Madonna will open the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on September 27, CBS and MTV announced on September 16. It will be her first live performance at the ceremony in 23 years. Snoop Dogg will host the event, according to the announcement published on the singer’s official website.
The return follows her last VMAs performance in 2003 with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. EFE recalled that they performed versions of Like a Virgin and Hollywood in a wedding-themed staging that ended with Madonna kissing both singers. Her new appearance follows the release of Confessions II.
The official announcement says Madonna leads this year’s field with a personal record of 11 nominations and already holds 19 competitive VMAs wins. Her nominations include video, artist and song of the year. She previously led the nominations in 1990 with nine for Vogue and in 1998 with nine for Ray of Light and Frozen.
EFE identifies her video-of-the-year entry as Confessions II – The Film and her song-of-the-year entry as Bring Your Love with Sabrina Carpenter. The agency reports nine nominations for Taylor Swift, while Carpenter and Ariana Grande have seven each. These are nominations ahead of the ceremony, with the awards still to be decided.
The organisers also announced Spotify as the official audio streaming partner. According to the release, the partnership will link viewers to Madonna’s music after her performance and offer exclusive content, including footage from earlier VMAs. This extends the event’s music offering beyond the television broadcast.
CBS will air the show live, with MTV carrying it simultaneously and Paramount+ Premium streaming it in the United States, the announcement says. Paramount+ and MTV will make it available globally the following day. Organisers said further performers, presenters and special guests would be revealed over the next week.
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