Sunday night brought some of music’s biggest names together at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, where career milestones and new records shaped the evening. Among the MTV VMAs 2026 winners, Madonna and Taylor Swift stood out as the ceremony’s biggest names, with Madonna taking seven awards and Swift collecting multiple honors of her own.
At 68, Madonna became the night’s biggest winner while also making her return to the VMAs stage after a 23-year absence. Swift, meanwhile, added another Video of the Year trophy to her record-setting collection and received the inaugural VMA Artist Director honor. Elsewhere, BTS, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, LISA and Sienna Spiro were among the artists who took home Moon Persons.
Madonna Makes VMAs History
#Madonna makes a major comeback at the 2026 MTV VMAs, winning 7 awards out of 13 nominations, the Most wins for any Artist this year, including Artist of the Year, and gives the Best speech ever! 💪👸🔙💥7⃣📽️🎼🏆🐐👑❤️🔥
🏆 Artist of the Year
🏆 Best Collaboration — “Bring Your…— World Music Awards (@WORLDMUSICAWARD) September 28, 2026
Madonna entered the 2026 ceremony as the leading nominee with 13 nods and left with seven awards, including Artist of the Year. Her wins also included Best Dance, Best Collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love,” Best Cinematography, Best Choreography, Best Long Form Video and Best Album.
The Artist of the Year win gave Madonna another place in VMAs history. At 68, she became the oldest recipient of the award, which was first introduced in 2017. Her seven trophies also brought her competitive VMA total to 26, placing her behind Taylor Swift and Beyoncé on the all-time leaderboard.
Madonna’s return to the stage was just as significant. She opened the ceremony with her first VMAs performance in 23 years, making it her fifth time opening the show. That moved her past Rihanna and gave her the record for the most VMA opening performances.
Her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter also produced a notable milestone. “Bring Your Love” became only the sixth all-female collaboration to win Best Collaboration at the VMAs.
Taylor Swift Extends Her Record
And just like that, “The Fate of Ophelia” is officially Video of the Year at the VMAs 🏆 Congrats, @taylorswift13!!! pic.twitter.com/Dgf9uWJ5Ou
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 28, 2026
The other defining name among the MTV VMAs 2026 winners was Taylor Swift, who came into the night with 11 nominations. Swift ultimately won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Best Direction for “Opalite.”
The Video of the Year victory marked Swift’s sixth win in the category, extending her record for the most victories in the award’s history. Beyoncé, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott and Rihanna have each won the category twice.
Swift also extended her record for Best Direction with her fifth victory. Her previous wins came for “The Man,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Anti-Hero” and “Fortnight.”
>Beyond the competitive categories, Swift received the inaugural VMA Artist Director honor. She also premiered the video for “Patient Zero,” her new single, at the ceremony. Swift directed the video herself, with Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson starring.
Taken together, the evening gave Madonna and Taylor Swift two very different but equally prominent places in the night’s story. Madonna dominated the awards count, while Swift continued to expand a record that has become central to her VMA legacy.
BTS Takes Three Awards
BTS is the group with the most wins in #VMAs history, with a total of 13 awards won. pic.twitter.com/R1iZECViie
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) September 28, 2026
BTS were the night’s second-biggest winners, collecting three awards for “Swim.” The group won Song of the Year, Best K-Pop and Best Group.
“Swim,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, also gave BTS their fourth Best K-Pop victory and fifth Best Group Video win. The latter established a new record for the category, with No Doubt next among groups with three victories.
The Song of the Year win also continued K-pop’s recent presence in the category. BTS followed Rosé, who won the previous year for “APT.” with Bruno Mars.
LISA And Sienna Spiro Take Major Awards
Put that on @sienna_spiro ‘s resume: BEST NEW ARTIST at the 2026 #VMAs 🥹📝 pic.twitter.com/bhoc7r82rg
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 28, 2026
LISA collected the first award of the televised ceremony, winning Best Pop for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi. The category also included Ariana Grande, Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae and Taylor Swift.
Sienna Spiro, meanwhile, won Best New Artist. Her victory makes her the first English artist to take the category since One Direction won in 2012.
Ariana Grande also had a two-award night, including Song of Summer for “Hate That I Made You Love Me.” It was her second win in the category after taking the inaugural award in 2019 with “Boyfriend,” her collaboration with Social House.
Nirvana Receives The Video Vanguard Award
Kacey Musgraves delivers a moving performance of “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 #VMAs. pic.twitter.com/RCuEiM0G8n
— Kacey Musgraves Access (@KaceyAccess) September 28, 2026
The ceremony also honored one of rock’s most influential groups. Nirvana received the Video Vanguard Award, becoming the first group or duo to receive the honor since Duran Duran in 2003.
