So, the 2026 VMAs have officially wrapped. Shaboozey set the stage on fire (literally), Kacey Musgraves paid a beautiful tribute to the one-of-a-kind Dolly Parton, and Madonna stole the whole damn show – winning several awards, making dad jokes about counting, and pulling prop lasers from her ass. This would only happen at the VMAs …
But uh, what about the rest of the awards?
Many Moon Person trophies weren’t actually handed out during the ceremony proper, including best Latin, best K-pop, best hip hop and so on. The one category in which an Aussie was nominated for – Tame Impala in best alternative for his track Dracula – didn’t even make the cut. That one stings a little extra.
On one note, I’m relieved they didn’t announce every award during the broadcast. I have dinner plans that I don’t want to miss. Keeping it short and tight, including only the major categories and special honours, is clever for an award show that prioritises live performance spectacle over long-winded speeches.
On another note, it’s a shame not every victorious artist had a chance to celebrate (or shed a tear) on the Peacock Theatre’s stage. With genres like Latin and K-pop becoming the global mega phenomena they now are, it seems somewhat flippant to relegate them to an announcement on socials.
But hey, I guess you can’t please everyone. And when you’re already running 20 minutes behind schedule (thanks, random sporting event…), you may not really have a choice!
All up, it was a solid show. The performances were genuinely stand-out, with special mention going to Gener8ion and Yung Lean, and the queen of pop herself Madonna. Please never change, Madonna. Taylor Swift broke more records, becoming the most decorated artist at the MTV VMAs. And Snoop Dogg was … there.
Here’s to a great year in music. We’ll see you at the next one.