The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Taylor Swift and Madonna emerging as the biggest winners. Madonna won seven awards, including Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Album, while Swift claimed Video of the Year, Best Direction, and the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honours.
Nigerian artists Burna Boy and Tems received nominations but failed to win in their respective categories. Burna Boy was nominated for Best Collaboration and Best Latin for his song "Dai Dai" with Shakira, but lost to Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's "Bring Your Love" and Bad Bunny's "NUEVAYoL," respectively. Tems was nominated for Best R&B for her collaboration with Dave on "Raindance," but the award went to Bruno Mars for "I Just Might."
The 2026 VMAs also saw the removal of the Best Afrobeats category, which was introduced in 2023. The category's pioneer nominees included French superstar Aya Nakamura and Nigerian singers Asake, Arya Starr, Burna Boy, Davido, and Rema. MTV has not publicly stated a specific reason for removing the category, but it also scrapped other categories this year.
Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia," extending her record in the category. She also won Best Direction for "Opalite" and became the first recipient of the Artist Director Honours, a new award recognising her work in music-video direction. During the ceremony, Swift premiered the music video for "Patient Zero," which she directed.
Madonna opened the ceremony with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX, marking her first performance at the VMAs in 23 years. Her seven wins included Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Dance, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography, Best Long Form Video, and Best Album for Confessions II.
Other major winners at the 2026 VMAs included Sienna Spiro, who won Best New Artist; LISA, who took Best Pop for "Dream" featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi; Cardi B featuring Kehlani, who won Best Hip-Hop for "Safe"; and Bruno Mars, who won Best R&B for "I Just Might." The ceremony also featured tributes to music legends, including Dolly Parton and George Michael.
The 2026 VMAs were hosted by Snoop Dogg and broadcast live on CBS and simulcast on MTV, with streaming available on Paramount+. The ceremony included performances by LISA, Sienna Spiro, Shaboozey, and Gunna, among others. Nirvana received the Video Vanguard Award, and other winners included BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, and Ella Langley.
Key points
- Taylor Swift and Madonna dominated the 2026 MTV VMAs, winning multiple awards.
- Nigerian artists Burna Boy and Tems missed out on wins despite receiving nominations.
- The 2026 VMAs saw the removal of the Best Afrobeats category, which was introduced in 2023.
