Madonna and Taylor Swift will go toe to toe at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with the two pop icons picking up the most nominations this year.
Madonna led all nominees with 11, thanks largely to the short film she made for her celebrated new album, Confessions II. The visual is up for Video of the Year, as well as a host of creative categories like Best Direction, Cinematography, and Choreography. It also anchors the returning Best Dance category, which was given out regularly for decades starting in 1989, but hasn’t been awarded since 2019.
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s Confessions II track, “Bring Your Love” also picked up nods for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration, while Madonna is up for for Artist of the Year, too.
Swift, meanwhile, earned nine nominations. She, too, is up for Artist of the Year, while the video for her Life of a Showgirl hit, “The Fate of Ophelia” is nominated for Video of the Year, Best Pop, and numerous creative prizes. The visual for Swift’s other big Showgirl hit, “Opalite,” also scored a lone nod for Best Direction.
For Video of the Year, the Confessions II short film and “The Fate of Ophelia” will compete against Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” Gener8ion and Yung Lean’s “Storm,” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears.”
As for the VMAs’ other big categories, Artist of the Year will find Madonna and Swift competing against Grande, Mars, Carpenter, and Morgan Wallen. And in Song of the Year, Madonna and Carpenter’s “Bring Your Love” will go up against BTS’ “Swim,” Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” Huntr/x’s “Golden,” Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need,” PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside” remix, and Raye’s “Where Is My Husband!”
Lastly, the VMAs’ Best New Artist category will feature newcomers Bella Kay, Cortis, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro, and Stella Lefty.
Fan voting for all 13 VMA categories is open now and will close Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. ET, though voting for Best New Artist will continue into the show itself. The VMAs will broadcast live from Los Angeles on Sept. 7, airing simultaneously on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
Gener8ion – “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Madonna
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
BTS – “Swim”
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – “Golden”
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”
Best New Artist
Bella Kay
CORTIS
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips”
French Montana x Max B – “Ever Since U Left Me”
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – “Hard Part”
Best Pop
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
Charli xcx – “SS26”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Olivia Rodrigo – “drop dead”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Hip-Hop
Cardi B ft. Kehlani – “Safe”
Don Toliver – “E85”
Drake – “Janice STFU”
Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL”
Travis Scott – “DUMBO”
Tyler, The Creator – “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”
Best R&B
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
Chris Brown – “It Depends/Obvious”
Dave & Tems – “Raindance”
Justin Bieber – “YUKON”
Kehlani – “Folded”
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
Geese – “Taxes”
mgk & Fred Durst – “FIX UR FACE”
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
Olivia Rodrigo – “the cure
SOMBR – “Homewrecker”
Tame Impala – “Dracula”
twenty one pilots – “Drag Path”
Best Dance
Bebe Rexha & Faithless – “New Religion”
Harry Styles – “Aperture”
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNAWAY”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Slayyyter – “DANCE…”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
Anitta with Shakira – “Choka Choka”
Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”
Fuerza Regida – “TU SANCHO”
KAROL G – “Papasito”
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – “La Perla”
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – “LA VILLA”
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
BLACKPINK – “JUMP”
BTS – “SWIM”
CORTIS – “REDRED”
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP”
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – “SPAGHETTI”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Best Country
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
Kacey Musgraves – “Dry Spell”
Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”
Luke Combs – “Back in the Saddle”
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
Stella Lefty – “Boston”
Tucker Wetmore – “Brunette”
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Taylor Swift – “Opalite”
Best Art Direction
Charli xcx – “SS26”
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNAWAY”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
SOMBR – “My Body Isn’t Ready”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Cinematography
A$AP Rocky – “PUNK ROCKY”
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Harry Styles – “Dance No More”
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
JISOO X ZAYN – “Eyes Closed”
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – “Click Clack Symphony.”
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
