2026 MTV VMAs Winners, Plus Kacey Musgraves’ Emotional Dolly Parton Tribute

The MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (September 27), honoring the best in music from the past year and paying tribute to an industry icon.

Snoop Dogg hosted the festivities, which included big wins for Madonna and Taylor Swift, with the pair taking home multiple trophies each. Swift won the coveted Video of the Year award for “The Fate of Ophelia,” cementing her run as the most-awarded artist in VMAs history.

Madonna, who kicked off the night with a risque performance alongside Sabrina Carpenter, won seven awards, including for Best Collaboration (with Carpenter), Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Dance.

Elsewhere, K-pop star LISA took home the trophy for Best Pop Song, British artist Sienna Spiro was named Best New Artist, and Nirvana was the recipient of the Video Vanguard Award.

Kacey Musgraves delivers a moving performance of “I Will Always Love You” in tribute to Dolly Parton at the 2026 #VMAs. pic.twitter.com/RCuEiM0G8n

— Kacey Musgraves Access (@KaceyAccess) September 28, 2026

Kacey Musgraves also led an emotional tribute to the late Dolly Parton, performing a powerful rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” with old footage of Parton singing the classic 1974 tune on the big screen behind her.

Check out the full list of 2026 MTV VMAs winners below.

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – “STORM” starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”- Island
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Artist of the Year

Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – Atlantic Records
WINNER: Madonna – Warner Records
Morgan Wallen – Big Loud/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Taylor Swift – Republic Records

Song of the Year

WINNER: BTS – “Swim” – BIGHIT MUSIC
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” – Columbia Records
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – “Golden” – Republic Records/Visva Records
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love” – Warner Records
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need” – Island
PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – Human Re Sources

Best New Artist

Bella Kay – Atlantic Records
CORTIS – BIGHIT MUSIC
Magnus Ferrell -Visva Records/Republic Records
Malcolm Todd – Columbia Records
Myles Smith – RCA Records
WINNER: Sienna Spiro – Capitol Records
Stella Lefty – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost

Snoop Dogg at The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs); Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images

Best Collaboration

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips” – Roc Nation Distribution
French Montana x Max B – “Ever Since U Left Me” – Coke Boys Records
WINNER: Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai” – Sony Music US Latin
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – “Hard Part” – Def Jam Recordings

Best Pop

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Charli xcx – “SS26” – Atlantic Records
WINNER: LISA – “Dream” feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “drop dead” – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour” – Island
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Hip-Hop

WINNER: Cardi B feat. Kehlani – “Safe” – Atlantic Records
Don Toliver – “E85” – Cactus Jack/ Atlantic Records
Drake – “Janice STFU” – OVO/Republic Records
Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL” – Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott – “DUMBO” – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Tyler, The Creator- “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE” – Columbia Records

Best R&B

WINNER: Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
Chris Brown – “It Depends/Obvious” – RCA Records
Dave & Tems – “Raindance” – Neighbourhood Recordings/Capitol Records
Justin Bieber – “YUKON” – Def Jam Recordings
Kehlani – “Folded” – Atlantic Records
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – “Is It a Crime” – Epic Records

LISA performing at The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs); Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images

Best Alternative

Geese – “Taxes” – Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam
mgk & Fred Durst – “FIX UR FACE” – EST 19XX LLC/Interscope Records
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide” – Mercury Records
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo – “the cure” – Geffen Records
SOMBR – “Homewrecker” – SMB Music/Warner Records
Tame Impala – “Dracula” – Columbia Records
twenty one pilots – “Drag Path” – Fueled By Ramen

Best Dance

Bebe Rexha & Faithless – “New Religion” – Bebe Rexha Music LLC/EMPIRE
Harry Styles – “Aperture” – Columbia Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY” – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
WINNER: Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Slayyyter – “DANCE…” – RECORDS/Columbia Records
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records

Best Latin

Anitta with Shakira – “Choka Choka” – Republic Records/UMLE
WINNER: Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL” – Rimas Entertainment
Fuerza Regida – “TU SANCHO” – Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music US Latin
KAROL G – “Papasito” – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – “La Perla” – Columbia Records
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – “LA VILLA” – AWOO Corp./ Sony Music US Latin
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai” – Sony Music US Latin

Best K-Pop

BLACKPINK – “JUMP” – YG Entertainment
WINNER: BTS – “SWIM” – BIGHIT MUSIC
CORTIS – “REDRED” – BIGHIT MUSIC
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP” – HYBE x Geffen Records
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – “SPAGHETTI” – SOURCE MUSIC
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records

Best Country

WINNER: Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” – Columbia Records
Kacey Musgraves – “Dry Spell” – Lost Highway/Interscope Records
Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Broken Bow Records
Luke Combs – “Back in the Saddle” – Columbia Nashville
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Stella Lefty – “Boston” – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
Tucker Wetmore – “Brunette” – Back Blocks Music/MCA/Mercury Records

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear at The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs); Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”- Island
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Opalite” – Republic Records

Best Art Direction

Charli xcx – “SS26” – Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY” – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
WINNER: PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
SOMBR – “My Body Isn’t Ready” – SMB Music/Warner Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Cinematography

A$AP Rocky – “PUNK ROCKY” – A$AP Worldwide/RCA Records
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
WINNER: Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Editing

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”- Island
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Choreography

GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
Harry Styles – “Dance No More” – Columbia Records
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP” – HYBE x Geffen Records
WINNER: Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Visual Effects

WINNER: Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
JISOO X ZAYN – “Eyes Closed” – Warner Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – “Click Clack Symphony.” – Human Re Sources
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Best Group

BLACKPINK
WINNER: BTS
CORTIS
FLO
Fuerza Regida
Geese
KATSEYE
Twenty One Pilots

Charli XCX performing at The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs); Stewart Cook/CBS via Getty Images

Best Long Form Video

Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film – Atlantic Records
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas – Columbia Records
GENER8ION – STORM starring Yung Lean – Iconoclast Music
WINNER: Madonna – Confessions II – The Film – Warner Records

Best Album

Drake – ICEMAN – OVO/Republic Records
WINNER: Madonna –Confessions II – Warner Records
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving – Island
Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Man’s Best Friend – Island
Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl – Republic Records

Song of Summer

WINNER: Ariana Grande – “Hate That I Made You Love Me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “Risk It All” – Atlantic Records
Charli xcx – “Camera” – Atlantic Records
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” – Columbia Records
KATSEYE – “Hootie Frutti” – HYBE x Geffen Records
Latto ft. Doja Cat – “Okayyy” – Steamcut / RCA Records
Morgan Wallen – “Been By Now – Big Loud / Mercury Records
Olivia Dean – “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” – Island
Olivia Rodrigo – “Stupid Song” – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour” – Island
Slayyyter – “Brand New Chanel$” – RECORDS/Columbia Records
sombr – “Homewrecker” – SMB Music / Warner Records
Stella Lefty – “Boston” – Sandlot / Atlantic Outpost
Tame Impala & JENNIE – “Dracula” – Columbia Records
Taylor Swift – “I Knew It, I Knew You” – Walt Disney Records / Republic Records