Madonna leads 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nominations

Madonna leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 nods across major and technical categories, the network announced Tuesday. The pop superstar has been nominated at the VMAs in every decade of her career and holds 19 competitive MTV VMA wins.

Madonna's nominations span video of the year for "Confessions II: The Film," artist of the year and song of the year for her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter on "Bring Your Love." She is also nominated for best collaboration, dance, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

"Confessions II," conceived as a sequel to her 1986 album "Confessions on a Dance Floor," features dance-oriented rhythms and has drawn nominations across technical categories including direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations, the second-most in the field. She is nominated for video of the year with "The Fate of Ophelia," artist of the year and best pop, as well as direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations. The full field of nominees was announced Tuesday morning.

If Madonna wins all 11 awards, she would tie Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the most-awarded musician in VMA history, with 30 wins each. Eminem holds the record for most-awarded male artist with 15 VMAs.

If Taylor Swift wins even one award at this year's ceremony, she will become the most-awarded artist in VMA history, surpassing the current record of 30 held by Beyoncé and herself.

In 1986, Madonna became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.