The Queen of Pop is back on top - but Taylor Swift is close enough to make this year's MTV Video Music Awards a genuine battle for the history books.
Madonna leads the newly announced 2026 MTV VMA nominations with a whopping 11 nods, while Swift follows with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter are tied with seven nominations apiece, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each scored five.
But the biggest story may be what happens if Swift wins even once.
Swift enters the ceremony with 30 career VMA wins, meaning another Moon Person would move her ahead as the most-awarded artist in VMA history. Madonna, meanwhile, currently has 19 wins, but her 11 nominations give the veteran superstar a chance to make a dramatic run up the all-time leaderboard.
And Madonna isn't merely collecting nostalgia nominations. More than four decades after her unforgettable "Like a Virgin" performance helped define the VMAs, the 67-year-old superstar is competing in three of the night's biggest categories: Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Her Confessions II era has put her right back at the center of MTV's biggest night.
Swift isn't exactly sitting quietly on the sidelines. Her nine nominations are largely powered by "The Fate of Ophelia," which is competing for Video of the Year and several technical honors, including direction, choreography, cinematography, editing, visual effects and art direction.
Who Are The Biggest 2026 VMA Nominees?
The leaderboard is stacked:
- Madonna - 11 nominations
- Taylor Swift - 9
- Ariana Grande - 7
- Sabrina Carpenter - 7
- Bruno Mars - 5
- PinkPantheress - 5
- Zara Larsson - 5
- LISA - 4
- Shakira - 3
- Tate McRae - 3
The coveted Artist of the Year race is particularly brutal, with Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and Morgan Wallen all competing for the trophy.
Video of the Year isn't any easier. Madonna's Confessions II - The Film faces Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia," alongside entries from Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and GENER8ION with Yung Lean.
There are some interesting surprises further down the ballot too. Madonna and Carpenter's "Bring Your Love" earned a Song of the Year nomination, while PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson's "Stateside" is also competing in the category. Shakira and Burna Boy are among the collaborative names appearing across the nominations, while Anitta scored recognition in the Latin field for her Shakira collaboration "Choka Choka."
And MTV is leaving room for the next generation. There are 26 first-time VMA nominees this year, including Olivia Dean, Noah Kahan, Kali Uchis, CORTIS and Stella Lefty.
That makes the 2026 ceremony feel less like a routine awards show and more like a generational collision: Madonna proving that more than 40 years after helping make the VMAs culturally dangerous and unpredictable, she can still lead the nominations; Swift standing one trophy away from another major record; and Carpenter, Grande, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson and a wave of newcomers trying to steal some of their spotlight.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards take place Sunday, September 27, airing live on CBS and MTV and streaming on Paramount+. Fan voting is open through September 25.
See The Official 2026 MTV VMA Nominees
