Madonna leads 2026 Video Music Award nominees. See the full list.
Updated on: August 18, 2026 / 12:42 PM EDT / AP
TL;DR
- Madonna leads the 2026 VMA nominations with 11 nods, including for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year.
- Taylor Swift has the second-most nominations with nine and could become the most-awarded artist in VMA history with a single win.
- Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter received seven nominations each, followed by Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson with five.
- The VMAs will broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, September 27th, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and 4:30 p.m. Pacific, and will also stream on Paramount+.
- This year's awards feature 26 first-time nominees, including GENER8ION, Yung Lean, CORTIS, and Stella Lefty.
- Fan voting for 13 categories began online and ends September 25th, with voting for Best New Artist continuing during the show.