VMAs 2026
The gist
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV VMAs with 13 nominations, ahead of Taylor Swift's 11.
The Sept. 27 show marks Madonna's first VMA performance since 2003.
How it unfolded
- Aug 18, 2026Madonna becomes the leading nominee for the 2026 VMAs with 11 nods, her first time as leading nominee since 1998; Taylor Swift is second with nine.
- Sep 17, 2026LISA, Shaboozey and RAYE are added to the performance lineup, with first-time nominee Sienna Spiro making her VMAs performance debut and GENER8ION and Yung Lean set for the world premiere of "Storm II."
- Sep 18, 2026CBS and MTV announce nominations in four social categories — best long-form video, best group, best album and song of summer — with voting hosted on MTV's Instagram Stories; Madonna rises to 13 nods and Taylor Swift to 11.