Madonna is once again making MTV VMA history.
The pop icon leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 nods, putting her ahead of Taylor Swift, who follows closely with nine.
The nominations place both artists at the center of one of the biggest nights in pop music, with Madonna and Swift competing in several of the ceremony’s most important categories.
Madonna’s nominations come largely from her latest visual project, while Swift earned major recognition for her song and video “The Fate of Ophelia.”
The 2026 MTV VMAs will take place on September 27 in Los Angeles.
Madonna Leads the 2026 MTV VMA Nominations
Madonna received 11 nominations, making her the most-nominated artist of the 2026 VMAs.
Her nominations include some of the night’s biggest awards, including:
- Video of the Year
- Artist of the Year
- Song of the Year
- Best Collaboration
- Best Dance
- Best Direction
- Best Cinematography
- Best Editing
- Best Choreography
- Best Art Direction
- Best Visual Effects
Her Video of the Year nomination comes for “Confessions II – The Film.”
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter are also the only artists nominated across the three major categories of Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year.
Taylor Swift Earns Nine Nominations
Taylor Swift is right behind Madonna with nine nominations.
Swift’s nominations include several major categories, led by her Video of the Year nomination for “The Fate of Ophelia.”
She is also nominated for Artist of the Year and several technical categories connected to the video’s production.
Swift’s nine nominations give her another opportunity to add to an already extraordinary VMA record.
According to the Associated Press, Swift currently has 30 VMA wins, tied with Beyoncé for the most in the history of the awards. Even one win this year would give Swift the record outright.
Madonna Could Also Make VMA History
Madonna already has an extraordinary VMA record.
She has won 19 Moon Person trophies throughout her career.
If she were to win all 11 categories in which she is nominated this year, she would reach 30 career wins and join Beyoncé and Taylor Swift at the top of the all-time leaderboard.
A sweep would obviously be difficult, but the nomination count itself demonstrates how strongly Madonna is represented at this year’s ceremony.
Madonna’s “Confessions II” Dominates the Nominations
A major reason for Madonna’s nomination total is her new visual project “Confessions II – The Film.”
The project has earned recognition across both major creative categories and technical fields.
That means Madonna’s presence at the 2026 VMAs is not limited to performance or songwriting.
The nominations recognize multiple aspects of the production, including:
- Direction
- Cinematography
- Editing
- Choreography
- Art direction
- Visual effects
This broad recognition helps explain how Madonna reached 11 nominations.
“Bring Your Love” Gets Major Recognition
Madonna also receives a Song of the Year nomination for “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.
The track is one of the major collaborative entries in this year’s nominations.
Its recognition gives Madonna another chance to compete for a top award while also putting Carpenter alongside one of pop music’s most established stars.
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Is a Major Contender
Swift’s nine nominations are strongly connected to “The Fate of Ophelia.”
The video is competing for Video of the Year alongside entries from Madonna, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean.
That makes Video of the Year one of the most competitive categories of the night.
The Video of the Year Race
The 2026 Video of the Year nominees are:
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean — “STORM”
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “Tears”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
The category brings together some of the biggest names in current pop music.
It also creates a direct awards-season showdown between Madonna and Swift.
Who Else Is Leading the Nominations?
Madonna and Taylor Swift may be at the top, but they are not the only artists receiving major recognition.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations.
Meanwhile, Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each earned five nominations.
That gives the 2026 ceremony a strong mix of established superstars and newer-generation pop artists.
Ariana Grande Gets Seven Nominations
Ariana Grande is among the leading nominees with seven nods.
Her Video of the Year nomination comes for “hate that i made you love me.”
She is also competing in major creative categories, giving her a strong presence across the ceremony.
Grande has become a regular presence at major music awards, and the 2026 nominations add another chapter to her VMA history.
Sabrina Carpenter Also Gets Seven
Sabrina Carpenter also received seven nominations.
Her recognition is particularly notable because she appears alongside Madonna in multiple major categories.
Carpenter’s “Tears” is nominated for Video of the Year, while her collaboration with Madonna, “Bring Your Love,” is competing for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
That makes Carpenter one of the most important younger artists in this year’s awards race.
Bruno Mars Remains a Major Contender
Bruno Mars earned five nominations.
He is among the nominees for both Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.
His video “I Just Might” is competing against Madonna, Taylor Swift and several other major artists for the night’s top video prize.
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson Earn Five Each
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson also received five nominations apiece.
Their collaboration on “Stateside” is among the nominees for Song of the Year.
The recognition reflects how the VMAs continue to mix established stars with artists who have built significant momentum through contemporary pop and digital music culture.
BTS Earns Two Nominations
BTS is also represented at the 2026 VMAs.
The group received two nominations for “SWIM.”
One of the nominations comes in the Song of the Year category, placing BTS alongside artists including Madonna, Taylor Swift’s peers and several other major international acts.
26 First-Time Nominees
This year’s VMAs also introduce a significant group of new talent.
There are 26 first-time VMA nominees in 2026.
Among them are artists such as:
- Olivia Dean
- Noah Kahan
- CORTIS
- Stella Lefty
- Tucker Wetmore
The first-time nominees provide a contrast to established stars such as Madonna, Swift and Grande.
