The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are shaping up to be a historic night, and the biggest headline belongs to the Queen of Pop herself. Madonna, who famously stole the very first VMAs spotlight in 1984, leads the pack this year with a stunning 11 nominations—a new personal record.
With Taylor Swift following closely behind with nine nods, fan voting is officially underway for what promises to be a highly competitive event.
The Historic Nominee Leaderboard
Madonna's leading nomination run is her first since 1998, the year she won her first Video of the Year award for "Ray of Light." This year, her 14-minute epic "Confessions II – The Film" is up for the marquee Video of the Year category, competing alongside Taylor Swift’s "The Fate of Ophelia" and Ariana Grande's "hate that i made you love me."
Female artists are completely dominating the 2026 ballot, representing seven of the eight most-nominated acts. Following Madonna and Swift are Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter (seven nods each), PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson (five each), and LISA (four).
Major VMAs Surprises and Snubs
The 2026 nominations list features several massive shifts in typical VMAs programming:
- Genre Exclusions: For the first time since the category's 2017 debut, no hip-hop artists are nominated for Artist of the Year. Additionally, no Latin artists made the cut in this category for the first time in five years. Country music, however, secured a spot with Morgan Wallen’s second consecutive nomination.
- Return of Best Dance: After a seven-year hiatus, the Best Dance category is back. Nominees include Madonna, Lady Gaga & Doechii, Harry Styles, and Bebe Rexha & Faithless.
- Missing Categories: Several prominent categories—including Best Pop Artist, Best Album, and Song of Summer—were missing from the initial MTV announcement.
How to Vote in the 2026 VMAs
Fan voting is officially open across 13 major categories. Here is how you can support your favorite artists:
- Where to Vote: Cast your ballots by visiting vote.MTV.com.
- The Deadline: Voting closes on September 25 at 6 p.m. ET, with the exception of Best New Artist, which remains active through the live broadcast.
- Double Your Votes: Fans can access "Power Hour" daily from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET to secure double the votes per category.
Broadcast Date and Location
For the first time in VMAs history, the show will take place in the fall. The event will broadcast live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
Viewers can watch the live broadcast on CBS, catch the simulcast on MTV, or stream the event on Paramount+.
