The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards have put some of pop music’s biggest names in the spotlight, with Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars and Shakira among this year’s contenders. For Hispanic audiences in the United States, the nominations are especially relevant as the VMAs remain one of the most followed music events across bilingual pop-culture communities, from Miami and New York to Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago.
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMAs race with 11 nominations, while Taylor Swift follows with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter earned seven nods each, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson also appear among the most-recognized artists across the major music-video categories.
The 2026 VMAs ceremony is scheduled to air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, on CBS and MTV. In addition to the main categories announced in August, MTV later revealed fan-voted social categories including Best Group, Best Long Form Video, Best Album and Song of Summer, giving viewers another way to participate in the awards conversation.
Check the complete list of winners and official results for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Explore category breakdowns, major award announcements including Video of the Year, performance highlights, and full trophy standings from tonight's ceremony. | Photo by MTV / Facebook / Depor
MTV VMAs 2026 nominees: Full list by category
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations were announced on August 18, with additional social-category nominees listed later. Madonna leads the field with 11 nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine; Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have seven each. The ceremony is scheduled for September 27 in Los Angeles.
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”
- Rosalía 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 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$AP Rocky — “PUNK ROCKY”
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- LISA — “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
- Madonna — “Confessions II - The Film”
- Shaboozey — “Cowgirl”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- LISA — “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
- Madonna — “Confessions II - The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
- GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
- Harry Styles — “Dance No More”
- KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
- Madonna — “Confessions II - The Film”
- Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- JISOO X ZAYN — “Eyes Closed”
- Madonna — “Confessions II - The Film”
- PinkPantheress — “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
- RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer — “Click Clack Symphony.”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Group
- BLACKPINK
- BTS
- CORTIS
- Fuerza Regida
- Geese
- KATSEYE
- twenty one pilots
Best Long Form Video
- Charli xcx — “Music, Fashion, Film”
- Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
- GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
- Madonna — “Confessions II - The Film”
Best Album
- Drake — Iceman
- Madonna — Confessions II
- Olivia Dean — The Art of Loving
- Olivia Rodrigo — You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
- Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
- Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Song of the Summer
- Ariana Grande — “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
- Bruno Mars — “Risk It All”
- Charli xcx — “Camera”
- Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
- KATSEYE — “Hootie Frutti”
- Latto feat. Doja Cat — “Okayyy”
- Morgan Wallen — “Been by Now”
- Olivia Dean — “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
- Olivia Rodrigo — “Stupid Song”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
- Slayyyter — “Brand New Chanel$”
- SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
- Stella Lefty — “Boston”
- Tame Impala and Jennie — “Dracula”
- Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
