2026 MTV Video Music Awards

2026 MTV Video Music Awards
Date	September 27, 2026
Venue	Peacock Theater, Los Angeles, California
Country	United States
Most nominations	Madonna (11)
Website	mtv.com/vma
Television/radio coverage
Network	CBS Paramount+ MTV

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, on September 27, 2026. It will be broadcast live on CBS (whose local stations are simulcast through Paramount+'s premium tier) and simulcast on MTV.

Nominees

The nominees were announced on August 18, 2026. Madonna led with eleven nominations. She is followed by Taylor Swift with nine, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with seven each, Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five each, Lisa with four, while Shakira, Tate McRae, Gener8ion and Yung Lean received three nominations each.

Voted categories

The winners of the following categories will be chosen by fan votes.

Video of the Year Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" Gener8ion featuring Yung Lean – "Storm" 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" Huntrix – "Golden" Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" Olivia Dean – "Man I Need" PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – "Stateside" Raye – "Where Is My Husband!"	Best New Artist (Presented by The General) Bella Kay Cortis Magnus Ferrell Malcolm Todd Myles Smith Sienna Spiro Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice – "Chains & Whips" French Montana and Max B – "Ever Since U Left Me" Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – "Stateside" Shakira and Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye – "Hard Part"	Best Pop Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" Charli XCX – "SS26" Lisa featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi – "Dream" Olivia Rodrigo – "Drop Dead" Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia"
Best Hip-Hop Cardi B featuring 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 and Tems – "Raindance" Justin Bieber – "Yukon" Kehlani – "Folded" Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis – "Is It a Crime"
Best Alternative Geese – "Taxes" MGK and 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 and Shakira – "Choka Choka" Bad Bunny – "Nuevayol" Fuerza Regida – "Tu Sancho" Karol G – "Papasito" Rosalía featuring Yahritza y su Esencia – "La Perla" Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta – "La Villa" Shakira and Burna Boy – "Dai Dai"
Best K-Pop Blackpink – "Jump" BTS – "Swim" Cortis – "RedRed" Katseye – "Pinky Up" Le Sserafim featuring J-Hope – "Spaghetti" Lisa featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi – "Dream"	Best Dance (Presented by Bacardi) Bebe Rexha and Faithless – "New Religion" Harry Styles – "Aperture" Lady Gaga and Doechii – "Runway" Madonna – Confessions II – The Film PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – "Stateside" 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"

Professional categories

The winners of the following categories will be chosen by industry professionals.

Best Direction Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" (Director: Christian Breslauer) Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" (Directors: Peter Hernandez and Daniel Ramos) Gener8ion featuring Yung Lean – "Storm" (Director: Romain Gavras) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Director: TORSO) Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" (Directors: Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley) Taylor Swift – "Opalite" (Director: Taylor Swift)	Best Art Direction Charli XCX – "SS26" (Art Director: Nicola Scarlino) Lady Gaga and Doechii – "Runway" (Art Director: Freyja Bardell) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Art Director: TORSO and Arthur de Borman) PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – "Stateside" (Art Director: Isabella Furness) Sombr – "My Body Isn't Ready" (Art Director: Olivia McManus) Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" (Art Director: Ethan Tobman)
Best Cinematography A$AP Rocky – "Punk Rocky" (Director of Photography: Jake Gabbay) Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" (Director of Photography: Janusz Kamiński) Lisa featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi – "Dream" (Director of Photography: Eumko) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Director of Photography: Daniel Landin) Shaboozey – "Cowgirl" (Director of Photography: Mitchell Maher Perrin) Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" (Director of Photography: Rodrigo Prieto)	Best Editing Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" (Editor: Luis Caraza Peimbert) Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" (Editor: Daniel Ramos) Lisa featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi – "Dream" (Editor: Kwon O-jun) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Editors: Will Town, Lauren Friedman and Danny Tull) Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" (Editor: Sofia Kerpan at Modern Post) Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" (Editor: Chancler Haynes)
Best Choreography Gener8ion featuring Yung Lean – "Storm" (Choreographer: Damien Jalet) Harry Styles – "Dance No More" (Choreographer: Ryan Heffington) Katseye – "Pinky Up" (Choreographers: Grant Gilmore, Sohey Sugihara, Sergio Reis, and Zacc Milne) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Choreographer: Damien Jalet) Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" (Choreographer: (LA)HORDE, Arthur Harel, Marine Brutti, and Jonathan Debrouwer) Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" (Choreographers: Mandy Moore and Amanda Balen)	Best Visual Effects Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" (Visual Effects: Mathematic Studio, Hadi Dahrouge, and Jehan Bouazza) Jisoo and Zayn – "Eyes Closed" (Visual Effects: Serhii Solodkyi) Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Visual Effects: Monumental) PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – "Stateside" (Visual Effects: Copenhagen VFX) Raye featuring Hans Zimmer – "Click Clack Symphony" (Visual Effects: Frame23 Studio) Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" (Visual Effects: Parliament)

Artists with multiple nominations

Artists who received multiple nominations

Nominations	Artist
11	Madonna
9	Taylor Swift
7	Ariana Grande
	Sabrina Carpenter
5	Bruno Mars
	PinkPantheress
	Zara Larsson
4	Kentaro Sakaguchi
	Lisa
3	Shakira
	Tate McRae
	Gener8ion
	Yung Lean
2	BTS
	Burna Boy
	Charli XCX
	Cortis
	Doechii
	Ella Langley
	Harry Styles
	Katseye
	Lady Gaga
	Olivia Rodrigo
	Raye
	Shaboozey
	Sombr
	Stella Lefty