The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards delivered a night dominated by two of the biggest names in pop history, with Madonna collecting seven Moon Persons and Taylor Swift extending her record-setting VMA résumé. Hosted by Snoop Dogg at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Sunday, September 27, the ceremony mixed major legacy moments with wins for BTS, LISA, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande and several of 2026’s breakthrough acts.
Madonna entered the night with a record-tying 13 nominations and opened the ceremony for a fifth time, marking her first VMA appearance in 23 years. Her performance began with Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love” before moving into a larger-than-life sequence built around “Danceteria Afterhours,” her collaboration with Charli XCX, with appearances from Debi Mazar, Julia Garner and Sombr.
That opening spectacle translated into the biggest award haul of the night. Madonna won Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration for “Bring Your Love” with Carpenter, Best Dance, Best Long Form Video, Best Album, Best Cinematography and Best Choreography. The majority of those victories were tied to her Confessions II era and its accompanying visual projects, giving the pop icon seven Moon Persons in one night.
Taylor Swift, meanwhile, claimed two major competitive awards alongside the inaugural Artist Director Honors. She won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Best Direction for “Opalite,” before premiering the “Patient Zero” video starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. Her Video of the Year victory marked her sixth in the category, extending her record, while her overall tally moved to 32 VMA wins and made her the ceremony’s most-awarded artist. While accepting Video of the Year, Swift dedicated the honor to Dolly Parton, calling her “the ultimate showgirl.”
BTS also had a major night, taking home Song of the Year and Best K-Pop for “Swim” as well as Best Group. LISA added another milestone to her VMA history by winning Best Pop for “Dream,” making her the first Asian solo act to win the category in 42 years and the first soloist and female act to win both Best K-Pop and Best Pop. She later performed “SaWaDiKa” with a Thai-inspired stage featuring dancers and a tuk-tuk.
The ceremony’s performance lineup brought its own collection of major moments. Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton, while RAYE, Sombr and Teddy Swims honored George Michael with a surprise appearance from Adam Lambert. GENER8ION and Yung Lean performed “Storm,” bringing its distinctive choreography and visual world to television, while Shaboozey and Gunna, Sienna Spiro and RAYE also took the stage.
Nirvana received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepting the honor after a presentation from Chuck D.
The complete 2026 MTV VMAs scorecard stretched beyond the handful of trophies presented during the live broadcast, with additional winners announced throughout the night.
See the full list of winners below.
Photo: Aimee Santos / MTV VMAs
MTV VMAs 2026 Nominations
Video of the Year
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande
I Just Might – Bruno Mars
Storm starring Yung Lean – GENER8ION (starring Yung Lean)
Confessions II – Film – Madonna
Tears – Sabrina Carpenter
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift *WINNER*
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Madonna *WINNER*
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
SWIM – BTS *WINNER*
Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley
Golden – HUNTR/X
Bring Your Love – Madonna
Man I Need – Olivia Dean
Stateside – PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson
WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! – RAYE
Best New Artist
Bella Kay
Cortis
Magnus Ferrell
Malcom Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro *WINNER*
Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
Chains & Whips – Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice
Ever Since U Left Me – French Montana x Max B
Bring Your Love – Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter *WINNER*
Stateside – Pinkpantheress & Zara Larsson
Dai Dai – Shakira & Burna Boy
Hard Part – Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye
Best Pop
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande
SS26 – Charli xcx
Dream – LISA ft. Kentaro Sakaguchi *WINNER*
Drop Dead – Olivia Rodrigo
House Tour – Sabrina Carpenter
Nobody’s Girl – Tate McRae
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Hip-Hop
Safe – Cardi B & Kehlani *WINNER*
E85 – Don Toliver
Janice STFU – Drake
Lover Girl – Megan Thee Stallion
Dumbo – Travis Scott
Sugar On My Tongue – Tyler, the Creator
Best R&B
I Just Might – Bruno Mars *WINNER*
It Depends/Obvious – Chris Brown
Raindance – Dave & Tems
Yukon – Justin Bieber
Folded – Kehlani
Is It a Crime – Mariah The Scientist
Best Alternative
Texas – Geese
Fix Ur Face- mgk & Fred Durst
The Great Divide – Noah Kahan
The Cure – Olivia Rodrigo *WINNER*
Homewrecker – Sombr
Dracula – Tame Impala
Drag Path – Twenty One Pilots
Best Latin
Choka Choka – Anitta & Shakira
Nuevayol – Bad Bunny *WINNER*
Tu Sancho – Fuerza Regida
Papasito – Karol G
La Perla – Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia
La Villa – Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA
Dai Dai – Shakira & Burna Boy
Best K-pop
Jump – BLACKPINK
Swim – BTS *WINNER*
REDRED – CORTIS
Pinky Up – KATSEYE
Spaghetti – LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS)
Dream – LISA ft. Kentaro Sakaguchi
Best Dance
Nobody’s Girl – Tate McRae
New Religion – Bebe Rexha & Faithless
Aperture – Harry Styles
RUNWAY – Lady Gaga and Doechii
Confessions II — The Film – Madonna *WINNER*
Stateside – PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson
DANCE… – Slayyyter
Best Country
Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley *WINNER*
Dry Spell – Kacey Musgraves
Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson
Back in the Studio – Luke Combs
Cowgirl – Shaboozey
Boston – Stella Lefty
Brunette – Tucker Wetmore
Best Direction
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande
I Just Might – Bruno Mars
Storm – GENER8ION
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna
House Tour – Sabrina Carpenter
Opaliteb- Taylor Swift *WINNER*
Best Art Direction
SS26 – Charli xcx
Runway – Lady Gaga & Doechii
Stateside – PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson *WINNER*
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna
My Body Isn’t Ready – sombr
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Cinematography
Punk Rocky – A$AP Rocky
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande
Dream – LISA
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna *WINNER*
Cowgirl – Shaboozey
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Editing
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande
I Just Might – Bruno Mars
Dream – LISA
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna
House Tour – Sabrina Carpenter *WINNER*
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Choreography
Storm starring Yung Lean – GENER8ION
Dance No More – Harry Styles
Pinky Up – KATSEYE
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna *WINNER*
Nobody’s Girl – Tate McRae
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Visual Effects
hate that i made you love me – Ariana Grande *WINNER*
Eyes Closed – JISOO & Zayn
Stateside – PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson
Confessions II – The Film – Madonna
Click Clack Symphony – RAYE
The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
Best Group
BLACKPINK
BTS *WINNER*
CORTIS
FLO
Fuerza Regida
Geese
KATSEYE
Twenty One Pilots
Best Long Form Video
Charli XCX — “Music, Fashion, Film”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
GENER8ION — “Storm” starring Yung Lean
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film” *WINNER*
Best Album
Drake — Iceman
Madonna — Confessions II *WINNER*
Olivia Dean — The Art Of Loving
Olivia Rodrigo — You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Song of Summer
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me” *WINNER*
Bruno Mars — “Risk It All”
Charli XCX — “Camera”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
KATSEYE — “Hootie Frutti”
Latto ft. Doja Cat — “Okayyy”
Morgan Wallen — “Been By Now”
Olivia Dean — “So Easy (To Fall In Love)”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Stupid Song”
Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
Slayyyter — “brand new chanel$”
SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
Stella Lefty — “Boston”
Tame Impala & Jennie — “Dracula”
Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
Vanguard Award
Nirvana
Artist Director Award
Taylor Swift
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