The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are set to take over Los Angeles tonight, with the ceremony returning to the West Coast for the first time since 2017. Hosted by Snoop Dogg at the Peacock Theater, the two-hour show brings together Madonna, LISA, RAYE, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and a lineup of major artists for one of the year’s biggest music events.
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When and How to Watch the 2026 MTV VMAs
The 2026 MTV VMAs will air live Sunday, September 27, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET, or 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. PT. CBS and MTV will simulcast the ceremony in the U.S., while Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream the show live.
International viewers will be able to watch the ceremony the following day through Paramount+ and MTV, depending on their territory. For viewers in Central European Summer Time, including Italy, the broadcast begins at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 28.
Red-carpet coverage begins at approximately 6 p.m. ET, giving fans an earlier look at the artists arriving at the Peacock Theater.
Snoop Dogg Hosts the VMAs
Snoop Dogg will take over hosting duties for the 2026 ceremony, adding another chapter to a relationship with the VMAs that stretches back decades.
The rapper is a 13-time VMA nominee and three-time winner, with his history at the ceremony dating to 1994. For Snoop, hosting the event represents a full-circle moment after years of performances, nominations and appearances connected to the awards.
Madonna Opens the Show
Madonna is scheduled to open the 2026 MTV VMAs, making history with her fifth VMA opening performance.
Her return is particularly notable because she has not appeared at the ceremony since 2003. The upcoming performance brings one of the VMAs’ most closely associated artists back to the stage more than two decades after her last appearance.
Madonna also leads this year’s nominations with 13 nods, putting her at the center of the competitive side of the ceremony as well as its opening moments.
LISA Makes VMA History
LISA will make her MTV VMAs performance debut with “SaWaDiKa,” the lead single from her upcoming six-track EP PRESS PLAY, due October 23.
The performance will be another major step in her solo career. “SaWaDiKa” debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated September 19, giving LISA seven appearances on the chart and tying JENNIE for the most Hot 100 entries among female K-pop soloists.
LISA enters the ceremony with four nominations and will become the first K-pop soloist to perform at the MTV VMAs.
Other Performances to Watch
The 2026 lineup stretches well beyond the ceremony’s biggest names.
GENER8ION and Yung Lean will perform “Storm II” in its world-premiere live performance. The collaboration has three nominations, including Video of the Year, after the release of its dystopian audiovisual project and viral choreography.
Shaboozey will perform “Cowgirl” and join Gunna for “High Noon,” with both songs appearing on Shaboozey’s July album The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.
RAYE is also scheduled to perform after a major year that includes a Song of the Year nomination for “Where Is My Husband!” The track appears on her second album, This Music May Contain Hope, which reached No. 1 in the U.K.
Sienna Spiro will make her VMA performance debut after earning a Best New Artist nomination. The British singer recently scored her first U.K. No. 1 with “Great Expectation,” while her debut album Visitor reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200.
The ceremony will also feature tributes. Kacey Musgraves will honor Dolly Parton, while RAYE, sombr and Teddy Swims are set to pay tribute to George Michael.
Taylor Swift’s Major VMA Moment
Taylor Swift enters the night with 11 total nominations, including fan-voted social categories, and is competing across several major categories.
Her competitive nominations include Video of the Year and Best Pop for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Artist of the Year, Best Direction for “Opalite,” Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.
Taylor Swift will also receive the inaugural Artist Director Award, a new honor recognizing artists whose work behind the camera has expanded music-video storytelling. Her directing credits include “The Man,” “cardigan,” “willow,” “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Lavender Haze,” “Karma,” “I Can See You,” “Fortnight,” “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite.” She has received seven competitive Best Direction nominations and won the category four times.
Taylor Swift currently has 30 competitive VMA wins, tied with Beyoncé for the most in the ceremony’s history. The new Artist Director honor would bring her overall VMA total to 31.
She has another major visual moment planned for the ceremony as well. The full music video for “Patient Zero,” starring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, is scheduled to premiere during the VMAs.
Who Is Nominated for Video of the Year?
The Video of the Year category brings together six major releases from across pop and alternative music.
The nominees are:
- Ariana Grande — “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
- Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- GENER8ION feat. Yung Lean — “Storm”
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “Tears”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist of the Year is similarly packed with major names: Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Madonna leads the overall nominations with 13, followed by Taylor Swift with 11, Sabrina Carpenter with nine and Ariana Grande with eight.
2026 MTV VMAs Presenters
The presenter lineup includes artists, actors, television personalities and other entertainment figures.
Alex Warren, Belmont Cameli, Brandon Sklenar, Charli xcx, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Ella Bright, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch, Teyana Taylor, Tyla, Chuck D, Emma Bunton, Orville Peck, Paris Hilton and Troye Sivan are all scheduled to present during the ceremony.
What Else Is Happening at the 2026 VMAs?
Nirvana will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, adding a major rock moment to a ceremony otherwise dominated by contemporary pop, hip-hop, R&B, K-pop and country.
With the show returning to Los Angeles, the VMAs are also revisiting a city that has hosted some of the ceremony’s most memorable editions. Tonight’s combination of legacy artists, rising acts and first-time performers sets up a broadcast built around both VMA history and the current generation of music stars.
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