Madonna, who made her VMA debut in 1984 with a jaw-dropping performance of “Like a Virgin,” is the leading nominee for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nods. This is the first time since 1998, when she won video of the year for “Ray of Light,” that she has topped the nomination list — According to Billboard, this is a personal best for the legendary artist, as her previous highest nomination counts were nine in both 1990 and 1998.

Strong Competition from Female Artists

Taylor Swift, who has won a record 30 Moon Persons, is second on the nomination list with nine nods, according to tvinsider.com. Other top contenders include Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, each with seven nominations; Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson, each with five; and LISA, with four. According to Billboard, seven of the eight artists with the most nominations this year are women.

Three past winners for video of the year are nominated again this year: Grande (“hate that I made you love me”), Madonna (“Confessions II – The Film”) and Swift (The Fate of Ophelia), according to Billboard. The other nominees are Mars (“I Just Might”), Carpenter (“Tears”), and GENER8ION (“Storm”), starring Yung Lean, while the latter video may be the least known of the nominees and could gain the most from the nomination. GENER8ION is an audiovisual collaboration between French DJ Surkin and director Romain Gavras.

Event Details and New Contenders

The 2026 VMAs will air on September 27 at 7:30/4:30c on CBS and MTV, according to tvinsider.com; For the first time since 2017, the event will be held in Los Angeles. Voting for most categories is open until September 25, 6 pm EST, with the exception of Best New Artist, which remains open until the show — During the Power Hour (1 to 2 pm EST), fans can vote 20 times per category each day.

Madonna has won 19 Moon Persons and has 11 nominations this year; Swift, with 30 wins, is tied with Beyoncé for the most VMAs of all time, according to tvinsider.com. LOS40 notes that 26 artists are nominated for the first time, including CORTIS, Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Sienna Spiro, and Yung Lean. The event will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on MTV.

Historical Context and Cultural Impact

Swift’s rivalry with Kanye West has left a lasting impact on her career — In 2009, West famously interrupted her acceptance speech for a VMA, claiming Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. According to ZDFheute, Swift’s former manager Rick Baker described the incident as “unbezahlbare Publicity.” Despite the tension, Swift and West later reconciled, with Swift even presenting West with an award at the 2015 VMAs. However, the feud resurfaced in 2016 when West released a song with lyrics that some interpreted as a veiled insult to Swift.

Madonna’s 14-minute “Confessions II – The Film” is in the running for video of the year, a category that has seen long-form submissions in recent years, including Swift’s 15-minute “All Too Well: The Short Film” (2022) and Grande’s 26-minute “Brighter Days Ahead” (2023), according to Billboard. LOS40 highlights that Madonna’s nomination in the most coveted categories, including Vídeo del Año, Artista del Año, and Canción del Año, marks a milestone in her four-decade-long career in the VMAs.

Meanwhile, in a separate context, Vietnam’s Maritime and Inland Waterway Authority (VMA) held a meeting on July 15, 2026, to review the first half of the year’s performance and discuss key tasks for the second half, according to vietnam.vn. The meeting, led by VMA Director Le Do Muoi, emphasized the importance of ensuring smooth and safe maritime and inland waterway operations, along with promoting institutional reform, infrastructure development, and digital transformation. The VMA is on track to meet its goals for the year, contributing to the country’s broader economic development plans.