Madonna Leads 2026 MTV VMA Nominations With 13 Nods

Views 12 Published by September 19, 2026

Madonna tops the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nomination list with 13 nods, her most ever and first time leading since 1998. The ceremony airs live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on September 27.

Madonna has secured 13 nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, marking her personal best and first time leading the pack since 1998. Her 14-minute “Confessions II The Film” is nominated for video of the year, competing against entries from Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars and GENER8ION.

Taylor Swift ranks second with 11 nominations, followed by Sabrina Carpenter with nine, and Ariana Grande with eight. Bruno Mars leads male nominees with six nominations. Seven of the eight artists with the most nominations are women.

Grande is nominated for artist of the year for a record-extending sixth time, while Swift lands her fifth nomination in that category. The best dance category returns for the first time in seven years, with Madonna among the contenders. Fan voting is open through September 25 at 6 p.m. ET for 13 categories via vote.MTV.com.

The 2026 VMAs will broadcast live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27 (7:30–9:30 p.m. ET / 4:30–6:30 p.m. PT) on CBS, with simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. This marks the first time the show has been held in the Los Angeles area since 2017 and the first fall edition of the awards.