Madonna has earned the most nominations for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), with a total of 11 nods. This places her ahead of Taylor Swift, who received nine nominations. Both artists are vying for the coveted Video of the Year award.
Swift's nomination for "The Fate of Ophelia" and Madonna's for "Confessions II - The Film" are among the contenders. Other artists nominated for Video of the Year include Ariana Grande for "Hate That I Made You Love Me," Sabrina Carpenter for "Tears," Bruno Mars for "I Just Might," and GENER8ION (starring Yung Lean) for "Storm."
If Taylor Swift wins any award, she will set a new record for the most VMAs won by a single artist. Swift and Beyoncé currently hold the record, each with 30 awards. Beyoncé did not receive any nominations this year.
Madonna, who performed at the first VMAs in 1984, has won 19 VMA awards in her career. To tie Swift and Beyoncé's current record, she would need to win every category for which she is nominated this year.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast live on CBS at 7:30 p.m. EST.