The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards brought music, spectacle and red carpet style to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27. Snoop Dogg hosted the ceremony, while Madonna entered the night with 13 nominations and left with seven awards, the most of any artist this year. Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and received MTV’s inaugural Artist Director Honors award. Nirvana was honored with the Video Vanguard Award. usmagazine.com

Below are the winners and nominees in each category. Winners appear in bold. Pitchfork

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 — “Golden”
• Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
• Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
• PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• 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 and Max B — “Ever Since U Left Me”
• Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
• PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• 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 featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi — “Dream”
• Olivia Rodrigo — “Drop Dead”
• Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
• Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
• Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”

Best Hip-Hop

• Cardi B featuring 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 and Tems — “Raindance”
• Justin Bieber — “Yukon”
• Kehlani — “Folded”
• Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis — “Is It a Crime”

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 and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• Slayyyter — “Dance…”
• Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”

Best Latin

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

Best K-Pop

• Blackpink — “Jump”
• BTS — “Swim”
• Cortis — “RedRed”
• Katseye — “Pinky Up”
• Le Sserafim featuring J-Hope — “Spaghetti”
• Lisa featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi — “Dream”

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 Album

• Bruno Mars — The Romantic
• Drake — Iceman
• Ella Langley — Dandelion
• Harry Styles — Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
• 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

Best Group

• BTS
• Blackpink
• Cortis
• Flo
• Fuerza Regida
• Geese
• Katseye
• Twenty One Pilots

Song of Summer

• 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 featuring 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”

Best Long Form Video

• Charli XCX — “Music, Fashion, Film”
• Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
• Gener8ion — “Storm” starring Yung Lean
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”

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 and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• 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 featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi — “Dream”
• 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 featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi — “Dream”
• 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 and Zayn — “Eyes Closed”
• Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
• PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
• Raye featuring Hans Zimmer — “Click Clack Symphony”
• Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”

From Madonna’s seven-win night to Swift’s Video of the Year victory, the 2026 VMAs recognized artists working across pop, hip-hop, R&B, country and global music. The craft awards also put the people and visual ideas behind the videos in the spotlight—an essential part of what makes the VMAs distinct. Pitchfork