The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards take place tonight, Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, bringing together some of the biggest names in global pop music. The ceremony is set to be one of the most talked-about entertainment events of the night, with major categories featuring Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, Shakira, LISA and BTS. The full winners list will be updated as MTV and CBS announce the results during the live broadcast.
The award show begins at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, a convenient primetime slot for viewers in cities with large Latino communities such as Miami, New York, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Before the ceremony, Madonna led the nominations, while Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Bruno Mars also entered the night as leading contenders across the most visible categories. Taylor Swift is additionally expected to receive a special honor recognizing her work as a music-video director.
Complete viewing guide for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Find exact start times across US time zones, cable TV broadcast details on MTV, Paramount+, and online streaming options to watch the live performances and award presentations. | Photo by MTV / Facebook / Depor
MTV VMAs 2026 Winners
The MTV VMAs 2026 winners will be announced live throughout the ceremony. The following section is formatted for live updates:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Video of the Year | Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” |
| Artist of the Year | Madonna |
| Song of the Year | BTS — “SWIM” |
| Best New Artist | Sienna Spiro |
| Best Pop | LISA – Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi |
| Best Hip Hop | Cardi B con Kehlani — “Safe” |
| Best K-Pop | BTS - SWIM |
| Best Latin | Bad Bunny — “NUEVAYoL” |
| Best Collaboration | Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love |
| Best Direction | Taylor Swift - Opalite | Taylor Swift |
| Best Art Direction | PinkPantheress y Zara Larsson — “Stateside” |
| Best Visual Effects | Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me | Mathematic Studio, Hadi Dahrouge, Jehan Bouazza |
| Best Cinematography | Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film” |
| Best Coreography | Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film” |
| Best Editing | Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour” |
| Best Dance | Madonna - Confessions II – The Film |
| Song of Summer | Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me |
| Best R&B | Bruno Mars — “I Just Might” |
| Best Alternative | Olivia Rodrigo — “the cure” |
| Best Country | Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas” |
| Best Group | BTS |
| Best Long Form Video | Confessions II - The Film |
| Best Album | Madonna — Confessions II |
Up until now, only two special recognitions, distinct from the main competitive categories, have been publicly confirmed:
| Special Award | Winner | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award | Nirvana | Confirmed before the ceremony. |
| MTV VMA Artist Director Honors inaugural | Taylor Swift | Confirmed before the ceremony. With this recognition, Taylor Swift will become will become the most awarded artist in MTV VMAs history. |
Get the official start times and full TV schedule for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Review red carpet airtimes, main show broadcast details, and streaming options available for viewers tuning in across Eastern and Pacific time zones. | Photo by MTV / Facebook / Depor
MTV VMAs 2026 Full list of categories and nominees
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 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 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 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 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 Group
- BLACKPINK
- BTS
- CORTIS
- FLO
- 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 New Artist
- Bella Kay
- CORTIS
- Sienna Spiro
- Magnus Ferrell
- Malcolm Todd
- Myles Smith
- Stella Lefty
Best Album
- Bruno Mars - The Romantic
- Drake -Iceman
- Ella Langley - Dandelion
- Harry Styles - Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.
- 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 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 ft. 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 & JENNIE - Dracula
- Taylor Swift - I Knew It, I Knew You
Best Direction
- Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me | Christian Breslauer
- Bruno Mars - I Just Might | Bruno Mars / Daniel Ramos
- GENER8ION - STORM starring Yung Lean | Romain Gavras
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | TORSO
- Sabrina Carpenter - House Tour | Sabrina Carpenter & Margaret Qualley
- Taylor Swift - Opalite | Taylor Swift
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx - SS26 | Nicola Scarlino
- Lady Gaga & Doechii - RUNWAY | Freyja Bardell
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | TORSO & ARTHUR DE BORMAN
- PinkPantheress - Stateside + Zara Larsson | Furmaan Ahmed
- SOMBR - My Body Isn’t Ready | Olivia McManus
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | Ethan Tobman
Best Cinematography
- A$AP Rocky - PUNK ROCKY | Jake Gabbay
- Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me | Janusz Kaminski
- LISA - Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi | Eumko
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | Daniel Landin
- Shaboozey - Cowgirl | Mitchell Maher Perrin
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | Rodrigo Prieto
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me | Luis Caraza Peimbert
- Bruno Mars - I Just Might | Daniel Ramos
- LISA - Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi | OJun Kwon
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | Will Town, Lauren Friedman & Danny Tull
- Sabrina Carpenter - House Tour | Sofia Kerpan at Modern Post
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | Chancler Haynes
Best Coreography
- GENER8ION - STORM starring Yung Lean | Damien Jalet
- Harry Styles - Dance No More | Ryan Heffington
- KATSEYE - PINKY UP | Grant Gilmore, Sohey Sugihara, Sergio Reis & Zacc Milne
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | Damien Jalet, Megan Lawson, Young Boy Dancing Group, Nicolas Huchard
- Tate McRae - Nobody’s Girl | (LA)HORDE, Arthur Harel, Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | Mandy Moore & Amanda Balen
Best Visual Effects
- Ariana Grande - hate that i made you love me | Mathematic Studio, Hadi Dahrouge, Jehan Bouazza
- JISOO X ZAYN - Eyes Closed | Serhii Solodkyi
- Madonna - Confessions II - The Film | MONUMENTAL
- PinkPantheress - Stateside + Zara Larsson | Copenhagen VFX
- RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer - Click Clack Symphony. | Frame23 Studio
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia | Parliament
