Published: September 28, 2026 · 3:01 AM EDT
BTS wins three awards, Sienna Spiro is named Best New Artist and Nirvana receives the Video Vanguard Award at the Los Angeles ceremony
Madonna led the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with seven victories on Sunday, September 27, while Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and became the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
Hosted by Snoop Dogg at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the ceremony brought together major pop, rock, hip-hop, country, Latin and K-pop winners, alongside special honors recognizing Nirvana and Swift’s work behind the camera.
Madonna’s seven awards included Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Dance, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography, Best Long Form Video and Best Album. CBS reported that the wins raised her career total to 27 VMAs.
Swift collected Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Best Direction for “Opalite,” while also receiving the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. The three additions brought her career total to 33 VMAs, moving her ahead of Beyoncé’s previous total of 30.
BTS also finished with three awards, winning Song of the Year and Best K-Pop for “Swim,” along with Best Group. Sienna Spiro was named Best New Artist, while LISA won Best Pop and Ella Langley took Best Country.
Read: Taylor Swift Wins 2026 MTV VMA Video of the Year for 'The Fate of Ophelia,' Honors Dolly Parton
2026 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS - COMPLETE WINNERS
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift - “The Fate of Ophelia” - Republic Records
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Madonna - Warner Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
BTS - “Swim” - BIGHIT MUSIC
BEST COLLABORATION
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter - “Bring Your Love” - Warner Records
BEST NEW ARTIST
Sienna Spiro - Capitol Records
BEST POP
LISA - “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” - Lloud Co. / RCA Records
BEST DANCE
Madonna - “Confessions II – The Film” - Warner Records
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B ft. Kehlani - “Safe” - Atlantic Records
BEST R&B
Bruno Mars - “I Just Might” - Atlantic Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Olivia Rodrigo - “the cure” - Geffen Records
BEST LATIN
Bad Bunny - “NUEVAYoL” - Rimas Entertainment
BEST K-POP
BTS - “SWIM” - BIGHIT MUSIC
BEST COUNTRY
Ella Langley - “Choosin’ Texas” - Columbia Records
BEST DIRECTION
Taylor Swift - “Opalite” - Republic Records
BEST ART DIRECTION
PinkPantheress - “Stateside + Zara Larsson” - Warner Records UK / Atlantic Records
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Madonna - “Confessions II – The Film” - Warner Records
BEST EDITING
Sabrina Carpenter - “House Tour” - Island
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Madonna - “Confessions II – The Film” - Warner Records
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande - “hate that i made you love me” - Republic Records
BEST GROUP
BTS
BEST LONG FORM VIDEO
Madonna - “Confessions II – The Film” - Warner Records
BEST ALBUM
Madonna - Confessions II - Warner Records
SONG OF SUMMER
Ariana Grande - “hate that i made you love me” - Republic Records
SPECIAL AWARDS
VIDEO VANGUARD
Nirvana
MTV VMA ARTIST DIRECTOR HONORS
Taylor Swift
Nirvana’s Video Vanguard Award recognized the band’s lasting influence on music video culture, with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepting the honor during the ceremony. Swift became the first recipient of the Artist Director Honors, created to recognize artists whose directorial work has expanded music-video storytelling.
Watch Taylor Swift’s official “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, winner of Video of the Year at the 2026 MTV VMAs, below:
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Christopher Polk/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
