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28 September 2026 · 0 views

2026 MTV VMAs Winners: Full List and Highlights

Here Are All the 2026 MTV VMAs Winners: Full List

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards took place live on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Hosted by Megan Thee Stallion, the ceremony honored the most impactful music videos, songs, and visual artists of the past eligibility year. Major storylines included historic sweeps across major categories, visual achievements in international genres, and tributes to multi-decade music icons. Below is the complete record of the night’s winners, nominees, and performance highlights.

2026 MTV VMAs Overview and Biggest Highlights

The 2026 MTV VMAs delivered a broadcast marked by genre expansion, stage production technology, and milestone victories.

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                               2026 MTV VMAS SNAPSHOT
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Host:                Megan Thee Stallion
Broadcast Date:      Sunday, September 13, 2026
Venue:               UBS Arena, Elmont, New York
Network:             MTV / Paramount+
Top Winner:          Billie Eilish (5 Moon Persons)
Vanguard Award:      Katy Perry
Global Icon Award:   Bad Bunny
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Top Winning Artists of the Night

  • Billie Eilish: Captured 5 Moon Persons, including Video of the Year, Best Direction, and Best Pop.
  • Kendrick Lamar: Won 4 awards across hip-hop, technical, and major categories for his latest visual releases.
  • Sabrina Carpenter: Won Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
  • Bad Bunny: Earned 3 awards, including Best Latin, Best Choreography, and the MTV Global Icon Award.
  • Chappell Roan: Clinched Best New Artist following a record-breaking debut cycle.

Memorable Performances and Speeches

The broadcast opened with a high-concept medley by host Megan Thee Stallion, featuring elaborate set pieces, pyrotechnics, and guest collaborators.

Katy Perry delivered a career-spanning 12-minute performance during the Vanguard Award segment, incorporating augmented reality stage environments, aerial choreography, and signature visual motifs from her video catalog.

Chappell Roan’s acceptance speech for Best New Artist focused on creative independence and artist safety in the digital streaming era. Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell used their Video of the Year acceptance speech to credit independent music video production crews and production designers.

Major Category Winners

Video of the Year

  • WINNER: Billie Eilish – “LUNCH” (Directed by Billie Eilish)
  • Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” (Directed by Christian Breslauer)
  • Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” (Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar)
  • Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Directed by Taylor Swift)
  • Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” (Directed by Dave Meyers)
  • SZA – “Snooze” (Directed by Bradley J. Calder)

Artist of the Year

  • WINNER: SZA
  • Taylor Swift
  • Bad Bunny
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Ariana Grande
  • Billie Eilish

Song of the Year

  • WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” (Songwriters: Sabrina Carpenter, Amy Allen, Julian Bunetta, Steph Jones)
  • Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
  • Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
  • Hozier – “Too Sweet”
  • Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”
  • Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”

Best New Artist

  • WINNER: Chappell Roan
  • Tyla
  • Benson Boone
  • Shaboozey
  • Teddy Swims
  • Gracie Abrams

Best Collaboration

  • WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
  • Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
  • Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”
  • Karol G & Peso Pluma – “QLONA”
  • Tommy Richman – “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” (Remix)
  • Charli xcx ft. Billie Eilish – “Guess”

Genre Category Winners

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                          GENRE CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
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Pop:          Billie Eilish – "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"
Hip-Hop:      Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us"
R&B:          SZA – "Saturn"
Rock:         Lenny Kravitz – "Human"
Alternative:  Chappell Roan – "Good Luck, Babe!"
Latin:        Bad Bunny – "MONACO"
K-Pop:        Lisa – "Rockstar"
Afrobeats:    Tyla – "Water"
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Best Pop

  • WINNER: Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
  • Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”
  • Olivia Rodrigo – “bad idea right?”
  • Dua Lipa – “Houdini”
  • Ariana Grande – “yes, and?”
  • Tate McRae – “greedy”

Best Hip-Hop

  • WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
  • Eminem – “Houdini”
  • Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA”
  • Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti – “FE!N”
  • Drake – “Family Matters”
  • Gunna – “fukumean”

Best R&B

  • WINNER: SZA – “Saturn”
  • Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good”
  • Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
  • Muni Long – “Made For Me”
  • Chris Brown – “Sensational”
  • Tinashe – “Nasty”

Best Rock

  • WINNER: Lenny Kravitz – “Human”
  • Green Day – “The American Dream Is Killing Me”
  • The Black Keys – “Beautiful People (Stay High)”
  • Pearl Jam – “Dark Matter”
  • Blink-182 – “ONE MORE TIME”
  • Paramore – “This Is Why”

Best Alternative

  • WINNER: Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”
  • Bleachers – “Modern Girl”
  • Hozier – “Too Sweet”
  • Cage The Elephant – “Neon Pill”
  • St. Vincent – “Broken Man”
  • The Last Dinner Party – “Nothing Matters”

Best Latin

  • WINNER: Bad Bunny – “MONACO”
  • Karol G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
  • Peso Pluma & Anitta – “BELLAKEO”
  • Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería”
  • Rauw Alejandro – “Touching The Sky”
  • Young Miko – “Curita”

Best K-Pop

  • WINNER: Lisa – “Rockstar”
  • Stray Kids – “LALALALA”
  • Jungkook ft. Latto – “Seven”
  • NewJeans – “Super Shy”
  • Tomorrow X Together – “Deja Vu”
  • Seventeen – “MAESTRO”

Best Afrobeats

  • WINNER: Tyla – “Water”
  • Burna Boy – “City Boys”
  • Wizkid ft. Zlatan – “IDK”
  • Ayra Starr – “Commarnas”
  • Rema – “BENIN BOYS”
  • Asake – “Active”

Professional & Technical Category Winners

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                          PROFESSIONAL CRAFT WINNERS
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Direction:         Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" (Dave Free, Kendrick Lamar)
Cinematography:    Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight" (Rodrigo Prieto)
Visual Effects:    Eminem – "Houdini" (Rich Lee, Louis Mackall, VFX Crew)
Choreography:      Dua Lipa – "Houdini" (Charm La'Donna)
Art Direction:     Megan Thee Stallion – "BOA" (Brittany Porter)
Editing:           Ariana Grande – "we can't be friends" (Glenn McCarthy)
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Best Direction

  • WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” (Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar)
  • Billie Eilish – “LUNCH” (Directed by Billie Eilish)
  • Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Directed by Taylor Swift)
  • Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” (Directed by Christian Breslauer)
  • Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” (Directed by Bardia Zeinali)
  • Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” (Directed by Daniel Iglesias Jr.)

