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Madonna has topped the nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nods, putting the pop icon ahead of Taylor Swift as the ceremony prepares to return to Los Angeles on Sept. 27.
The 67-year-old singer is competing in several of the event's biggest categories, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year, with her recent work including "Confessions II – The Film" and "Bring Your Love."
Madonna, who has already collected 19 competitive VMAs during her career, heads into this year's ceremony with the largest number of nominations.
Taylor Swift picked up nine nominations, including places in the Video of the Year and Artist of the Year categories, putting her second behind Madonna in the overall nomination count.
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each secured seven nominations, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson received five apiece.
The list also brings together several international artists with multiple nominations, including BLACKPINK's Lisa, Shakira, Tate McRae, Yung Lean and GENER8ION.
The MTV Video Music Awards, commonly known as the VMAs, are an annual awards ceremony recognizing music videos and achievements across popular music.
The 2026 ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on Sept. 27 and will be broadcast live on CBS and MTV.
According to MTV, this year's nominations also feature 26 artists receiving their first VMA nomination.
Fan voting has opened across 13 categories and will remain available through Sept. 25, two days before the ceremony.
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