Madonna is back at the center of the MTV Video Music Awards, leading the 2026 nominations with 11 chances to take home a Moon Person.
The pop icon heads into this year’s ceremony ahead of Taylor Swift, who collected nine nominations. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter are also among the year’s strongest contenders with seven nominations each, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson landed five apiece.
Madonna’s showing stretches across some of the ceremony’s biggest categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. “Confessions II – The Film” is among the contenders for Video of the Year, putting Madonna in competition with a field that includes Swift, Grande, Mars, Carpenter and GENER8ION with Yung Lean.
Swift will challenge for Video of the Year with “The Fate of Ophelia,” adding another major VMA opportunity to a career already packed with wins at the ceremony.
The Artist of the Year race is equally star-heavy. Madonna and Swift are joined by Grande, Mars, Carpenter and Morgan Wallen, bringing several of pop music’s biggest names into direct competition.
Madonna and Carpenter have another connection in this year’s nominations. Their collaboration “Bring Your Love” earned recognition in both the Song of the Year and Best Collaboration categories.
Beyond the familiar names, the nominations introduce a substantial new class to the VMA spotlight. Twenty-six performers are first-time nominees, giving the 2026 field a generational mix of established stars, rising acts and artists breaking through to MTV’s awards for the first time.
All eyes, however, may remain on the veterans at the top of the ballot. With Madonna leading the nominations and Swift close behind, the ceremony has the ingredients for a notable chapter in VMA history.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are scheduled for September 27 in Los Angeles. The ceremony will air live on CBS and MTV and will also stream on Paramount+.
