Taylor Swift and Madonna lead winners at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles

Taylor Swift and Madonna took home top honors at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on September 27 in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg hosted the event, which featured multiple major victories and standout music performances.

Major Winners

Taylor Swift secured the biggest prize of the night, Video of the Year, for her work on "The Fate of Ophelia." She also collected the first-ever Artist Director Honors for directing her own music videos, making her the most-awarded artist in the history of the show. Madonna claimed the title of Artist of the Year and also marked her return to the VMA stage for a live performance after 23 years away. Lisa from BLACKPINK won the Best Pop award for "Dream," which features Kentaro Sakaguchi, while BLACKPINK as a group won Best K-Pop for "JUMP."

Additional Awards

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter shared the Best Pop Collaboration award for "Bring Your Love" and performed the track together. Other winners included BTS for Song of the Year with "Swim" and Best Group, Cardi B featuring Kehlani for Best Hip-Hop with "Safe," and Bruno Mars for Best R&B with "I Just Might." Harry Styles took Best Dance for "Aperture," Bad Bunny won Best Latin for "NUEVAYoL," and Ella Langley secured Best Country for "Choosin' Texas." Sienna Spiro was named Best New Artist.

Context

Music award shows like the MTV Video Music Awards celebrate top commercial and artistic achievements in the global music industry every year. These events bring together major pop and hip-hop stars to perform their latest tracks and honor popular music videos.