MTV VMAs 2026: Full list of nominees and winners
The Queen of Pop was also the queen of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
Madonna took home the most Moon People during Sunday’s star-studded ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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The Material Girl — who was nominated 13 times — ended the night with seven wins, including artist of the year, best collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter, best dance song, best cinematography, best choreography, best album and best long-form video.
Taylor Swift — who was up for 11 awards — also had a successful evening, taking home video of the year, best direction and the inaugural Artist Director Honors, bringing her career total to 32 VMAs and making her the most-awarded artist in the show’s history.
Other notable winners included BTS, who won song of the year and best K-pop, Sienna Spiro, who was crowned best new artist, LISA, who received best pop, and Nirvana, who was honored with the prestigious Video Vanguard Award.
One of the biggest spectacles came at the very beginning of the night, when Madonna returned to the VMA stage for the first time in 23 years to deliver a risqué performance with Carpenter and Charli XCX.
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Keep reading to see the full list of winners from the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
GENER8ION — “STORM” starring Yung Lean
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter — “Tears”
WINNER: Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
WINNER: Madonna
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
WINNER: BTS — “Swim”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI — “Golden”
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
RAYE — “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”
Best New Artist
Bella Kay
CORTIS
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
WINNER: Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice — “Chains & Whips”
French Montana x Max B — “Ever Since U Left Me”
WINNER: Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
Shakira & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye — “Hard Part”
Best Pop
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Charli XCX — “SS26”
WINNER: LISA (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — “Dream”
Olivia Rodrigo — “drop dead”
Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Hip-Hop
WINNER: Cardi B (feat. Kehlani) — “Safe”
Don Toliver — “E85”
Drake — “Janice STFU”
Megan Thee Stallion — “LOVER GIRL”
Travis Scott — “DUMBO”
Tyler, The Creator — “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”
Best R&B
WINNER: Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
Chris Brown — “It Depends/Obvious”
Dave & Tems — “Raindance”
Justin Bieber — “YUKON”
Kehlani — “Folded”
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis — “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
Geese — “Taxes”
mgk & Fred Durst — “FIX UR FACE”
Noah Kahan — “The Great Divide”
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo — “the cure”
SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
Tame Impala — “Dracula”
twenty one pilots — “Drag Path”
Best Dance
Bebe Rexha & Faithless — “New Religion”
Harry Styles — “Aperture”
Lady Gaga & Doechii — “RUNWAY”
WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
Slayyyter — “DANCE…”
Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
Anitta with Shakira — “Choka Choka”
WINNER: Bad Bunny — “NUEVAYoL”
Fuerza Regida — “TU SANCHO”
KAROL G — “Papasito”
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia — “La Perla”
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA — “LA VILLA”
Shakira & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
BLACKPINK — “JUMP”
WINNER: BTS — “SWIM”
CORTIS — “REDRED”
KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) — “SPAGHETTI”
LISA (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — “Dream”
Best Country
WINNER: Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
Kacey Musgraves — “Dry Spell”
Lainey Wilson — “Somewhere Over Laredo”
Luke Combs — “Back in the Saddle”
Shaboozey — “Cowgirl”
Stella Lefty — “Boston”
Tucker Wetmore — “Brunette”
Best Direction
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
WINNER: Taylor Swift — “Opalite”
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX — “SS26”
Lady Gaga & Doechii — “RUNWAY”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
WINNER: PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
SOMBR — “My Body Isn’t Ready”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Cinematography
A$AP Rocky — “PUNK ROCKY”
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
LISA (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — “Dream”
WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Shaboozey — “Cowgirl”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
LISA (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — “Dream”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Harry Styles — “Dance No More”
KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
WINNER: Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
JISOO X ZAYN — “Eyes Closed”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
RAYE (feat. Hans Zimmer) — “Click Clack Symphony.”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Social Category: Best Album
Drake — “Iceman” — OVO/Republic Records
WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II” — Warner Records
Olivia Dean — “The Art of Loving” — Island
Olivia Rodrigo — “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” — Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter — “Man’s Best Friend” — Island
Taylor Swift — “The Life of a Showgirl” — Republic Records
Social Category: Best Group
BLACKPINK
WINNER: BTS
CORTIS
FLO
Fuerza Regida
Geese
KATSEYE
Twenty One Pilots
Social Category: Best Long Form Video
Charli XCX — “Music, Fashion, Film”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Social Category: Song of Summer
WINNER: Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars — “Risk It All”
Charli XCX — “Camera”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
KATSEYE — “Hootie Frutti”
Latto (feat. Doja Cat) — “Okayyy”
Morgan Wallen — “Been by Now”
Olivia Dean — “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
Olivia Rodrigo — “Stupid Song”
Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
Slayyyter — “brand new chanel$”
SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
Stella Lefty — “Boston”
Tame Impala & JENNIE — “Dracula”
Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
The MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by Snoop Dogg, aired live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The awards show also featured tribute performances to late music icons Dolly Parton and George Michael, along with a special opening set by Madonna.
Other highlights included Nirvana receiving the prestigious Video Vanguard Award and Taylor Swift debuting the music video for her new song “Patient Zero,” featuring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.
