Overview
- MTV released the full nominations on Tuesday, Aug. 18, naming Madonna the most-nominated artist with 11 nods and Taylor Swift second with nine.
- Madonna’s 11 nominations span major awards and technical categories for Confessions II — The Film, and a sweep of those slots would tie her with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift at 30 VMA trophies.
- Taylor Swift needs only one win in 2026 to become the single most-awarded artist in VMA history if she adds to her current total of 30 trophies.
- Fan voting opened Aug. 18 for 13 categories and will close on Sept. 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET, while voting for Best New Artist will remain open during the live broadcast.
- Video of the Year contenders include Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia, Madonna’s Confessions II — The Film, Ariana Grande’s Hate That I Made You Love Me, Bruno Mars’s I Just Might, Sabrina Carpenter’s Tear, and GENER8ION’s Storm, and the show will air live on Sept. 27 from the Peacock Theater on CBS, MTV and Paramount+.