Video of the year
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
Also nominated:
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film
Sabrina Carpenter – Tears
Artist of the year
Madonna
Also nominated:
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Related: MTV VMAs 2026 red carpet: Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, Troye Sivan and more – in pictures
Song of the year
BTS – Swim
Also nominated:
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Huntrix – Golden
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Raye – Where Is My Husband!
Best new artist
Sienna Spiro
Also nominated:
Bella Kay
Cortis
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Stella Lefty
Best collaboration
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
Also nominated:
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice – Chains & Whips
French Montana and Max B – Ever Since U Left Me
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai
Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye – Hard Part
Best pop
Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Also nominated:
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Charli xcx – SS26
Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
Best hip-hop
Cardi B – Safe (ft Kehlani)
Also nominated:
Don Toliver – E85
Drake – Janice STFU
Megan Thee Stallion – Lover Girl
Travis Scott – Dumbo
Tyler, the Creator – Sugar on My Tongue
Best R&B
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Also nominated:
Chris Brown – It Depends / Obvious
Dave – Raindance (ft Tems)
Justin Bieber – Yukon
Kehlani – Folded
Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis – Is It a Crime
Best alternative
Olivia Rodrigo – The Cure
Also nominated:
Geese – Taxes
MGK – Fix Ur Face (ft Fred Durst)
Noah Kahan – The Great Divide
Sombr – Homewrecker
Tame Impala – Dracula
Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path
Best Latin
Bad Bunny – Nuevayol
Also nominated:
Anitta with Shakira – Choka Choka
Fuerza Regida – Tu Sancho
Karol G – Papasito
Rosalía – La Perla (ft Yahritza y Su Esencia)
Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta – La Villa
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai
Best K-pop
BTS – Swim
Also nominated:
Blackpink – Jump
Cortis – RedRed
Katseye – Pinky Up
Le Sserafim – Spaghetti (ft J-Hope)
Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Best dance
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film
Also nominated:
Bebe Rexha and Faithless – New Religion
Harry Styles – Aperture
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson
Slayyyter – Dance...
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
Best country
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Also nominated:
Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
Lainey Wilson – Somewhere Over Laredo
Luke Combs – Back in the Saddle
Shaboozey – Cowgirl
Stella Lefty – Boston
Tucker Wetmore – Brunette
Best group
BTS
Also nominated:
Blackpink
Cortis
Flo
Fuerza Regida
Geese
Katseye
Twenty One Pilots
Best long form video
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film
Also nominated:
Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean)
Best album
Madonna – Confessions II
Also nominated:
Bruno Mars – The Romantic
Drake – Iceman
Ella Langley – Dandelion
Harry Styles – Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving
Olivia Rodrigo – You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl
Song of summer
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Also nominated:
Bruno Mars – Risk It All
Charli xcx – Camera
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Katseye – Hootie Frutti
Latto – Okayyy (ft Doja Cat)
Morgan Wallen – Been By Now
Olivia Dean – So Easy (To Fall in Love)
Olivia Rodrigo – Stupid Song
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Slayyyter – Brand New Chanel$
Sombr – Homewrecker
Stella Lefty – Boston
Tame Impala and Jennie – Dracula
Taylor Swift – I Knew It, I Knew You
Professional categories, voted by industry professionals
Best direction
Taylor Swift – Opalite (director: Taylor Swift)
Also nominated:
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Christian Breslauer)
Bruno Mars – I Just Might (Bruno Mars and Daniel Ramos)
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean) (Romain Gavras)
Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Torso)
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour (Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley)
Best art direction
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson (art director: Furmaan Ahmed)
Also nominated:
Madonna – Confessions II – The Film (Torso and Arthur de Borman)
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway (Freyja Bardell)
Charli xcx – SS26 (Nicola Scarlino)
Sombr – My Body Isn’t Ready (Olivia McManus)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Ethan Tobman)
Best cinematography
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (director of photography: Daniel Landin)
Also nominated:
A$AP Rocky – Punk Rocky (Jake Gabbay)
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Janusz Kamiński)
Lisa – Dream (ft Kentaro Sakaguchi) (Eumko)
Shaboozey – Cowgirl (Mitchell Maher Perrin)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Rodrigo Prieto)
Best editing
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour (editor: Sofia Kerpan at Modern Post)
Also nominated:
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (Luis Caraza Peimbert)
Bruno Mars – I Just Might (Daniel Ramos)
Lisa – Dream featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi (O-jun Kwon)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (Will Town, Lauren Friedman and Danny Tull)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Chancler Haynes)
Best choreography
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (choreographer: Damien Jalet, Megan Lawson, Young Boy Dancing Group and Nicolas Huchard)
Also nominated:
Gener8ion – Storm (ft Yung Lean) (Damien Jalet)
Harry Styles – Dance No More (Ryan Heffington)
Katseye – Pinky Up (Grant Gilmore, Sohey Sugihara, Sergio Reis, and Zacc Milne)
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl ((La)Horde, Arthur Harel, Marine Brutti, and Jonathan Debrouwer)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Mandy Moore and Amanda Balen)
Best visual effects
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me (visual effects: Mathematic Studio, Hadi Dahrouge, and Jehan Bouazza)
Also nominated:
Jisoo and Zayn – Eyes Closed (Serhii Solodkyi)
Madonna – Confessions II: The Film (Monumental)
PinkPantheress – Stateside + Zara Larsson (Copenhagen VFX)
Raye – Click Clack Symphony (ft Hans Zimmer) (Frame23 Studio)
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia (Parliament)
Special awards
Video vanguard award: Nirvana
MTV VMA artist director honors: Taylor Swift
