Who were the MTV VMAs 2026 winners? Every award winner and nomination revealed

28 September 2026, 04:27 | Updated: 28 September 2026, 04:30

By Sam Prance

Madonna, Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter were all nominated for awards but who are the winners?

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2026's MTV VMAs had many iconic nominees but who took home the most awards this year? Scroll down to find out.

The MTV Video Music Awards notoriously honours some of the best artists in music. Over the course of VMAS history, huge stars including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, have taken home major awards at the ceremony. As it stands, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are the most awarded stars with 30 VMAs each - but could that change tonight?

This year, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and many more were up for awards but who were the winners?

Read more: Who is performing at the 2026 MTV VMAs? Every artist and all the songs from the show
Read more: What time the VMAs 2026 start and how to watch in the UK

Who won awards at the 2026 VMAs?

Below are all the awards and nominations. Winners have been marked in bold.

Who's nominated for the MTV VMAs 2026?

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
Bruno Mars - 'I Just Might'
Gener8ion - 'STORM II (feat. 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: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami - 'Golden'
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter - 'Bring Your Love'
Olivia Dean - 'Man I Need'
PinkPantheress - 'Stateside + Zara Larsson'
Raye - 'WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!'

Best New Artist

Bella Kay
Cortis
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty

Best Collaboration

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice - 'Chains & Whip'
French Montana x Max B - 'Ever Since U Left Me'
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter - 'Bring Your Love'
PinkPantheress - 'Stateside + Zara Larsson'
Shakira & Burna Boy - 'Dai Dai'
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye - 'Hard Part'

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 Hip-Hop

Cardi B - 'Safe (feat. Kehlani)'
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'
Chris Brown - 'It Depends/Obvious'
Dave & Tems - 'Raindance'
Justin Bieber - 'YUKON'
Kehlani - 'Folded'
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis - 'Is It a Crime'

Best Alternative

Geese - 'Taxes'
MGK & Fred Durst - 'Fix Ur Face'
Noah Kahan - 'The Great Divide'
Olivia Rodrigo - 'the cure'
Sombr - 'Homewrecker'
Tame Impala - 'Dracula'
Twenty One Pilots - 'Drag Path'

Best Dance

Bebe Rexha & Faithless - 'New Religion'
Harry Styles - 'Aperture'
Lady Gaga & Doechii - 'Runway'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'
PinkPantheress - 'Stateside + Zara Larsson'
Slayyyter - 'DANCE...'
Tate McRae - 'NOBODY'S GIRL'

Best Latin

Anitta & Shakira - 'Choka Choka'
Bad Bunny - 'NUEVAYoL'
Fuerza Regida - 'Tu Sancho'
Karol G - 'Papasito'
Rosalía - 'La Perla (feat. Yahritza Y Su Esencia)'
Ryan Castro, Kapo & Gangsta - 'La Villa'
Shakira & Burna Boy - 'Dai Dai'

Best K-Pop

BLACKPINK - 'JUMP'
BTS - 'SWIM'
CORTIS - 'REDRED'
KATSEYE - 'PINKY UP'
LE SSERAFIM - 'SPAGHETTI (feat. j-hope of BTS)'
LISA - 'Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)'

Best Country

Ella Langley - 'Choosin' Texas'
Kacey Musgraves - 'Dry Spell'
Lainey Wilson - 'Somewhere Over Laredo'
Luke Combs - 'Back in the Saddle'
Shaboozey - 'Cowgirl'
Stella Lefty - 'Boston'
Tucker Wetmore - 'Brunette'

Best Direction

Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
Bruno Mars - 'I Just Might'
Gener8ion - 'STORM II (feat. Yung Lean)'
Madonna - 'Confessions II - The Film'
Sabrina Carpenter - 'House Tour'
Taylor Swift - 'Opalite'

Best Art Direction

Charli xcx - 'SS26'
Lady Gaga & Doechii - 'Runway'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'
PinkPantheress - 'Stateside + Zara Larsson'
Sombr - 'My Body Isn't Ready'
Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'

Best Cinematography

A$AP Rocky - 'Punk Rocky'
Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
LISA - 'Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'
Shaboozey - 'Cowgirl'
Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'

Best Editing

Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
Bruno Mars - 'I Just Might'
LISA - 'Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)'
Madonna - 'Confessions II - The Film'
Sabrina Carpenter - 'House Tour'
Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'

Best Choreography

Gener8ion - 'STORM II (feat. Yung Lean)'
Harry Styles - 'Dance No More'
KATSEYE - 'PINKY UP'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'
Tate McRae - 'NOBODY'S GIRL'
Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
JISOO & ZAYN - 'EYES CLOSED'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'
PinkPantheress - 'Stateside + Zara Larsson'
RAYE - 'Click Clack Symphony (feat. Hans Zimmer)'
Taylor Swift - 'The Fate of Ophelia'

Best Group

BLACKPINK
BTS
CORTIS
Fuerza Regida
Geese
KATSEYE
Twenty One Pilots

Best Long Form Video

Charli xcx - 'Music, Fashion, Film'
Ella Langley - 'Choosin' Texas'
Gener8ion - 'STORM II (feat. Yung Lean)'
Madonna - 'Confessions II — The Film'

Best Album

Drake - ICEMAN
Madonna - CONFESSIONS II
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 the Summer

Ariana Grande - 'hate that i made you love me'
Bruno Mars- 'Risk It All'
Charli xcx - 'Camera'
Ella Langley - 'Choosin' Texas'
KATSEYE - 'Hootie Frutti'
Latto - 'Okayyy (feat. 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 & JENNIE - 'Dracula'
Taylor Swift - 'I Knew It, I Knew You'

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

Nirvana

MTV VMA Artist Director Honors

Taylor Swift

Who won the most awards at the 2026 VMAs?

Madonna was the biggest winner of the night with seven awards, BTS and Taylor Swift both took home three and Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter took home two each respectively.