Why Madonna’s Lead Is So Significant
Madonna’s position at the top of the nomination list is notable because she is competing against artists from multiple generations.
She has been a major figure in the VMAs since the awards began in 1984.
Her 2026 nomination haul shows that her influence at the ceremony has not simply become a matter of nostalgia.
Instead, the awards are recognizing her current music and visual work across numerous categories.
Taylor Swift Is Chasing Another Record
Swift’s nine nominations are significant for another reason.
She enters the ceremony tied with Beyoncé at 30 VMA wins.
That means Swift needs just one victory to become the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
With nine opportunities, she has several potential paths to breaking the record.
Could Taylor Swift Become the Most-Awarded VMA Artist?
Yes.
If Swift wins at least one award on September 27, she will move ahead of Beyoncé and become the sole holder of the record for most MTV VMA wins.
That creates an additional storyline beyond the nominations themselves.
Even if Madonna receives more nominations, Swift could leave the ceremony with the most significant historical achievement.
The Artist of the Year Category
Artist of the Year is another major category to watch.
The nominees are:
- Madonna
- Taylor Swift
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Morgan Wallen
The category brings together artists from different parts of the current music landscape.
It also puts Madonna and Swift directly against each other for one of the ceremony’s biggest honors.
The Song of the Year Competition
Song of the Year also features a wide range of artists.
The nominees include:
- BTS — “SWIM”
- Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
- HUNTR/X — “Golden”
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
- Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
- PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
The category highlights both established stars and newer acts.
When Are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will take place on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Los Angeles.
The ceremony will air live at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT on CBS and MTV, with streaming available through Paramount+ in the United States.
The show will also have international availability following the U.S. broadcast.
Fan Voting Is Already Underway
Fans can vote in 13 categories during the voting period.
Voting is scheduled to remain open through September 25.
Best New Artist voting will continue into the ceremony itself.
That means fans still have an opportunity to influence several of the night’s winners before the awards are handed out.
Best Dance Returns to the VMAs
The 2026 ceremony also brings back the Best Dance category after a seven-year absence.
Its return is particularly fitting for Madonna, whose career has been closely associated with dance-pop and elaborate choreography.
The category adds another opportunity for dance-focused music videos to receive recognition.
Some Familiar Categories Are Missing
Not every previous VMA category returns in the same form this year.
Several categories, including Best Rock and Best Group, were omitted from the 2026 nomination lineup.
The changes reflect MTV’s evolving approach to the awards and its attempt to focus attention on some of the biggest areas of contemporary music and visual production.
A New Generation Meets a Pop Legend
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this year’s nominations is the generational mix.
Madonna represents one of the most influential eras in pop music.
Taylor Swift represents another generation of superstar artists.
Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean and other first-time nominees represent newer voices.
The VMAs are therefore creating a lineup that connects several different periods of pop culture.
Why the 2026 VMAs Could Be Historic
There are several possible history-making moments on the table.
Madonna could add significantly to her VMA total.
Taylor Swift could become the sole holder of the all-time VMA wins record.
New artists could win their first Moon Person.
And the Video of the Year race could produce a major upset.
That combination makes this year’s ceremony particularly interesting.
The Bigger Picture
The 2026 MTV VMA nominations show that the awards remain a major meeting point between pop culture, music videos and fan-driven entertainment.
Madonna leading the nominations is the biggest headline.
Taylor Swift’s nine nominations provide the strongest historical subplot.
And the presence of artists such as Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson and BTS ensures the ceremony will have plenty of competition.
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Bottom Line
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMAs nominations with 11 nods, while Taylor Swift follows closely with nine.
Madonna is nominated in major categories including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, while Swift is also competing for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.
The stakes are especially high for Swift, who currently has 30 VMA wins. A single victory would make her the most-awarded artist in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards.
The 2026 VMAs will take place September 27 in Los Angeles, with fan voting continuing through September 25.
With Madonna chasing more trophies and Swift chasing a historic record, this year’s VMAs could become one of the most memorable ceremonies in recent years.
FAQ
How many MTV VMA nominations does Madonna have in 2026?
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMAs with 11 nominations, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year.
How many VMA nominations does Taylor Swift have in 2026?
Taylor Swift has nine nominations at the 2026 MTV VMAs, putting her second behind Madonna.
What is Madonna nominated for at the 2026 VMAs?
Madonna is nominated across 11 categories, including Video of the Year for “Confessions II – The Film,” Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and several creative and technical categories.
What is Taylor Swift nominated for at the 2026 VMAs?
Taylor Swift’s nominations include Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Artist of the Year and several categories recognizing direction, choreography, cinematography, editing, visual effects and art direction.
When are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will be held on September 27, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Can Taylor Swift become the most-awarded VMA artist?
Yes. Swift currently has 30 VMA wins, tied with Beyoncé. Winning at least one award in 2026 would make Swift the sole record holder.
How many VMA nominations do Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have?
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations for the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Who is nominated for Video of the Year?
The nominees are Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
How many first-time VMA nominees are there in 2026?
There are 26 first-time nominees at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
Is Best Dance returning to the VMAs?
Yes. Best Dance is returning in 2026 after a seven-year absence
