- When are the MTV VMAs 2026?
- Where to watch MTV VMAs 2026 in India?
- Madonna returns to the VMAs after 23 years
- Taylor Swift has nine nominations
- Who has the most nominations at the MTV VMAs 2026?
- Major MTV VMAs 2026 nominations
- Best Dance returns after seven years
- Who is performing at the MTV VMAs 2026?
- Snoop Dogg to host the ceremony
- Taylor Swift’s new music video to premiere
The MTV Video Music Awards are returning this weekend, with Madonna set to open the 2026 ceremony after a 23-year gap. Taylor Swift is another major name at this year’s awards, with nine competitive nominations and a new honour from MTV.
The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on September 27. For viewers in India, that means tuning in during the early hours of September 28. Here is everything to know about the 2026 MTV VMAs, from the India timing and viewing details to the nominations and performers.
When are the MTV VMAs 2026?
The 2026 MTV VMAs will be held on Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The live ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm ET, or 5:00 am IST on Monday, September 28. The main broadcast is scheduled to run for two hours.
Where to watch MTV VMAs 2026 in India?
In the US, the ceremony will air live on CBS and MTV and stream on Paramount+. MTV and Paramount+ have also confirmed that the show will be available globally the following day, September 28.
For Indian viewers, the confirmed global availability is from September 28 on the platforms carrying MTV and Paramount+ in the region. The official announcement does not currently list a separate Indian television channel for the live US broadcast.
Madonna returns to the VMAs after 23 years
Madonna will open the ceremony, marking her first live performance at the VMAs since 2003. Her last appearance as a performer came during the now-famous opening act with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
The singer is also the most nominated artist at this year’s ceremony, with 11 competitive nominations. She is in the running for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year, among other categories. Madonna currently has 19 competitive VMA wins. This is also the third time Madonna has led the VMAs nominations. She previously topped the nominations in 1990 and 1998.
Taylor Swift has nine nominations
Taylor Swift has nine competitive nominations this year. She is nominated for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year, while The Fate of Ophelia has also earned her nominations in categories including Best Pop, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.
Swift currently has 30 Moon Person wins, putting her level with Beyoncé for the record for most VMA wins. She will also receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, a new award recognising artists for their work in music-video direction and visual storytelling.
Who has the most nominations at the MTV VMAs 2026?
Madonna leads the competitive nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have seven nominations each. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson have five each, while LISA has four. Shakira and Tate McRae have three nominations apiece.
The VMAs later added four fan-voted social categories, taking Madonna’s overall nomination count to 13 and Swift’s to 11. These include Best Group, Best Long Form Video, Best Album and Song of Summer.
Major MTV VMAs 2026 nominations
The key categories include:
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
- Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
Artist of the Year
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- Madonna
- Morgan Wallen
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
- BTS – SWIM
- Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
- HUNTR/X – Golden
- Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
- Olivia Dean – Man I Need
- PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside
- RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!
Best New Artist
- Bella Kay
- CORTIS
- Magnus Ferrell
- Malcolm Todd
- Myles Smith
- Sienna Spiro
- Stella Lefty
Best Pop
- Ariana Grande – hate that i made you love me
- Charli xcx – SS26
- 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 K-Pop
- BLACKPINK – JUMP
- BTS – SWIM
- CORTIS – REDRED
- KATSEYE – PINKY UP
- LE SSERAFIM feat. j-hope of BTS – SPAGHETTI
- LISA – Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
Best Dance returns after seven years
The Best Dance category is returning to the VMAs for the first time in seven years.
This year’s nominees include Madonna, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga and Doechii, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, Tate McRae, Bebe Rexha and Faithless, and Slayyyter.
Who is performing at the MTV VMAs 2026?
Madonna will open the show. The performance line-up also includes GENER8ION, Gunna, LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey, Sienna Spiro and Yung Lean.
GENER8ION and Yung Lean are set to give a world premiere performance of STORM II. Other announced performances include LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey and Sienna Spiro.
Snoop Dogg to host the ceremony
Snoop Dogg will host this year’s VMAs. The ceremony is returning to the Los Angeles area for the first time since 2017. Along with the performances and awards, the show will feature the presentation of the Video Vanguard Award to Nirvana.
Taylor Swift’s new music video to premiere
Another major moment of the ceremony will be the world premiere of Taylor Swift’s new music video Patient Zero. Swift directed the video, which stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson.
The premiere adds another connection between Swift’s nominations and her work behind the camera, which is also being recognised with the new Artist Director Honours.
Also Read:
MTV VMAs 2025: Ariana Grande to Sabrina Carpenter, a look at the full winners list
