Madonna wins seven at the 2026 VMAs as Taylor Swift breaks the all-time record
Madonna won seven awards at the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27 in Los Angeles, including Artist of the Year and Best Album for Confessions II. Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and became the most-awarded artist in VMA history with 33 wins, passing Beyoncé's 30.
By Riffiter
Madonna won seven awards at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, including Artist of the Year and Best Album for Confessions II. Taylor Swift took Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and became the most-awarded artist in VMA history, with 33 wins to Beyoncé's 30. Snoop Dogg hosted.
Madonna's night
Madonna came in with 13 nominations, the most of anyone, and converted seven: Artist of the Year, Best Album, Best Collaboration ("Bring Your Love" with Sabrina Carpenter), Best Dance, Best Long Form Video, Best Cinematography and Best Choreography. Four of the seven went to Confessions II: The Film.
She also opened the show, her first VMA performance in 23 years, bringing out Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. Her speeches wandered. "I would like to thank my fingers, because I can always count on them," she said on one of her trips to the stage.
Swift's record
Swift went in with 11 nominations and won two competitive categories: Video of the Year and Best Direction for "Opalite", which she directed. MTV also gave her the first Artist Director Honors, a new award for artists with "a distinct directorial voice". That brought her career total to 33, past the 30 Beyoncé has held since 2016.
She still lost Artist of the Year and Best Album to Madonna. The Life of a Showgirl went home with nothing. She dedicated Video of the Year to Dolly Parton, who died on August 25, and premiered the video for "Patient Zero" after the Honors.
The rest of the winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Video of the Year | Taylor Swift, "The Fate of Ophelia" |
| Artist of the Year | Madonna |
| Song of the Year | BTS, "Swim" |
| Best New Artist | Sienna Spiro |
| Best Collaboration | Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter, "Bring Your Love" |
| Best Pop | LISA, "Dream" ft. Kentaro Sakaguchi |
| Best Hip-Hop | Cardi B ft. Kehlani, "Safe" |
| Best R&B | Bruno Mars, "I Just Might" |
| Best Alternative | Olivia Rodrigo, "the cure" |
| Best Latin | Bad Bunny, "NUEVAYoL" |
| Best K-Pop | BTS, "Swim" |
| Best Country | Ella Langley, "Choosin' Texas" |
| Best Group | BTS |
| Best Album | Madonna, Confessions II |
| Song of Summer | Ariana Grande, "Hate That I Made You Love Me" |
| Best Direction | Taylor Swift, "Opalite" |
| Best Art Direction | PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, "Stateside" |
| Best Editing | Sabrina Carpenter, "House Tour" |
| Best Visual Effects | Ariana Grande, "Hate That I Made You Love Me" |
| Video Vanguard | Nirvana |
| Artist Director Honors | Taylor Swift |
BTS took three: Song of the Year and Best K-Pop for "Swim", plus Best Group. The upset of the night was Best Pop: LISA won with "Dream", a song that never charted in the US, over Ariana Grande and Swift, who had each won the category three times before. Bruno Mars won Best R&B but is now 0 for 8 in Video of the Year. Olivia Rodrigo won Best Alternative in the first year without a Best Rock category, which MTV dropped after 37 years.
The moments
Nirvana received the Video Vanguard from Chuck D, the first band to get it since Duran Duran in 2003. Krist Novoselic spoke, Dave Grohl stood beside him in silence, and Pat Smear lit a cigarette. "Kurt was one of one," Novoselic said.
Kacey Musgraves sang "I Will Always Love You" after archival footage of Dolly Parton, five weeks after Parton's death. A George Michael tribute marked 40 years of Faith, with Sombr, Raye, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert, who took "Freedom! '90".
Yung Lean made his US television debut with GENER8ION, performing "Storm II" with about 60 dancers in school blazers. "Storm" had four nominations and won none. During the set he picked up a Moon Person and smashed it.