Madonna leads 2026 VMA nominations with 11

Madonna heads into the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards as the top nominee after MTV opened this year’s ballot on August 18 and published the full field of contenders. The singer received 11 nominations, ahead of Taylor Swift with nine, according to MTV’s official voting site and published nominations lists. MTV says the 2026 ceremony will air live on Sunday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS and Paramount+. Madonna’s total is the largest in this year’s field, with Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter next on seven each. ### Which Madonna project is driving the nominations? Madonna’s “Confessions II – The Film” is the centerpiece of her nominations haul. MTV lists the project among the six nominees for Video of the Year, alongside videos by Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION starring Yung Lean, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. Billboard reported that “Confessions II – The Film” runs 14 minutes and that Madonna’s 11 nods mark a personal best at the VMAs. (vote.mtv.com) The publication also said it is the first time Madonna has been the leading VMA nominee since 1998. ### How close is Taylor Swift behind her? Taylor Swift is second in the 2026 nominations with nine. (vote.mtv.com) MTV’s ballot page includes Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” in Video of the Year, placing her in direct competition with Madonna in the show’s top category. Billboard said Swift entered this year’s race as a record 30-time VMA winner. The same report listed Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter on seven nominations each, with Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson on five apiece. (billboard.com) ### What stands out beyond the top two names? Lisa is one of the more prominent names below the top tier, with four nominations overall, according to Billboard’s nominations roundup. (vote.mtv.com) That places her among the most-nominated artists outside the Madonna-Swift-Grande-Carpenter group. MTV’s ballot also includes a Best K-Pop category, and outside reporting on the nominations said six acts were in that field. (billboard.com) That category has become one of the clearest markers of the show’s global pop reach, with Lisa’s four total nominations giving her a broader presence across the ballot. ### How much of this year’s field is dominated by women? (billboard.com) Billboard said seven of the eight most-nominated artists this year are women. The same report identified Madonna, Swift, Grande, Carpenter, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson and Lisa among the leading nominees, with Bruno Mars the only man in that top group. (billboard.com) The Video of the Year lineup also reflects that balance. MTV’s official ballot shows Madonna, Swift, Grande and Carpenter in the category, joined by Mars and GENER8ION starring Yung Lean. ### When do voting and the show itself happen? MTV’s 2026 voting rules say online voting for most categories opened at 9 a.m. Eastern on August 18 and runs through September 25 at 5:59 p.m. (billboard.com) Eastern. The rules say Best New Artist voting stays open until just before that award is presented on air, while Song of Summer and Best Group voting will be conducted later through MTV’s Instagram Stories. (vote.mtv.com) The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are scheduled for Sunday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, according to MTV’s official voting page. MTV says viewers can watch the ceremony on CBS and Paramount+, and the ballot remains available at MTV’s vote site until the voting windows close. (vote.mtv.com) (mtv.com)