MTV VMAs 2026: See the Complete Winners List — SkimNews
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- Madonna leads 2026 VMA nominations with 13 nods, driven by her Confessions II short film across creative categories including Best Direction, Cinematography, Choreography, and the resurrected Best Dance (last awarded in 2019).
- Taylor Swift earned 11 nominations, including Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and Best Pop, and was named the inaugural recipient of the MTV VMA Artist Director Honors ahead of the show.
- Nirvana is set to receive the Video Vanguard Award at this year's VMAs, per the ceremony highlights.
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter's collaboration "Bring Your Love" earned nominations for both Song of the Year and Best Collaboration.
- Video of the Year nominees pit Madonna's Confessions II and Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" against Ariana Grande's "hate that i made you love me," Bruno Mars' "I Just Might," Gener8ion and Yung Lean's "STORM," and Sabrina Carpenter's "Tears."
- Artist of the Year nominees include Madonna, Swift, Grande, Mars, Carpenter, and Morgan Wallen.
- Best New Artist nominees are Bella Kay, CORTIS, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro, and Stella Lefty.
Why it matters: The 2026 VMAs set up a Madonna-vs.-Swift contest across Video of the Year and Artist of the Year, while Swift's inaugural Artist Director Honors gives her a guaranteed non-competitive trophy alongside the 11 nominee bids.
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