Lyrical Muse

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards had no shortage of big moments, but the night ultimately belonged to two of pop’s most recognisable names. Madonna and Taylor Swift arrived in Los Angeles among the ceremony’s biggest contenders, and both left with their VMA hauls significantly expanded.

Held at the Peacock Theater on Sunday, September 27, and hosted by Snoop Dogg, this year’s ceremony brought together a mix of established superstars, rising names and some of music’s most talked-about releases of the year.

Madonna led the nominations with 13 nods and emerged as the night’s biggest winner with seven Moon Persons, while Swift added three more awards to her record-breaking VMA legacy, including Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.”

Elsewhere, Sienna Spiro picked up Best New Artist, LISA opened the winners’ list with Best Pop for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, and artists including BTS and Ariana Grande also took home major honours. With performances, tributes and landmark career moments packed into one night, the 2026 VMAs had plenty to celebrate.

Here’s the complete list of the 2026 MTV VMAs winners, category by category.

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” [WINNER]

Artist of the Year

• Ariana Grande
• Bruno Mars
• Madonna [WINNER]
• Morgan Wallen
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift

Song of the Year

• BTS — “Swim” [WINNER]
• Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
• Huntr/x — “Golden”
• Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
• Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
• PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• Raye — “Where Is My Husband!”

Best New Artist

• Bella Kay
• Cortis
• Magnus Ferrell
• Malcolm Todd
• Myles Smith
• Sienna Spiro [WINNER]
• Stella Lefty

Best Collaboration

• Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T & Malice — “Chains & Whips”
• French Montana & Max B — “Ever Since U Left Me”
• Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love” [WINNER]
• PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• 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” 
• Olivia Rodrigo — “Drop Dead” 
• Lisa & Kentara Sakaguchi — “Dream” [WINNER] 
• Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour” 
• Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
• Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Hip-Hop

• Cardi B & Kehlani — “Safe” [WINNER]
• 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” [WINNER]
• 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” [WINNER]
• Sombr — “Homewrecker”
• Tame Impala — “Dracula”
• Twenty One Pilots — “Drag Path”

Best Dance

• Bebe Rexha & Faithless — “New Religion”
• Harry Styles — “Aperture”
• Lady Gaga & Doechii — “Runway”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film” [WINNER]
• PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• Slayyyter — “Dance…”
• Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”

Best Latin

• Anitta & Shakira — “Choka Choka”
• Bad Bunny — “Nuevayol” [WINNER]
• Fuerza Regida — “Tu Sancho”
• Karol G — “Papasito”
• Rosalía & Yahritza y Su Esencia — “La Perla”
• Ryan Castro, Kapo & Gangsta — “La Villa”
• Shakira & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”

Best K-Pop

• Blackpink — “Jump”
• BTS — “Swim” [WINNER]
• Cortis — “RedRed”
• Katseye — “Pinky Up”
• Le Sserafim & J-Hope of BTS — “Spaghetti”
• Lisa & Kentara Sakaguchi — “Dream”

Best Country

• Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas” [WINNER]
• 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” [WINNER]

Best Art Direction

• Charli xcx — “SS26”
• Lady Gaga & Doechii — “Runway”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
• PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside” [WINNER]
• 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 & Kentara Sakaguchi — “Dream”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film” [WINNER]
• 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 & Kentara Sakaguchi — “Dream”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
• Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour” [WINNER]
• 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” [WINNER]
• Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
• Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Visual Effects

• Ariana Grande — “Hate That I Made You Love Me” [WINNER]
• Jisoo & Zayn — “Eyes Closed”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
• PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• Raye & Hans Zimmer — “Click Clack Symphony”
• Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Group

• BLACKPINK
• BTS [WINNER]
• CORTIS
• FLO
• Fuerza Regida
• Geese
• KATSEYE
• Twenty One Pilots

Best Long Form Video

• Charli xcx — Music, Fashion, Film
• Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
• GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
• Madonna — Confessions II – The Film [WINNER]

Best Album

• Drake – ICEMAN – OVO/Republic Records
• Madonna – Confessions II [WINNER]
• Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
• Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
• Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
• Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl

Song of Summer

• Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me” [WINNER]
• Bruno Mars – “Risk It All”
• Charli xcx – “Camera”
• Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
• KATSEYE – “Hootie Frutti”
• Latto ft. Doja Cat – “Okayyy”
• Morgan Wallen – “Been By Now”
• Olivia Dean – “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
• Olivia Rodrigo – “Stupid Song”
• Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour
• Slayyyter – “Brand New Chanel$”
• sombr – “Homewrecker”
• Stella Lefty – “Boston”
• Tame Impala & JENNIE – “Dracula”
• Taylor Swift – “I Knew It, I Knew You”

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