Music
Madonna and Taylor Swift Lead 2026 MTV VMA Nominations
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations were announced on Tuesday, August 18, and this year’s top nominees are being dominated by women. Seven of the eight artists with the most nominations are female, with Madonna leading the pack with 11 nods.
The 11 nominations mark a personal best for the music icon and the first time she has led the VMA nominations since 1998, the year she won Video of the Year for Ray of Light. She also led the nominations in 1990 with nine nods following the success of Vogue.
Photo: Getty Images
Taylor Swift, who is tied with Beyoncé for the most Moon Person wins, followed with nine nominations. Other artist with several nods are Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande with seven nominations each, Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five nominations, while Lisa followed with four.
Among the 26 first-time nominees are Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Sienna Spiro, Tucker Wetmore and Yung Lean.
Fan voting is currently open in 13 categories through September 25, including Best Dance, which is returning for the first time in seven years. Voting for Best New Artist will remain open through the night of the ceremony.
This year’s ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27 and will mark the first time the VMAs have been held on the West Coast in nine years. The last Los Angeles ceremony took place in 2017 when Katy Perry hosted the show. A host for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards has not yet been announced.
See the full list of nominations below:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande — Republic Records
Bruno Mars — Atlantic Records
Madonna — Warner Records
Morgan Wallen — Big Loud/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter — Island Records
Taylor Swift — Republic Records
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Photo: Instagram
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me — Republic Records
Bruno Mars — I Just Might — Atlantic Records
GENER8ION — Storm Starring Yung Lean — Iconoclast Music
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter — Tears — Island Records
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
SONG OF THE YEAR
BTS — Swim — BIGHIT MUSIC
Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas — Columbia Records
HUNTR/X (Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami) — Golden — Republic Records/Visva Records
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love — Warner Records
Olivia Dean — Man I Need — Island Records
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside — Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Raye — Where Is My Husband!! — Human Re Sources
BEST NEW ARTIST
Bella Kay — Atlantic Records
Cortis — BIGHIT MUSIC
Magnus Ferrell — Visva Records/Republic Records
Malcolm Todd — Columbia Records
Myles Smith — RCA Records
Sienna Spiro — Capitol Records
Stella Lefty — Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
BEST COLLABORATION
Photo: Instagram
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice — Chains & Whips — Roc Nation Distribution
French Montana and Max B — Ever Since U Left Me — Coke Boys Records
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love — Warner Records
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside — Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Shakira and Burna Boy — Dai Dai — Sony Music US Latin
Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye — Hard Part — Def Jam Recordings
BEST POP
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me — Republic Records
Charli XCX — SS26 — Atlantic Records
Lisa — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — Lloud Co./RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo — Drop Dead — Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour — Island Records
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl — RCA Records
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B (feat. Kehlani) — Safe — Atlantic Records
Don Toliver — E85 — Cactus Jack/Atlantic Records
Drake — Janice STFU — OVO/Republic Records
Megan Thee Stallion — Lover Girl — Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott — Dumbo — Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Tyler, the Creator — Sugar on My Tongue — Columbia Records
BEST R&B
Photo: Getty Images
Bruno Mars — I Just Might — Atlantic Records
Chris Brown — It Depends/Obvious — RCA Records
Dave and Tems — Raindance — Neighbourhood Recordings/Capitol Records
Justin Bieber — Yukon — Def Jam Recordings
Kehlani — Folded — Atlantic Records
Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis — Is It a Crime — Epic Records
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Geese — Taxes — Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam
MGK and Fred Durst — Fix Ur Face — EST 19XX LLC/Interscope Records
Noah Kahan — The Great Divide — Mercury Records
Olivia Rodrigo — The Cure — Geffen Records
Sombr — Homewrecker — SMB Music/Warner Records
Tame Impala — Dracula — Columbia Records
Twenty One Pilots — Drag Path — Fueled by Ramen
BEST DANCE
Bebe Rexha and Faithless — New Religion — Bebe Rexha Music LLC/EMPIRE