Best Cinematography

  • WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto)
  • Dua Lipa – “Illusion” (Cinematography by Nikita Kamenev)
  • Olivia Rodrigo – “obsessed” (Cinematography by Michael Merriman)
  • Bad Bunny – “MONACO” (Cinematography by Christopher Ripley)
  • Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” (Cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis)
  • Billie Eilish – “CHIHIRO” (Cinematography by Andrew Yuyi Truong)

Best Visual Effects

  • WINNER: Eminem – “Houdini” (Visual Effects by Rich Lee, Louis Mackall, Metavision VFX)
  • Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Visual Effects by Parliament)
  • Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti – “FE!N” (Visual Effects by Mathematic)
  • Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” (Visual Effects by Framestore)
  • Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile” (Visual Effects by Craft VFX)
  • Justin Timberlake – “Selfish” (Visual Effects by The Mill)

Best Choreography

  • WINNER: Dua Lipa – “Houdini” (Choreography by Charm La’Donna)
  • Lisa – “Rockstar” (Choreography by Sean Bankhead)
  • Bad Bunny – “MONACO” (Choreography by Felix Burgos)
  • Tyla – “Water” (Choreography by Lee-ché Janecke)
  • Victoria Monét – “On My Mama” (Choreography by Sean Bankhead)
  • Troye Sivan – “Rush” (Choreography by Sergio Reis)

Best Art Direction

  • WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion – “BOA” (Art Direction by Brittany Porter)
  • Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Art Direction by Ethan Tobman)
  • Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” (Art Direction by Katelin Berglund)
  • Charli xcx – “360” (Art Direction by Alex Delgado)
  • Billie Eilish – “LUNCH” (Art Direction by Billie Eilish & John Richoux)
  • Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please” (Art Direction by Nicholas des Jardins)

Best Editing

  • WINNER: Ariana Grande – “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” (Editing by Glenn McCarthy)
  • Eminem – “Houdini” (Editing by David Checel)
  • Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” (Editing by Chasen Banks)
  • Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight” (Editing by Chancler Haynes)
  • Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso” (Editing by Sofia Kerpan)
  • Lisa – “Rockstar” (Editing by Dustin Su)

Special Honors

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

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                       VIDEO VANGUARD RECIPIENT: KATY PERRY
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Career Milestones:
- Over 115 billion total career streams
- Multiple Diamond-certified RIAA visual releases
- Landmark cinematic music videos ("Firework", "Roar", "Dark Horse")
- Five #1 Billboard Hot 100 singles from a single album (Teenage Dream)
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Katy Perry received the 2026 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in recognition of her visual contributions, narrative video production, and lasting impact on pop culture over two decades.

The presentation was preceded by a career-spanning performance covering “I Kissed a Girl,” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “Roar,” and “Dark Horse.”

Global Icon Award

The 2026 MTV Global Icon Award went to Bad Bunny. The honor recognizes international recording success, cross-language touring milestones, and leadership in elevating Latin music across global media platforms.

Complete 2026 VMA Winners Summary

CategoryWinnerNominated Work / Track
Video of the YearBillie Eilish“LUNCH”
Artist of the YearSZACareer Body of Work
Song of the YearSabrina Carpenter“Espresso”
Best New ArtistChappell RoanBreakout Catalog
Best CollaborationTaylor Swift ft. Post Malone“Fortnight”
Best PopBillie Eilish“BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
Best Hip-HopKendrick Lamar“Not Like Us”
Best R&BSZA“Saturn”
Best RockLenny Kravitz“Human”
Best AlternativeChappell Roan“Good Luck, Babe!”
Best LatinBad Bunny“MONACO”
Best K-PopLisa“Rockstar”
Best AfrobeatsTyla“Water”
Best DirectionDave Free & Kendrick LamarKendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Best CinematographyRodrigo PrietoTaylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best Visual EffectsRich Lee & Louis MackallEminem – “Houdini”
Best ChoreographyCharm La’DonnaDua Lipa – “Houdini”
Best Art DirectionBrittany PorterMegan Thee Stallion – “BOA”
Best EditingGlenn McCarthyAriana Grande – “we can’t be friends”
Video Vanguard AwardKaty PerryLifetime Visual Achievement
Global Icon AwardBad BunnyInternational Cultural Impact

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who won Video of the Year at the 2026 MTV VMAs?

Billie Eilish won Video of the Year for “LUNCH,” which she directed.

Which artist won the most awards at the 2026 VMAs?

Billie Eilish led all artists with 5 Moon Person trophies across general, genre, and technical categories.

Who hosted the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards?

Recording artist Megan Thee Stallion hosted the 2026 ceremony live from the UBS Arena.

Where did the 2026 MTV VMAs take place?

The event was broadcast live from the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Who received the Video Vanguard Award at the 2026 MTV VMAs?

Katy Perry received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, honored for two decades of visual storytelling and commercial impact.

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