2026 VMAs nominations: Madonna leads with 11, Taylor Swift earns 9
- By Umaima Amir -
- Aug 19, 2026
Madonna is leading the nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, earning 11 nods as she competes for top honors alongside some of the biggest names in music.
The pop icon tops this year’s nominations, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations.
Bruno Mars, Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress are next with five nominations apiece, while Blackpink’s Lisa earned four. Tate McRae and Shakira each received three nominations.
The 2026 VMAs are set to take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, marking the first time in nine years that the ceremony will be held on the West Coast. The awards were last broadcast from Los Angeles in 2017, when Katy Perry hosted the ceremony.
This year’s two-hour show will air live on September 27 on CBS, MTV and Paramount+. The broadcast is scheduled for 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET and 4:30-6:30 p.m. PT. A host for the ceremony has not yet been announced.
Fan voting is now open in 13 categories through September 25 on the official MTV voting website. Voting for the Best New Artist category will remain open until the live broadcast.
The Artist of the Year category features a highly competitive lineup of Madonna, Swift, Grande, Carpenter, Mars and Morgan Wallen.