Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter earn seven each ahead of the September awards show
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations have finally been unveiled, with Madonna leading this year’s list with 11 nominations across major categories.
The organisers announced the nominations on Tuesday, August 18, revealing that the Queen of Pop has earned recognition spanning every decade of her musical career.
Madonna has already secured 19 competitive VMA wins and made history as the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.
For the 2026 ceremony, the Confessions II hitmaker is nominated in several major categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year.
She is also in contention for Best Collaboration, Best Dance, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.
A win in the relevant categories could further strengthen Madonna’s record at the VMAs. She would tie Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the title of the most-awarded musician in VMA history.
Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations
Taylor Swift ranks second among the most-nominated artists this year, earning nine nominations.
The Life of a Showgirl singer is nominated for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year, along with Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.
The nominations mark a major career milestone for Swift following her high-profile marriage to Travis Kelce. The singer has yet to confirm whether she will attend the ceremony in September.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter earn seven nominations
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have each secured seven nominations at the 2026 MTV VMAs.
They are followed by Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, who have received five nominations each.
BLACKPINK’s Lisa has four nominations, while Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean have three nominations apiece.
The wide-ranging nominations highlight another competitive year for the MTV Video Music Awards, with several of the biggest names in pop music competing across the ceremony’s major categories.
When are the 2026 MTV VMAs?
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will take place on Sunday, September 27, with the ceremony scheduled to air live on CBS at 7:30 p.m.
The event is expected to bring together some of the biggest names in music, with the winners to be announced during the live ceremony.