Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, showcasing the biggest names in music. Leading the nominations was Madonna, with 13 nods for her album Confessions II. Taylor Swift followed closely with 11 nominations for The Life of a Showgirl.
The event was hosted by Snoop Dogg, who expressed his excitement about returning to the VMAs stage. "MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning," he said. He added, "The VMAs have always been about those moments you don’t forget."
The Artist of the Year category was particularly competitive, with Swift vying to surpass Beyoncé as the most awarded artist in VMA history. Swift faced stiff competition from Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, and country star Morgan Wallen. Madonna opened the show, marking her first live VMAs performance in 23 years. Other performances included Gener8ion and Yung Lean with "Storm II," and Lisa from Blackpink. Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a special performance.
Full Winner list below: ***This list is being updated in real time***
Video of the Year
- Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
- GENER8ION – "STORM" starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
- Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – "Tears" – Island
- WINNER: Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Artist of the Year
- Ariana Grande – Republic Records
- Bruno Mars – Atlantic Records
- WINNER: Madonna – Warner Records
- Morgan Wallen – Big Loud/Mercury Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – Island
- Taylor Swift – Republic Records
Song of the Year
- WINNER: BTS – "Swim" – BIGHIT MUSIC
- Ella Langley – "Choosin' Texas" – Columbia Records
- HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – "Golden" – Republic Records/Visva Records
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" – Warner Records
- Olivia Dean – "Man I Need" – Island
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – "Stateside" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
- RAYE – "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!" – Human Re Sources
Best New Artist
- Bella Kay – Atlantic Records
- CORTIS – BIGHIT MUSIC
- Magnus Ferrell – Visva Records/Republic Records
- Malcolm Todd – Columbia Records
- Myles Smith – RCA Records
- WINNER: Sienna Spiro – Capitol Records
- Stella Lefty – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
Best Collaboration
- Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – "Chains & Whips" – Roc Nation Distribution
- French Montana x Max B – "Ever Since U Left Me" – Coke Boys Records
- WINNER: Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – "Bring Your Love" – Warner Records
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – "Stateside" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
- Shakira & Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" – Sony Music US Latin
- Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – "Hard Part" – Def Jam Recordings
Best Pop
- Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- Charli xcx – "SS26" – Atlantic Records
- WINNER: LISA – "Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi – Lloud Co./RCA Records
- Olivia Rodrigo – "drop dead" – Geffen Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
- Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Hip-Hop
- WINNER: Cardi B feat. Kehlani – "Safe" – Atlantic Records
- Don Toliver – "E85" – Cactus Jack/Atlantic Records
- Drake – "Janice STFU" – OVO/Republic Records
- Megan Thee Stallion – "LOVER GIRL" – Hot Girl Productions
- Travis Scott – "DUMBO" – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
- Tyler, The Creator – "SUGAR ON MY TONGUE" – Columbia Records
Best R&B
- WINNER: Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
- Chris Brown – "It Depends/Obvious" – RCA Records
- Dave & Tems – "Raindance" – Neighbourhood Recordings/Capitol Records
- Justin Bieber – "YUKON" – Def Jam Recordings
- Kehlani – "Folded" – Atlantic Records
- Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – "Is It a Crime" – Epic Records
Best Alternative
- Geese – "Taxes" – Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam
- mgk & Fred Durst – "FIX UR FACE" – EST 19XX LLC/Interscope Records
- Noah Kahan – "The Great Divide" – Mercury Records
- WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo – "the cure" – Geffen Records
- SOMBR – "Homewrecker" – SMB Music/Warner Records
- Tame Impala – "Dracula" – Columbia Records
- twenty one pilots – "Drag Path" – Fueled By Ramen
Best Dance
- Bebe Rexha & Faithless – "New Religion" – Bebe Rexha Music LLC/EMPIRE
- Harry Styles – "Aperture" – Columbia Records
- Lady Gaga & Doechii – "RUNWAY" – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
- WINNER: Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – "Stateside" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
- Slayyyter – "DANCE…" – RECORDS/Columbia Records
- Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
Best Latin
- Anitta with Shakira – "Choka Choka" – Republic Records/UMLE
