Madonna Wins Seven VMAs, Taylor Swift Snags Video of the Year—Who's Next?

At the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna and Taylor Swift emerged as the night’s biggest winners. The awards honored a range of musical achievements across several categories.

Madonna captured seven of thirteen nominations, including Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. The pair shared the Best Collaboration award minutes after performing the song live.

Taylor Swift received the inaugural Artist Director Honor and won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia.” Her win in Video of the Year followed a competitive nomination field.

Ariana Grande earned awards for “hate that i made you love me,” while PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson won for “Stateside.” LISA took home a win for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, and Mariah the Scientist with Kali Uchis won for “Is It a Crime.” Other categories saw winners such as “Golden” by EJAE,

Audrey Nuna and REI AMI in the HUNTR/X category, “Ever Since U Left Me” by French Montana and Max B, and “Chains & Whips” by Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice.

## Background & Context

Madonna entered the night with thirteen nominations, her enduring presence in music. Her categories included Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration, among others not listed in the source.

The ceremony featured thirteen nominations for Madonna and a of categories including Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, HUNTR/X, and others. The ceremony highlighted contributions from artists spanning pop, hip‑hop, and emerging genres.

Taylor Swift’s first Artist Director Honor highlights a new category that honors artists’ creative leadership. The award recognizes her influence across music, songwriting, and visual direction.

## Winners Breakdown

The full list of winners from the event included Madonna and Taylor Swift as top recipients, Ariana Grande for “hate that i made you love me,” PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for “Stateside,” LISA for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis for “Is It a Crime,” EJAE,

Audrey Nuna and REI AMI for “Golden” in the HUNTR/X category, French Montana and Max B for “Ever Since U Left Me,” and Clipse, Kendrick Lamar,

Pusha T and Malice for “Chains & Whips.” Each award recognized the artistic and collaborative efforts that shaped the event’s musical landscape.

Other categories highlighted EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI for “Golden” in HUNTR/X, while French Montana and Max B were honored for “Ever Since U Left Me.” The collaborative track “Chains & Whips” by Clipse, Kendrick Lamar,

Pusha T and Malice also earned a win in a genre‑specific category.

The 2026 VMAs highlighted a mix of established artists and emerging collaborations, underscoring the diverse range of music recognized at the event. The ceremony set a precedent for future recognition of diverse musical expressions.