MTV VMAs: Madonna 11, Taylor Swift 9

MTV announced nominations for the 2026 Video Music Awards on August 18, 2026, placing Madonna at the top of the list with 11 nominations and Taylor Swift second with nine. The network said the ceremony will air live on Sunday, September 27, 2026, on CBS and stream on Paramount+. (paramountpressexpress.com) Voting for fan categories is open on MTV’s site and will close ahead of the show. (vote.mtv.com) (billboard.com) ### Which artists led the nominee leaderboard this year? Madonna received 11 nominations, the most of any artist on the list, driven largely by a multi-part project tied to her latest release. Taylor Swift collected nine nominations, including bids in major categories such as Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. (paramountpressexpress.com) Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter were among artists further down the leaderboard with seven nominations each, according to the published list. ### What projects or songs generated Madonna’s haul? (vote.mtv.com) “Confessions II – The Film” accounted for multiple nominations, including Video of the Year and several technical categories such as direction, cinematography and visual effects. Madonna’s nominations also include credits in choreography, art direction and editing, reflecting the project’s breadth across production categories. (billboard.com) (usatoday.com) ### Which Latin and international entries made the list? YO GANGSTA earned a nomination for “LA VILLA,” credited alongside Ryan Castro and Kapo in the Best Latin category, the nomination list shows. Ryan Castro and Kapo are listed as primary performers on the project, which has already collected regional awards and prior nominations, the coverage noted. (iheart.com) (musictimes.com) ### What happened to the Best Rock category for 2026? MTV’s announced nominations do not include a Best Rock category for 2026, a change reported by multiple music outlets as a removal of the long-running genre award. Consequence and NME noted the omission when the nominees were released and framed the move as an end to a category that has appeared under various names since 1989. (musictimes.com) ### How long has rock been part of the VMAs? (broadwayworld.com) The rock/metal lineage at the VMAs began in 1989 with the introduction of a Best Heavy Metal Video category, later renamed through iterations that settled on Best Rock in the 1990s. The 1989 origin is cited in historical accountings of the awards and in contemporary coverage noting the category’s absence in 2026. (dropthespotlight.com) ### When can viewers vote and where will the show be broadcast? (consequence.net) MTV’s voting platform at vote.mtv.com lists the full nominee slate and opens fan voting for eligible categories; the site shows voting is available through September 25, 2026, ahead of the live broadcast. Paramount’s press materials and the MTV announcement list Sunday, September 27, 2026, as the live broadcast date on CBS with simultaneous streaming on Paramount+. (en.wikipedia.org) The 2026 VMAs are scheduled to be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27, 2026; fans interested in voting can find the ballot and rules at vote.mtv.com through September 25, 2026, before the show airs on CBS and Paramount+. (en.wikipedia.org) (paramountpressexpress.com) (vote.mtv.com)