The MTV VMA 2026 took place at Los Angeles' Peacock Theatre on September 27, with Snoop Dogg as host. Madonna emerged with seven wins, while Taylor Swift took home major honours, including the inaugural Artist Director Honours and Video of the Year.
VMA 2026 Winners List
| Category | Artist Name | Record Name / Details |
| Artist of the Year | Madonna | Warner Records |
| Video of the Year | Taylor Swift | The Fate of Ophelia (Republic Records) |
| Best New Artist | Sienna Spiro | Capitol Records |
| Best Pop | Lisa | Dream ft. Kentaro Sakaguchi (Lloud Co./RCA Records) |
| Best Dance | Madonna | Confessions II – The Film (Warner Records) |
| Best Collaboration | Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter | Bring Your Love (Warner Records) |
| Art Director Honours | Taylor Swift | — |
| Song of the Year | BTS | Swim |
| Best Hip Hop | Cardi B ft. Kehlani | Safe |
| Best R&B | Bruno Mars | I Just Might |
| Best Alternative | Olivia Rodrigo | The Cure |
| Best Latin | Bad Bunny | Nuevayol |
| Best K-pop | BTS | Swim |
| Best Country | Ella Langley | Choosin Texas |
| Best Art Direction | PinkPantheress | Stateside + Zara Larsson |
| Best Cinematography | Madonna | Confessions II – The Film |
| Best Editing | Sabrina Carpenter | House Tour |
| Best Visual Effects | Ariana Grande | Hate That I Made You Love Me |
| Best Group | BTS | — |
| Best Album | Madonna | Confessions II (Warner Records) |
| Best Long-Form Video | Madonna | Confessions II – The Film (Warner Records) |
| Song of the Summer | Ariana Grande | Hate That I Made You Love Me (Republic Records) |
| Video Vanguard Award | Nirvana | — |
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VMA 2026 Performances
Madonna made her long-awaited return to the MTV VMAs stage after 23 years. The 68-year-old pop icon opened the ceremony with a performance built around her Confessions II era. It marked her first VMAs performance since 2003.
Her set featured elements from Confessions II: The Film. The performance included Good for the Soul, Bring Your Love and Danceteria. Madonna also brought back the table choreography from One Step Away. The set used green lasers, cameras and a large group of dancers.
Sabrina Carpenter joined Madonna on piano during Bring Your Love. Charli xcx later joined her for Danceteria Afterhours. The two collaborations added to Madonna’s comeback performance.
Taylor Swift also had a major moment during the ceremony. Her new music video for Patient Zero premiered during the show. Swift directed the video herself. It stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, with Swift and Johnson portraying mirror images of each other.
Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Dolly Parton during the ceremony. RAYE, Sombr and Teddy Swims also came together for a tribute to the late George Michael.
LISA performed her new song SaWaDiKa. GENER8ION and Yung Lean delivered the world premiere of Storm II. Shaboozey performed Cowgirl and also joined Gunna for High Noon. Sienna Spiro also performed during the ceremony.
VMA 2026 Presenters
The presenter lineup featured several actors and musicians.
Dakota Johnson introduced Taylor Swift before she received the inaugural Artist Director Honours. Johnson also starred alongside Colin Farrell in the Patient Zero music video.
(Image: X/@4k_taylorr)
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Off Campus stars Belmont Cameli and Ella Bright were among those who took the stage.
Troye Sivan, Tyla and Alex Warren were also presenters. The announced lineup further included Brandon Sklenar, Charli xcx, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch and Teyana Taylor.
FAQ
1. Who won the biggest awards at VMA 2026?
Madonna was the biggest winner of the night with seven prizes in total. Three of them came onstage: Artist of the Year, Best Dance and Best Collaboration.
2. Where was VMA 2026 held, and who hosted it?
The ceremony took place at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg hosted the evening.
3. What were the major moments at VMA 2026?
Madonna opened the show with her first VMAs performance in 23 years, joined by Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx. Taylor Swift received the first-ever Artist Director Honours and premiered the video for Patient Zero, which she directed.