Madonna Dominates VMAs as Nirvana Takes Video Vanguard and Dolly Parton Honoured

Madonna opened the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles and quickly collected multiple honours, including artist of the year, best collaboration and best dance.

She began the ceremony with her 2026 single "Bring Your Love" alongside Sabrina Carpenter. The pair later won best collaboration for the track. Accepting artist of the year, Madonna thanked her fingers, saying she can always count on them. For best dance, she said she came alive on the dance floor and that everyone is equal there.

Her opening performance extended into a club-themed segment, with Charli xcx emerging from a bathroom set to perform a reworked version of "Danceteria." Dancers and famous friends, including actor Debi Mazar, Sombr and Julia Garner, joined them on stage.

Snoop Dogg, a 13-time nominee and three-time winner, hosted the event. He called Madonna an icon before adding a joke.

Teyana Taylor presented the first award for best pop to LISA for "Dream" featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi. LISA held back tears while accepting, saying her late-night dreams brought her to that moment. She returned later to perform her hip-hop track "Sawadika."

Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to the late country music icon Dolly Parton with a cover of "I Will Always Love You." Parton, whose vocals, songwriting and costumes defined her rise from a Tennessee log cabin to global stardom, died in Nashville of cancer in August at the age of 80.

Other performances included Raye with a medley of her throwback soul, starting with "I Will Overcome" into "Where Is My Husband!"; Bruno Mars performing "Dance With Me" remotely from Colorado; Shaboozey with his saloon single "Cowgirl" before Gunna joined him for "High Noon"; and Sienna Spiro with "Great Expectation." Spiro was named best new artist shortly after her performance.

Nirvana's Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepted the Video Vanguard Award. Taylor Swift also accepted Artist Director Honors during the ceremony.