Los Angeles, California – Taylor Swift and Madonna are leading the pack for the 2026 MTV Video Music Award (VMA) nominations! Read on to find out more about the list.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Madonna racked up an impressive 11 noms, which include Video of the Year and Best Dance.
The Best Dance nomination category is returning for the first time in seven years, and will be presented by Bacardi Rum.
Pop icon Madonna already has 19 Moon Person trophies under her (doubtlessly designer) belt.
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Taylor Swift – who has won a whopping 30 VMAs in the past – was nominated for nine nods.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter nabbed seven noms each, with Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larson earning five each.
Other big names like LISA, Shakira, and Tate McRae were also recognized with three nominations apiece.
First-time VMA nominees include Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, GENER8ION, Yung Lean, CORTIS, Stella Lefty, and more.
But who’s in the running for Video of the Year, the biggest award of the night? Madonna, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, and GENER8ION will have to duke it out.
Also of note: Olivia Rodrigo is missing from the main categories despite her chart-topping album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
Fan voting is now open for the 13 award categories at vote.mtv.com, with voting set to close on September 25 at 6 PM ET. The only exception is for the Best New Artist category, which will stay active into the show itself.
Check the MTV voting site linked above for the complete nominee list.
Catch the VMAs on CBS (simulcast on MTV) when they air live from LA on September 27, available to stream globally via Paramount+ and MTV the next day.
