The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards air live Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS and MTV, with a live stream on Paramount+ Premium. Madonna will open the show, Snoop Dogg will host, and fan voting closes Sept. 25, except for Best New Artist.
Madonna leads the nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine; Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each have seven. Performers include Lisa, Raye and Shaboozey. Kacey Musgraves will pay tribute to Dolly Parton, while Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will honor George Michael. Nirvana will receive the Video Vanguard Award, and Swift is the first recipient of the Artist Director Honors.
Paramount+ Premium costs $13.99 a month and includes live access to a local CBS station. The $8.99-a-month Essential plan does not include live viewing; it offers the show on demand the next day. Voting in 13 categories runs through 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 25, while Best New Artist voting stays open into the show.
