Madonna leads the VMAs 2026 nominations with 11 nods for Confessions II - The Film, including Video of the Year.
Taylor Swift secures nine nominations, putting her in a position to break her current tie with Beyoncé for the most VMA wins in history.
K-pop sensation BTS earns two nominations, including Song of the Year and Best K-Pop, for their highly anticipated comeback track 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.
