When are the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards?The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, aka the 43rd MTV VMAs, will air live on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. There will be a red carpet before the ceremony.
Larry Busacca / Getty Images for MTV
How can I watch this year’s VMAs?The VMAs will air on CBS and MTV and will be streamed on Paramount+. If you miss the awards live, a replay will be available the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.
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Who’s hosting this year’s VMAs?Snoop Dogg will host the 2026 MTV VMAs. He is a 13-time VMAs nominee and has won three awards. Speaking about his hosting gig in a press release, he said, “MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning. Some of the biggest moments of my career happened on that stage and on MTV – they gave hip hop a place to be loud, fearless, and seen by the whole world. So to come back now and host the VMAs, all these years later, that’s a full-circle moment for me.”
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Who are the 2026 nominees?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” from K-Pop Demon Hunters
Madonna and 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, and Malice — “Chains & Whips”
French Montana x Max B — “Ever Since U Left Me”
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
PinkPantheress — “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
Shakira and Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Teyana Taylor and 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 and Kali Uchis — “Is It a Crime”
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Best Alternative
Geese — “Taxes”
MGK and 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 and Faithless — “New Religion”
Harry Styles — “Aperture”
Lady Gaga and Doechii — “RUNWAY”
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 and 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 and Doechii — “RUNWAY”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
PinkPantheress — “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
SOMBR — “My Body Isn’t Ready”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
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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”
There are also four social categories, where fans can vote on MTV’s Instagram Story:Best Group — Fan voting for favorite group across all genres will begin Monday, Sept. 21, at 11:00 a.m. E.T. on the @MTV Instagram Story (three rounds, bracket-style face-off, final round tap to vote); closes Thursday, Sept. 24, at 11:00 a.m. E.T.
John Shearer / Getty Images / The Recording Academy
BLACKPINK
BTS
CORTIS
FLO
Fuerza Regida
Geese
KATSEYE
Twenty One Pilots
Best Long Form Video — Fan voting will begin Thursday, Sept. 24 at 11:00 a.m. E.T. on the @MTV Instagram Story (one round, tap to vote); closes Friday, Sept. 25 at 11:00 a.m. E.T.
Charli xcx — “Music, Fashion, Film”
Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Best Album — Fan voting will begin Friday, Sept. 25 at 11:00 a.m. E.T. on the @MTV Instagram Story (one round, tap to vote); closes Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11:00 a.m. E.T.
Drake — Iceman
Madonna — Confessions II
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 the Summer — Fan voting for all-around favorite summer 2026 hit will launch Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11:00 a.m. E.T. on the @MTV Instagram Story (one round, tap to vote); closes Sunday, Sept. 27 at 11:00 a.m. E.T.
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
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 and JENNIE — “Dracula”
Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
Which artist has the most nominations this year?Madonna leads this year’s nominees with 11. She currently has 19 competitive VMAs in career, plus the Video Vanguard Award she received in 1986.
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Who is receiving the 2026 Video Vanguard Award?Nirvana will receive this year’s Video Vanguard Award. The band made their MTV VMAs debut in 1992. They will be the first band to receive the honor since Duran Duran in 2003, and they are the ninth band overall.
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Nirvana won Best Alternative Video at the VMAs three years in a row, with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in 1992, “In Bloom” in 1993, and “Heart-Shaped Box” in 1994.
Can I vote for any of the VMAs categories?You can vote in 13 categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Sept. 25 at 6:00 P.M. ET, except Best New Artist, which remains active into the show.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images for MTV
The 13 categories you can vote in are:
Video of the Year
Artist of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Best Collaboration
Best Pop
Best Hip-Hop
Best R&B
Best Alternative
Best Latin
Best K-Pop
Best Dance
Best Country
Who is performing at the 2026 VMAs?Madonna will open the VMAs with her first performance at the awards show in 23 years. Her last performance was the memorable 2003 opening performance alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Christopher Polk / FilmMagic / Getty Images
Other confirmed performers at this year’s ceremony include GENER8ION and Yung Lean, LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey and Gunna, and SIENNA SPIRO.Who is presenting at this year’s VMAs?The full lineup of presenters will be announced closer to the awards show.And that’s everything you need to know! Be sure to watch the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sun. Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.
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