Taylor Swift breaks every record at VMA 2026, reaches 31 trophies and writes history

In this year’s edition of the MTV Video Music Awards, which will be held on September 27 in Los Angeles, Taylor Swift will receive a special honor: the Honorary Award for Artist Director. This award debuts exactly this year to honor creators whose contributions behind the camera have left a mark on the evolution of music videos and visual storytelling.

With this new statuette, the total number of VMA awards that Swift holds reaches 31, making her the artist with the most wins in the entire history of this event. Until today, she shared the lead with Beyoncé, both with 30 trophies each. Among male performers, Eminem leads with 15 awards.

The ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS, as well as on MTV and the Paramount+ service. The hosting of the evening has been entrusted to Snoop Dogg.

As for the nominations, Madonna leads with 11, including the contests for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year. Swift is right behind with 9 nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have accumulated 7 each.

Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson are represented with 5 nominations each, while BLACKPINK member LISA has secured 4. Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION, and Yung Lean follow with 3 each.

For the Artist of the Year award, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, and Morgan Wallen will compete.

Another interesting detail is that 26 names appear for the first time on the list of nominees. Notable among them are the duo GENER8ION and Yung Lean, the k-pop group CORTIS, and singer Stella Lefty.

The performances part promises strong emotions. Madonna will open the evening, marking her return to this stage after 23 years. The program also includes GENER8ION, Shaboozey, LISA, Raye, and Sienna Spiro.

Additionally, the band Nirvana will be presented with the Video Vanguard award, 34 years after their unforgettable debut at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The voting process for 13 categories, which opened in mid-August, will remain open until September 25. However, for the Best New Artist category, the public will have the opportunity to vote even after the ceremony begins.