Nirvana is also the first disbanded group to receive the award since The Beatles were honored at the inaugural VMAs. Chuck D, the frontman of Public Enemy, presented the honor.
The ceremony featured additional tributes to major musical figures. Kacey Musgraves performed a tribute to Dolly Parton, while RAYE, SOMBR, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert joined forces to honor the late George Michael.
2026 MTV VMAs Winners And Nominees
Here is the complete list of nominees, with winners marked in bold.
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”
- WINNER: Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist Of The Year
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- WINNER: Madonna
- Morgan Wallen
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year
- WINNER: BTS — “Swim”
- Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
- HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI — “Golden”
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
- Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- RAYE — “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”
Best New Artist
- Bella Kay
- CORTIS
- Magnus Ferrell
- Malcolm Todd
- Myles Smith
- WINNER: Sienna Spiro
- Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
- Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice — “Chains & Whips”
- French Montana x Max B — “Ever Since U Left Me”
- WINNER: Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- Shakira & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
- Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye — “Hard Part”
Best Pop
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- Charli xcx — “SS26”
- WINNER: 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
- WINNER: Cardi B feat. 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
- WINNER: Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- Chris Brown — “It Depends/Obvious”
- Dave & Tems — “Raindance”
- Justin Bieber — “YUKON”
- Kehlani — “Folded”
- Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis — “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
- Geese — “Taxes”
- mgk & Fred Durst — “FIX UR FACE”
- Noah Kahan — “The Great Divide”
- WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo — “the cure”
- SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
- Tame Impala — “Dracula”
- twenty one pilots — “Drag Path”
Best Dance
- Bebe Rexha & Faithless — “New Religion”
- Harry Styles — “Aperture”
- Lady Gaga & Doechii — “RUNWAY”
- WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- Slayyyter — “DANCE…”
- Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
- Anitta with Shakira — “Choka Choka”
- WINNER: 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 & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
- BLACKPINK — “JUMP”
- WINNER: BTS — “SWIM”
- CORTIS — “REDRED”
- KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
- LE SSERAFIM feat. j-hope of BTS — “SPAGHETTI”
- LISA — “Dream” feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
Best Country
- WINNER: 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”
- WINNER: Taylor Swift — “Opalite”
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx — “SS26”
- Lady Gaga & Doechii — “RUNWAY”
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- WINNER: PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- SOMBR — “My Body Isn’t Ready”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Cinematography
- A$AP Rocky — “PUNK ROCKY”
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- LISA — “Dream” feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
- WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- Shaboozey — “Cowgirl”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- LISA — “Dream” feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
- GENER8ION — “STORM starring Yung Lean”
- Harry Styles — “Dance No More”
- KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
- WINNER: Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
- WINNER: Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- JISOO X ZAYN — “Eyes Closed”
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer — “Click Clack Symphony.”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Group
- BLACKPINK
- WINNER: BTS
- CORTIS
- FLO
- Fuerza Regida
- Geese
- KATSEYE
- Twenty One Pilots
Best Long Form Video
- Charli xcx — Music, Fashion, Film
- Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
- GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
- WINNER: Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Best Album
- Drake — ICEMAN
- WINNER: Madonna — Confessions II
- Olivia Dean — The Art of Loving
- Olivia Rodrigo — you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
- Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
- Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Song Of Summer
- WINNER: Ariana Grande — “Hate That I Made You Love Me”
- Bruno Mars — “Risk It All”
- Charli xcx — “Camera”
- Ella Langley — “Choosin’ Texas”
- KATSEYE — “Hootie Frutti”
- Latto ft. Doja Cat — “Okayyy”
- Morgan Wallen — “Been By Now”
- Olivia Dean — “So Easy (To Fall in Love)”
- Olivia Rodrigo — “Stupid Song”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
- Slayyyter — “Brand New Chanel$”
- SOMBR — “Homewrecker”
- Stella Lefty — “Boston”
- Tame Impala & JENNIE — “Dracula”
- Taylor Swift — “I Knew It, I Knew You”
A Night Built Around Music History
The 2026 ceremony ultimately balanced nostalgia with the current pop landscape. Madonna’s return and record-setting night connected the VMAs to their history, while Taylor Swift’s latest victories continued an already unprecedented run at the ceremony.
For the MTV VMAs 2026 winners, the night was not defined by a single genre or generation. BTS continued K-pop’s momentum, Sienna Spiro emerged as a new name to watch, and established stars including Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and LISA added their own milestones. Still, with seven trophies for Madonna and another record-setting Video of the Year win for Swift, Madonna and Taylor Swift were impossible to separate from the defining moments of the 2026 VMAs.
Featured image: Screenshot from MTV VMAs/Style Rave Studio
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