Madonna has secured a leading 11 nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, surpassing Taylor Swift ahead of next month's awards ceremony.
The nominations for next month's event include Video of the Year for her work Confessions II - The Film, as well as Artist of the Year. Her tally puts her ahead of Swift, who received nine nominations for the upcoming awards.
The two pop stars will compete directly against each other for the Video of the Year trophy. Swift entered the category with The Fate of Ophelia, a release from her most recent studio album, The Life of a Showgirl.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter also secured major nominations for this year's ceremony, earning seven nods each. Grande previously won the Video of the Year award at last year's event.
History at the Video Music Awards
Madonna's nominations come four decades after her appearance at the inaugural ceremony helped establish the event. Both singers already hold multiple Moon Person trophies, with Madonna accumulating 20 VMA awards over her career.
During the first VMAs in 1984, Madonna delivered a headline-grabbing performance in a wedding dress and a belt with a Boy Toy buckle, rolling on the floor while performing Like a Virgin to push the boundaries of cable television. She received her first award in 1986 when she was honored with the Video Vanguard Award for her pioneering contributions to music videos, followed by the Best Female Video award in 1987 for Papa Don't Preach.
Swift approaches this year's ceremony following the completion of the most commercially successful concert tour of all time. She is currently tied with Beyoncé for the most career VMA victories, with both artists holding 30 awards each.
Voting and Broadcast Details
The MTV Video Music Awards were established by cable television channel MTV to honor top achievements in music video production. For this year's ceremony, members of the public can vote online across 13 designated categories.
The winners will be announced on September 27 during a ceremony broadcast live on the CBS television network and cable channel MTV, with digital live streaming available on the Paramount+ platform.
