Madonna is at the centre of the MTV Video Music Awards conversation, leading the 2026 nominations with an impressive 11 nods. Taylor Swift follows closely with nine, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each receive seven nominations.

The nominations bring together major names from pop, K-pop, hip-hop and Latin music, setting the stage for a competitive ceremony in Los Angeles on September 27.


(Picture credit- Madonna on Instagram)

Madonna's nominations come largely for Confessions II - The Film. She is recognised in several categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. She also earned nominations for Best Dance, Best Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, and Best Visual Effects.


(Picture credit- VMAS on Instagram)

Taylor Swift's nine nominations add another important chapter to her VMA history. She is competing for Artist of the Year and Video of the Year, among other awards. With 30 VMA wins, Swift is currently tied with Beyoncé for the record for the most Moon Person trophies.


(Picture credit- bts.bighitofficial on Instagram)

BTS have earned two nominations for their comeback song SWIM. The track is nominated for Song of the Year. It will compete against songs including Sabrina Carpenter's Bring Your Love, HUNTR/X's Golden, Olivia Dean's Man I Need, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson's Stateside and more.

The group also received a nomination for Best K-Pop. SWIM will face strong competition from BLACKPINK's JUMP, LISA's Dream featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, CORTIS' REDRED, KATSEYE's PINKY UP, LE SSERAFIM's SPAGHETTI featuring BTS' j-hope.

With Madonna leading the field, Swift chasing a historic record, and BTS returning to the VMA spotlight, the 2026 ceremony is shaping up to be one of the year's biggest music events.