The 2026 MTV VMAs winners are being revealed live tonight as music’s biggest night unfolds at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg is hosting the two-hour ceremony, airing Sunday, September 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS and MTV (and streaming on Paramount+ Premium in the U.S.), and the first results are already making headlines.
Madonna opened the show with her first live VMAs performance in 23 years, and Taylor Swift made history as the first recipient of the brand-new MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. Meanwhile, LISA scored one of the night’s first competitive wins, taking Best Pop. Here is everything confirmed so far, plus the races still to watch.
Taylor Swift Receives the First-Ever MTV VMA Artist Director Honors
Taylor Swift became the first artist ever to receive the MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, a brand-new award celebrating creative vision behind music videos. In addition, Swift premiered the music video for “Patient Zero” exclusively during the broadcast — a moment fans had been waiting for all week after the surprise song became one of the most talked-about releases of the year.
Swift entered the night with 11 nominations, including Video of the Year and Artist of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.” Her presence alone guaranteed one of the evening’s biggest storylines, and the Artist Director Honors put her at the center of the night before the major categories were even announced.
Taylor Swift at the 2024 Golden Globes. Photo: iHeartRadioCA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Confirmed 2026 MTV VMAs Winners So Far
Several honors were locked in before the ceremony even began, and the first competitive winner of the night has been announced:
- MTV VMA Artist Director Honors: Taylor Swift — WINNER
- Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Nirvana — WINNER
- Best Pop: LISA — “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” — WINNER
The Vanguard honor for Nirvana recognizes the band’s era-defining influence on music videos and popular culture. For LISA, the Best Pop win adds to her record as the most-nominated K-pop soloist in VMAs history; she also performed the television debut of “SaWaDiKa” from her EP “PRESS PLAY.”
LISA at the 2025 Busan International Film Festival. Photo: Outhere505 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The races still to watch
Most of the major categories are still being announced live. Here are the nominees to know:
Video of the Year: Ariana Grande (“hate that i made you love me”), Bruno Mars (“I Just Might”), GENER8ION (“STORM starring Yung Lean”), Madonna (“Confessions II – The Film”), Sabrina Carpenter (“Tears”) and Taylor Swift (“The Fate of Ophelia”).
Artist of the Year: Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift.
Song of the Year: BTS (“Swim”), Ella Langley (“Choosin’ Texas”), HUNTR/X (“Golden”), Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter (“Bring Your Love”), Olivia Dean (“Man I Need”), PinkPantheress (“Stateside + Zara Larsson”) and RAYE (“WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”).
Best New Artist: Bella Kay, CORTIS, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro and Stella Lefty.
Madonna’s Triumphant Return to the VMAs Stage
Madonna’s opening set was the night’s most anticipated performance — her first live VMAs appearance in 23 years, going back to the legendary 2003 show. She arrived as the night’s most-nominated artist with 13 nominations, including nods for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (for “Bring Your Love” with Sabrina Carpenter).
The Queen of Pop’s opener set the tone for a show built on big moments: few artists define the VMAs’ history quite like Madonna.
Snoop Dogg Hosts, With Tributes and Standout Performances
Snoop Dogg brought his easy charisma to hosting duties for the second time, guiding a packed lineup of performers. GENER8ION and Yung Lean delivered the world premiere of “Storm II,” while Shaboozey made his VMAs performance debut with “Cowgirl” before bringing out Gunna for the first broadcast performance of their collaboration “High Noon.”
Snoop Dogg performing on stage in 2023. Photo: Bruce Baker via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The show also included performances from RAYE (in her VMAs debut), SOMBR, Teddy Swims, Kacey Musgraves and Sienna Spiro, plus special tributes to George Michael and Dolly Parton. Presenters ranged from Charli xcx and Troye Sivan to Tyla, Teyana Taylor, David Corenswet, Jeff Probst and Rachel Dratch.
What the 2026 MTV VMAs Mean for Music Right Now
This year’s show feels like a changing of the guard and a celebration at once. New categories and first-time honors sit alongside legacy acts like Madonna and Nirvana, while K-pop, country and Afrobeats all earned real estate in the major categories. The fan-voted nature of the VMAs means tonight’s winners double as a snapshot of who actually moved the culture this year.
For more on the night’s nominees and how to watch, see our 2026 MTV VMAs preview with Snoop Dogg hosting and Madonna’s comeback buzz. And if awards-season TV is your thing, don’t miss our recap of the SNL Season 52 premiere with Jalen Brunson and KATSEYE. Hollywood is consolidating too — read about the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger clearing its final hurdles.
This story is updating live as more 2026 MTV VMAs winners are announced. Check back for the complete list.
Full winners lists and live updates: Just Jared’s 2026 MTV VMAs winners list and TheWrap’s winners coverage, plus the full performers lineup.