Everything you need to know about 2026 MTV VMAs

Ceremony to feature Madonna's return to stage after 23 years; Taylor Swift to receive new career honour

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards take place on Sunday, September 27, with Madonna returning to the VMAs stage for the first time in 23 years and Taylor Swift receiving a new career honour.

The ceremony will begin at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT and will air live on CBS and MTV. Viewers can also stream the ceremony live through Paramount+ Premium, which includes access to a local CBS station.

Snoop Dogg will host the ceremony.

In a press release, the rapper said, "MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning. Some of the biggest moments of my career happened on that stage and on MTV – they gave hip hop a place to be loud, fearless, and seen by the whole world. So to come back now and host the VMAs, all these years later, that's a full-circle moment for me."

Madonna will open the show, while Lisa, Raye, Shaboozey, Gunna, Sienna Spiro, Gener8ion and Yung Lean are among the other performers.

Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will honour George Michael, while Kacey Musgraves will perform a Dolly Parton tribute.

Nirvana will receive the Video Vanguard Award, while Swift will become the first recipient of the MTV VMA Artist Director Honors.

She is also set to premiere her new music video for "Patient Zero", starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.

Madonna leads the nominations with 11, followed by Swift with 9. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each have 7 nominations, while the ceremony will feature categories including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop, Best Hip-Hop, Best R&B and Best Country.

The ceremony will recognize outstanding music videos and songs released between June 20, 2025, to June 18, 2026. Madonna was the most nominated artist, with thirteen. Nirvana will be honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and Taylor Swift with the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. The music video for Swift's song "Patient Zero" is set to premiere during the broadcast.

On September 16, 2026, Madonna was announced as opening performer, her first performance at VMAs in 23 years. The first round of performers were announced on September 17. The performers for the George Michael tribute were announced on September 22. A tribute to Dolly Parton by Kacey Musgraves was announced on September 23.

The nominees were announced on August 18, 2026. The nominees in the social categories–Best Group, Best Long Form Video, Best Album and Song of Summer–were announced on September 18, with additional nominees for Best Album announced on the next day. Madonna led with thirteen nominations, tying Lady Gaga's 2010 record for the most nominations for an artist in a single year. She is followed by Taylor Swift with eleven; Sabrina Carpenter with nine; Ariana Grande with eight; Bruno Mars with seven; Ella Langley, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five; and Charli XCX, Gener8ion, Katseye, Lisa, Olivia Rodrigo and Yung Lean with four.

The recipient of the Video Vanguard was announced on September 9, 2026. The recipient of the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors was announced on September 21.

The host of the ceremony is Snoop Dogg, an American rapper, singer, record producer, record executive, songwriter, and actor. A key figure in West Coast hip-hop, he helped define G-funk and gangsta rap, and is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known for his signature drawled delivery and melodic flow, his lyrics frequently address social issues such as recreational drug use and gun violence.

He rose to prominence in 1992 through his collaborations with Dr. Dre, first on the single "Deep Cover" and later on The Chronic, including "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang".

Snoop Dogg has sold over 35 million records worldwide. In 2022, he co-headlined the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, earning a Primetime Emmy Award. He has received several accolades including seventeen Grammy Award nominations, two Sports Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.