Madonna To Open 2026 VMAs, Her First Live Performance At Show In 23 Years
Madonna, who heads into the VMAS with a leading 11 nominations, will open the 2026 awards shindig, her first live performance at the show in 23 years. The Queen of Pop is coming off the release of her well-received album Confessions II, which debuted at No. 1 in July on the Billboard 200. Her 2026 […]
Madonna will make her first appearance at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), opening the event after a 23-year absence. The singer holds the top spot with 11 nominations, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for "Confessions II - The Film." Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have seven each.
Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson each have five nominations. Madonna's return announcement coincides with the release of her latest album, "Confessions II," which dropped in July. Prior to her VMAs performance, Madonna appeared in pop-up shows and made a surprise cameo during Sabrina Carpenter's Coachella headliner set.
Snoop Dogg will host the 2026 VMAs, which will air on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+ Premium, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 27. The 2026 VMAs executive producers include Jesse Ignjatovic, Barb Bialkowski, Bruce Gillmer, Barry Barclay, and Floris Bauer. The fan voting for 13 categories is open until Sept. 25 at 6:00 p.m. ET, except for Best New Artist, which can be voted for during the Bacardi Rum Power Hour from Aug. 20 through Sept. 24.
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