Madonna, Swift Lead 2026 VMAs Nominees

Madonna leads with 11 nominations at the 2026 VMAs, including Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. Taylor Swift has nine nominations and could become the most-awarded artist in VMA history with a single win, tying or surpassing the 30 Moon Persons she already holds with Beyoncé. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each have seven nominations, while Bruno Mars, Zara Larsson, and PinkPantheress each have five. First-time nominees include GENER8ION, Yung Lean, Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, and several others, signaling a generational shift. The ceremony is set for September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on CBS with MTV and Paramount+ streaming, with fan voting through September 25 across 13 categories and Best New Artist remaining open into the live show. The VMAs are bringing back Best Dance and a broad set of technical categories, reflecting both veteran stars and new talent competing for Moon Person trophies.