Harry Styles — Aperture — Columbia Records
Lady Gaga and Doechii — RUNAWAY — Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside — Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Slayyyter — DANCE… — RECORDS/Columbia Records
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl — RCA Records
BEST LATIN
Anitta and Shakira — Choka Choka — Republic Records/UMLE
Bad Bunny — NUEVAYoL — Rimas Entertainment
Fuerza Regida — Tu Sancho — Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music US Latin
Karol G — Papasito — Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Rosalía (feat. Yahritza Y Su Esencia) — La Perla — Columbia Records
Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta — La Villa — AWOO Corp./Sony Music US Latin
Shakira and Burna Boy — Dai Dai — Sony Music US Latin
BEST K-POP
Blackpink — Jump — YG Entertainment
BTS — Swim — BIGHIT MUSIC
Cortis — REDRED — BIGHIT MUSIC
Katseye — Pinky Up — HYBE x Geffen Records
LE SSERAFIM (feat. J-Hope of BTS) — Spaghetti — SOURCE MUSIC
Lisa — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — Lloud Co./RCA Records
BEST COUNTRY
Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas — Columbia Records
Kacey Musgraves — Dry Spell — Lost Highway/Interscope Records
Lainey Wilson — Somewhere Over Laredo — Broken Bow Records
Luke Combs — Back in the Saddle — Columbia Nashville
Shaboozey — Cowgirl — American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Stella Lefty — Boston — Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost
Tucker Wetmore — Brunette — Back Blocks Music/Mercury Records
BEST DIRECTION
Photo: Getty Images
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me — Republic Records
Bruno Mars — I Just Might — Atlantic Records
GENER8ION — Storm Starring Yung Lean — Iconoclast Music
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour — Island Records
Taylor Swift — Opalite — Republic Records
BEST ART DIRECTION
Charli XCX — SS26 — Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga and Doechii — RUNAWAY — Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside — Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Sombr — My Body Isn’t Ready — SMB Music/Warner Records
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
A$AP Rocky — PUNK ROCKY
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me
Lisa — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi)
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Shaboozey — Cowgirl
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
BEST EDITING
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me — Republic Records
Bruno Mars — I Just Might — Atlantic Records
Lisa — Dream (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi) — Lloud Co./RCA Records
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour — Island Records
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Photo: Instagram
GENER8ION — Storm Starring Yung Lean — Iconoclast Music
Harry Styles — Dance No More — Columbia Records
Katseye — Pinky Up — HYBE x Geffen Records
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl — RCA Records
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande — Hate That I Made You Love Me — Republic Records
Jisoo and Zayn — Eyes Closed — Warner Records
Madonna — Confessions II – The Film — Warner Records
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside — Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Raye (feat. Hans Zimmer) — Click Clack Symphony — Human Re Sources
Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia — Republic Records
A$AP Rocky confirmed during an appearance on “The Jason Lee Show” that Rihanna is actively recording, offering the most direct update yet on a follow-up to her 2016 album “ANTI.”
“Nah,” he said in response to speculation that family life had put her music on pause. “She in the studio right now. Yeah, I said it. Sorry, babe.” He added, “Bro, she working. She cooking, no funny. Damn, I’mma get in trouble for this.”
Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson / WikiPortraits
It was a brief comment, but it carried significant weight. Rihanna has not released a full album since “ANTI” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and produced “Work,” “Needed Me,” and “Love on the Brain.” In the years since, she has built her influence beyond music through Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, while also embracing motherhood with Rocky, the couple now share three children, RZA, Riot, and Rocki, the couple now have three children, RZA, Riot, and Rocki.
She headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in 2023, where she revealed her pregnancy with their second child. She later earned an Academy Award nomination for “Lift Me Up,” her contribution to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack in 2022, before lending her vocals to “Friend of Mine” for The Smurfs soundtrack in 2025.
She also made a surprise appearance alongside Jay-Z at his “Extra Innings” concert at Yankee Stadium, where the pair performed “Run This Town” and “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
Those appearances kept fans engaged, but they did not mark the release of a new album. Rocky’s remark suggests that has changed. He framed it as work already in progress, not a plan or a tease.
