Taylor Swift to Become Most Awarded Artist in MTV VMA History
Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, surpassing Beyoncé for the record.
Taylor Swift is set to break another record at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, where she will be presented with the inaugural Artist Director Honors. This award will make her the most decorated artist in VMA history.
Currently, Swift is tied with Beyoncé, with each artist holding 30 VMA wins. The new honor, recognizing artists for their contributions to music video artistry and visual storytelling, will bring Swift's total to 31.
Eminem holds the record for the most VMAs among male artists, with 15.
The two-hour awards show is scheduled to broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and 4:30 p.m. Pacific from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg will host the ceremony, which will also be simulcast on MTV and available for streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. Global streaming will be available the following day on Paramount+ and MTV.
CBS has been a frequent broadcaster of major award shows, including the Tony Awards and the American Music Awards, and has aired the Grammy Awards since 1973. However, the Grammys are set to move to ABC in 2027.
Madonna leads this year's nominations with 11 nods, spanning categories such as Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and technical awards like Best Dance, Direction, Art Direction, Cinematography, Editing, and Choreography.
Swift follows with nine nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each have seven. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson have five nominations, with Blackpink's LISA receiving four, and Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION, and Yung Lean tied with three.
Nominees for Artist of the Year include Grande, Mars, Carpenter, Morgan Wallen, Madonna, and Swift.
The 2026 VMAs will also feature 26 first-time nominees, including GENER8ION and Yung Lean for their collaboration "Storm," as well as K-pop group CORTIS and artist Stella Lefty, who each have two nominations. Other notable first-time nominees include Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Tucker Wetmore, and Sienna Spiro.
The Best Dance category returns this year for the first time in seven years, with nominees such as McRae's "Nobody’s Girl," Bebe Rexha and Faithless' "New Religion," Harry Styles' "Aperture," Lady Gaga and Doechii's "Runway," Madonna's "Confessions II — The Film," PinkPantheress' "Stateside" featuring Larsson, and Slayyyter's "Dance …."
Madonna is slated to open the show, marking her first performance at the VMAs in 23 years. Other performers include GENER8ION with Yung Lean, Shaboozey with Gunna, Lisa, Raye, and Sienna Spiro.
Nirvana will be honored with the 2026 Video Vanguard Award, joining a list of previous recipients such as Shakira, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, and Katy Perry.
Fan voting for 13 categories commenced online in mid-August and will conclude on September 25 at 6 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Pacific. Voting for the Best New Artist category will remain open throughout the broadcast.