Madonna Leads VMAs Nominations With 11, Followed by Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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It’s no time warp — Madonna leads all other divas in nominations for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with 11 nods, it was announced Tuesday morning. She’s followed by Taylor Swift, with nine nominations, and Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter, with seven each.

Others with multiple shots at a Moon Person (as the awards have been non-gender-specifically known for many years now) include Bruno Mars, Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress with five nominations each. Blackpink’s Lisa with four, and Tate McRae and Shakira, tied with three each.

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