MTV VMAs 2026: full list of winners

Taylor Swift and Madonna were the big winners, with Swift now the recipient of the most MTV VMAs in history

Video of the year

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

Also nominated:

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film
Sabrina Carpenter – Tears

Artist of the year

Madonna

Also nominated:

Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift

Song of the year

BTS – Swim

Also nominated:

Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Huntrix – Golden
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Raye – Where Is My Husband!

Best new artist

Sienna Spiro

Also nominated:

Bella Kay
Cortis
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Stella Lefty

Best collaboration

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love

Also nominated:

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice – Chains & Whips
French Montana and Max B – Ever Since U Left Me
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai
Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye – Hard Part

Best pop

Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi)

Also nominated:

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Charli xcx – SS26
Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

Best hip-hop

Cardi B – Safe (ft Kehlani)

Also nominated:

Don Toliver – E85
Drake – Janice STFU
Megan Thee Stallion – Lover Girl
Travis Scott – Dumbo
Tyler, the Creator – Sugar on My Tongue

Best R&B

Bruno Mars – I Just Might

Also nominated:

Chris Brown – It Depends / Obvious
Dave – Raindance (ft Tems)
Justin Bieber – Yukon
Kehlani – Folded
Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis – Is It a Crime

Best alternative

Olivia Rodrigo – The Cure

Also nominated:

Geese – Taxes
MGK – Fix Ur Face (ft Fred Durst)
Noah Kahan – The Great Divide
Sombr – Homewrecker
Tame Impala – Dracula
Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path

Best Latin

Bad Bunny – Nuevayol

Also nominated:

Anitta with Shakira – Choka Choka
Fuerza Regida – Tu Sancho
Karol G – Papasito
Rosalía – La Perla (ft Yahritza y Su Esencia)
Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta – La Villa
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai

Best K-pop

BTS – Swim

Also nominated:

Blackpink – Jump
Cortis – RedRed
Katseye – Pinky Up
Le Sserafim – Spaghetti (ft J-Hope)
Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi)

Best dance

Madonna – Confessions II: The Film

Also nominated:

Bebe Rexha and Faithless – New Religion
Harry Styles – Aperture
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Slayyyter – Dance...
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl

Best country

Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas

Also nominated:

Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo
Luke Combs – Back in the Saddle
Shaboozey – Cowgirl
Stella Lefty – Boston
Tucker Wetmore – Brunette

Best group

BTS

Also nominated:

Blackpink
Cortis
Flo
Fuerza Regida
Geese
Katseye
Twenty One Pilots

Best long form video

Madonna – Confessions II: The Film

Also nominated:

Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean)

Best album

Madonna – Confessions II

Also nominated:

Bruno Mars – The Romantic
Drake – Iceman
Ella Langley – Dandelion
Harry Styles – Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
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

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me

Also nominated:

Bruno Mars – Risk It All
Charli xcx – Camera
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Katseye – Hootie Frutti
Latto – Okayyy (ft Doja Cat)
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 and Jennie – Dracula
Taylor Swift – I Knew It, I Knew You

Professional categories, voted by industry professionals

Best direction

Taylor Swift – Opalite (director: Taylor Swift)

Also nominated:

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Christian Breslauer)
Bruno Mars – I Just Might (Bruno Mars and Daniel Ramos)
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean) (Romain Gavras)
Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Torso)
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour (Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley)

Best art direction

PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson (art director: Furmaan Ahmed)

Also nominated:

Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Torso and Arthur de Borman)
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway (Freyja Bardell)
Charli xcx – SS26 (Nicola Scarlino)
Sombr – My Body Isn’t Ready (Olivia McManus)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Ethan Tobman)

Best cinematography

Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (director of photography: Daniel Landin)

Also nominated:

A$AP Rocky – Punk Rocky (Jake Gabbay)
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Janusz Kamiński)
Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi) (Eumko)
Shaboozey – Cowgirl (Mitchell Maher Perrin)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Rodrigo Prieto)

Best editing

Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour (editor: Sofia Kerpan at Modern Post)

Also nominated:

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Luis Caraza Peimbert)
Bruno Mars – I Just Might (Daniel Ramos)
Lisa – Dream featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi (O-jun Kwon)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (Will Town, Lauren Friedman and Danny Tull)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Chancler Haynes)

Best choreography

Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (choreographer: Damien Jalet, Megan Lawson, Young Boy Dancing Group and Nicolas Huchard)

Also nominated:

Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean) (Damien Jalet)
Harry Styles – Dance No More (Ryan Heffington)
Katseye – Pinky Up (Grant Gilmore, Sohey Sugihara, Sergio Reis, and Zacc Milne)
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl ((La)Horde, Arthur Harel, Marine Brutti, and Jonathan Debrouwer)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Mandy Moore and Amanda Balen)

Best visual effects

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (visual effects: Mathematic Studio, Hadi Dahrouge, and Jehan Bouazza)

Also nominated:

Jisoo and Zayn – Eyes Closed (Serhii Solodkyi)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (Monumental)
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson (Copenhagen VFX)
Raye – Click Clack Symphony (ft Hans Zimmer) (Frame23 Studio)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Parliament)

Special awards

Video vanguard award: Nirvana

MTV VMA artist director honors: Taylor Swift