Photo: Getty images
Rihanna herself has hinted at the same. Earlier this year she posted behind-the-scenes video of a recording session sandwiched between other parts of her day, including preparing a Mardi Gras costume for her son. The footage was casual, but it placed her in the studio in a way fans hadn’t seen in some time.
There is still no title, no release date, and no detail on collaborators or sound. What there is now is confirmation from inside her circle, as A$AP Rocky has revealed that the process is already underway.
For an artist who redefined pop in the 2010s and then stepped back to build businesses and a family, returning to music carries different stakes. The audience is larger, the expectations are higher, and the gap, nearly a decade since “ANTI” – has only amplified both.
Rocky may have spoken out of turn. But if he’s right, and Rihanna is “cooking” in the studio right now, then the conversation shifts from if to when. For a fanbase that has waited since 2016, that is a shift worth noting.
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Ariana Grande shared a teaser for an upcoming music video from the album Petal, in which she appears as a character named Pepper.
In the short black-and-white clip released on Tuesday, July 28, Grande plays an aspiring entertainer arriving for an audition. The scene opens with her walking into a reception area, where she introduces herself to a receptionist who barely acknowledges her. “Hello, I’m Pepper, I’m here for the audition today,” she says, before being told to take a number and wait alongside others. The teaser stops short of revealing what the audition is for.
Photo: Instagram
The visual was shot using VistaVision, a widescreen film format commonly associated with 1950s Hollywood productions. Which contributes to the old-Hollywood atmosphere hinted at in the clip.
In a press release, Grande described Petal as “something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging.”
The upcoming album Petal is scheduled for release on July 31. The project follows her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine and will feature 12 tracks.
It also includes “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which has already debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is part of her current tour setlist.
Grande first previewed the visual earlier this month during her New York City stop on the Eternal Sunshine tour, where she played a teaser during her performance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Photo: Instagram
She later shared the clip on Instagram, tagging director Christian Breslauer, choreographer Will Loftis and longtime collaborator Ilya Salmanzadeh.
The singer is currently on her 41-date tour, which began on June 6 and is set to wrap on September 1, 2026.
Rihanna made a surprise return to the stage during Jay-Z’s “Extra Innings” concert at Yankee Stadium in New York. She delivered her first major live performance in years. The appearance excited fans as they watched two top artists perform together.
This was Rihanna’s first major public live appearance since her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023. She kept a low profile, focusing on her businesses and family life.
Photo: Roc Nation
Rihanna joined Jay-Z during the final night of his three-show Yankee Stadium concert series on July 12. The event celebrated Jay-Z’s career and featured several guests.
The singer walked onto the stage to perform “Run This Town,” the 2009 collaboration between Rihanna, Jay-Z and Kanye West. The performance brought back memories.
After performing alongside Jay-Z, Rihanna continued with her hit song “Bitch Better Have My Money.” The performance allowed fans to see the superstar return to a live stage.
Photo: Roc Nation
Rihanna spoke to the audience about being away from performing for a long time.
Y’all know I’m rusty, right? It’s been a while. Y’all with me right now?” she said.
Before leaving, she told the audience,
“I missed this shit, y’all! New York, I love you guys!”
The concert faced some challenges before the performances began. The show started several hours late after a security issue. Reports said fans were kept waiting outside while officials handled the situation before the concert could begin.
Photo: Roc Nation
Jay-Z apologized when he climbed the stage.
“They closed the door for you guys’ safety and everyone’s safety outside. I don’t want to start the music and people get trampled.
“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, but I had to make sure everyone was OK,” Jay-Z continued. “I appreciate your patience.”
Beyoncé, Usher, Pharrell Williams and Teyana Taylor also performed at the concert.. However, Rihanna’s surprise performance remained the biggest moment due to her time off music.
Rihanna and Jay-Z have come a long way. Rihanna was signed to Jay-Z’s label. Their latest reunion showed that their connection remains strong.
Rihanna appearance at Yankee Stadium shows she still has it in her. It was a rare return from one of the world’s biggest music stars and a reminder of the excitement that surrounds any future project from the singer.
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