Confessions II - The Film

PinkPantheress — Stateside + Zara Larsson

RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer — Click Clack Symphony.

Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia

When and where to watch the 2026 MTV VMAs?

MTV VMAs will take place in Los Angeles on September 27. The award ceremony will air on CBS and MTV and stream on Paramount+ in the US. It will be available internationally next day.