Madonna is set to open Sunday’s 2026 MTV VMAs and leads this year’s nominees with 13, tying Lady Gaga’s single-year record. It will be her first VMA performance in 23 years; her 2026 album “Confessions II” was a surprise critical and commercial hit.
Her nominations include Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Album, as well as direction and choreography. Madonna collected 20 VMAs between 1986 and 1999; with enough wins, she could pass Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who each have 30.
The visual companion to “Confessions II,” a music-video “album” spanning its first six songs, features Sabrina Carpenter, Kate Moss and Benedict Cumberbatch, among others. It premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and went viral online.