- WINNER: Bad Bunny – "NUEVAYoL" – Rimas Entertainment
- Fuerza Regida – "TU SANCHO" – Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music US Latin
- KAROL G – "Papasito" – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
- Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – "La Perla" – Columbia Records
- Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – "LA VILLA" – AWOO Corp./Sony Music US Latin
- Shakira & Burna Boy – "Dai Dai" – Sony Music US Latin
Best K-Pop
- BLACKPINK – "JUMP" – YG Entertainment
- WINNER: BTS – "SWIM" – BIGHIT MUSIC
- CORTIS – "REDRED" – BIGHIT MUSIC
- KATSEYE – "PINKY UP" – HYBE x Geffen Records
- LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – "SPAGHETTI" – SOURCE MUSIC
- LISA – "Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Best Country
- WINNER: Ella Langley – "Choosin' Texas" – Columbia Records
- Kacey Musgraves – "Dry Spell" – Lost Highway/Interscope Records
- Lainey Wilson – "Somewhere Over Laredo" – Broken Bow Records
- Luke Combs – "Back in the Saddle" – Columbia Nashville
- Shaboozey – "Cowgirl" – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
- Stella Lefty – "Boston" – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
- Tucker Wetmore – "Brunette" – Back Blocks Music/MCA/Mercury Records
Best Direction
- Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
- GENER8ION – "STORM" starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
- Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
- WINNER: Taylor Swift – "Opalite" – Republic Records
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx – "SS26" – Atlantic Records
- Lady Gaga & Doechii – "RUNWAY" – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
- Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- WINNER: PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – "Stateside" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
- SOMBR – "My Body Isn't Ready" – SMB Music/Warner Records
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Cinematography
- A$AP Rocky – "PUNK ROCKY" – A$AP Worldwide/RCA Records
- Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- LISA – "Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi – Lloud Co./RCA Records
- WINNER: Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- Shaboozey – "Cowgirl" – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- Bruno Mars – "I Just Might" – Atlantic Records
- LISA – "Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi – Lloud Co./RCA Records
- Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Choreography
- GENER8ION – "STORM" starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
- Harry Styles – "Dance No More" – Columbia Records
- KATSEYE – "PINKY UP" – HYBE x Geffen Records
- WINNER: Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- Tate McRae – "Nobody's Girl" – RCA Records
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Visual Effects
- WINNER: Ariana Grande – "hate that i made you love me" – Republic Records
- JISOO X ZAYN – "Eyes Closed" – Warner Records
- Madonna – "Confessions II – The Film" – Warner Records
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – "Stateside" – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
- RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – "Click Clack Symphony." – Human Re Sources
- Taylor Swift – "The Fate of Ophelia" – Republic Records
Best Group
- BLACKPINK
- WINNER: BTS
- CORTIS
- FLO
- Fuerza Regida
- Geese
- KATSEYE
- twenty one pilots
Best Long Form Video
- Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film – Atlantic Records
- Ella Langley – Choosin' Texas – Columbia Records
- GENER8ION – STORM starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
- WINNER: Madonna – Confessions II – The Film – Warner Records
Best Album
- Drake – ICEMAN – OVO/Republic Records
- WINNER: Madonna – Confessions II – Warner Records
- Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving – Island
- Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love – Geffen Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – Man's Best Friend – Island
- Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl – Republic Records
Song of Summer
- WINNER: Ariana Grande – "Hate That I Made You Love Me" – Republic Records
- Bruno Mars – "Risk It All" – Atlantic Records
- Charli xcx – "Camera" – Atlantic Records
- Ella Langley – "Choosin' Texas" – Columbia Records
- KATSEYE – "Hootie Frutti" – HYBE x Geffen Records
- Latto ft. Doja Cat – "Okayyy" – Steamcut/RCA Records
- Morgan Wallen – "Been By Now" – Big Loud/Mercury Records
- Olivia Dean – "So Easy (To Fall in Love)" – Island
- Olivia Rodrigo – "Stupid Song" – Geffen Records
- Sabrina Carpenter – "House Tour" – Island
- Slayyyter – "Brand New Chanel$" – RECORDS/Columbia Records
- sombr – "Homewrecker" – SMB Music/Warner Records
- Stella Lefty – "Boston" – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
- Tame Impala & JENNIE – "Dracula" – Columbia Records
- Taylor Swift – "I Knew It, I Knew You" – Walt Disney Records/Republic Records