Madonna to Open the 2026 VMAs
Courtesy of CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
CBS and MTV announced today that Madonna – the most nominated artist of the night – will open the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards for her first live performance at the show in 23 years.
The Queen of Pop returns to the VMAs stage fresh off the release of her critically acclaimed #1 album Confessions II.
This year she is up for five awards that can be voted by the fans every day at vote.mtv.com:
- Video of the Year (Confessions II – The Film)
- Artist of the Year
- Song of the Year (Bring Your Love, with Sabrina Carpenter)
- Best Collaboration (Bring Your Love, with Sabrina Carpenter)
- Best Dance (Confessions II – The Film)
You can vote up to 20 times per category every day during Power Hour, running daily 1-2 p.m. ET, when you have 20 votes instead of 10.
Madonna is also nominated in six professional categories with Confessions II – The Film:
- Best Direction – TORSO
- Best Art Direction – Camille Spiller
- Best Cinematography – Daniel Landin
- Best Editing – Danny Tull & Lauren Friedman
- Best Choreography – Damien Jalet
- Best Visual Effects – MONUMENTAL
Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the VMAs will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27 on the CBS Television Network, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ (Premium) in the U.S. The show will also be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV. Additional performers, presenters and special guests will be revealed in the next week.
Spotify has joined the VMAs as the official music and video partner, extending the event beyond the live broadcast. The collaboration connects fans directly with Madonna’s music post-performance and features exclusive content, including archival footage from past VMAs.
Madonna last performed at the awards show 23 years ago, when Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott joined her for their iconic 2003 opening performance of Like a Virgin / Hollywood.
As the leading 2026 VMAs nominee, Madonna enters the night this year with a career-high 11 nominations and looks to add to her 19 competitive career wins, with nods including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year.
This year marks the third time she has led VMAs nominations. Madonna previously earned nine nominations for Vogue in 1990 and another nine for Ray of Light and Frozen in 1998.
In 1986 Madonna became the first solo female artist to receive the prestigious Video Vanguard Award in 1986. Her Like a Virgin performance during the inaugural 1984 broadcast became one of the most groundbreaking moments in MTV and pop culture history.
Other show-stopping moments at the show include the bold, high-energy opening performance of Express Yourself (1989); and the theatrical 18th-century-inspired staging of Vogue (1990) – widely hailed as one of the greatest live television performances of all time – and the gender-bending performance of Bye Bye Baby (1993).
The VMAs are produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Van Toffler serves as producer. Jesse Ignjatovic of Den of Thieves, Barb Bialkowski and Bruce Gillmer serve as executive producers alongside Barry Barclay and Floris Bauer. Melanie Block serves as co-executive producer and Gary Lanvy as co-producer. Snoop Dogg is executive producer alongside producers Sara Ramaker and Jasmin Ratansi. Jen Proctor is executive talent producer.
Source: CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
