2026 MTV VMAs: Complete winners list and what mattered

Quick summary

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27. The ceremony recognized artists across major, genre-specific and technical categories. Madonna finished the night with the largest haul: seven awards. Taylor Swift, BTS and several genre standouts also won high-profile trophies.

Standout winners

Madonna emerged as the single biggest winner, taking Artist of the Year and Best Dance, plus technical and collaboration categories. Her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter, "Bring Your Love," won Best Collaboration.

Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and picked up Best Direction for "Opalite." BTS won Song of the Year and Best K-Pop for "Swim," and also secured Best Group. Sienna Spiro won Best New Artist.

Technical and craft awards

Several technical awards went to a mix of established and rising names. Madonna's "Confessions II – The Film" won choreography and cinematography. Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" was nominated across craft categories and won Best Direction for "Opalite." Sabrina Carpenter won Best Editing for "House Tour." Ariana Grande won Best Visual Effects for "hate that i made you love me." PinkPantheress's collaboration with Zara Larsson won Best Art Direction.

What the winners list shows

The distribution of awards highlights both legacy artists and newer acts. Madonna and Taylor Swift claimed major, headline-grabbing prizes, while BTS, LISA, Bruno Mars and Cardi B took home genre trophies that reflect current chart and streaming strength. Sienna Spiro's Best New Artist win marks a breakout recognition among this year's emerging acts.

Useful reference: selected winners by headline categories

• Video of the Year: Taylor Swift — "The Fate of Ophelia" (WINNER)
• Artist of the Year: Madonna (WINNER)
• Song of the Year: BTS — "Swim" (WINNER)
• Best New Artist: Sienna Spiro (WINNER)
• Best Collaboration: Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — "Bring Your Love" (WINNER)
• Best Pop: LISA — "Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi (WINNER)
• Best Hip-Hop: Cardi B feat. Kehlani — "Safe" (WINNER)
• Best R&B: Bruno Mars — "I Just Might" (WINNER)
• Best K-Pop: BTS — "SWIM" (WINNER)
• Best Country: Ella Langley — "Choosin' Texas" (WINNER)
• Best Latin: Bad Bunny — "NUEVAYoL" (WINNER)

How to use this brief

Use the winners list above to find specific performances, video clips or acceptance speeches you want to watch or to track year-over-year awards for particular artists. The craft awards indicate which videos received industry recognition for technical excellence this year.