2026 VMAs Nominations in Social Categories: Full List

Madonna has a chance to become the first two-time winner for best long-form video at the MTV VMAs. She won the award the first time it was presented, in 1991, for The Immaculate Collection and is nominated again this year for Confessions II: The Film.

Best long-form video is one of four “social categories” for which CBS and MTV announced nominations on Friday (Sept. 18). The others are best group, best album and song of summer. All voting will be hosted on MTV’s Instagram Stories.

Best long-form video has been presented just four times. Previous winners, following Madonna, were Beyoncé for Lemonade (2016), Taylor Swift for All Too Well: The Short Film (2022) and Ariana Grande for Brighter Days Ahead (2025).

BTS, which won best group four years in a row (2019-22), is nominated in that category for the first time since its hiatus ended. It faces BLACKPINK, which won last year and in 2023.

Two of the nominees for song of summer are past winners in that category. Grande, nominated this year for “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” won in 2019 for “Boyfriend,” a collab with Social House. Swift, nominated for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” won in 2024 for “Fortnight” (featuring Post Malone). If either wins, they’ll become just the second repeat winner in the category. Jung Kook won in 2021 as a member of BTS (“Butter”) and solo in 2023 with “Seven” (featuring Latto).

And two of the nominees for best album are past winners in the category. Sabrina Carpenter, nominated this year for Man’s Best Friend, won last year for Short n’ Sweet. Swift, nominated for The Life of a Showgirl, won in 2023 for Midnights. If either wins, they’ll become the first repeat winner in the category.

Madonna, who is set to open the 2026 VMAs, maintains her lead with the most nominations (13).

LISA, RAYE, Sienna Spiro, Shaboozey (with and without Gunna), and GENER8ION and Yung Lean are also set to perform on the show.

Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the VMAs will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27 (7:30-9:30 p.m. ET/4:30-6:30 p.m. PT) on CBS, simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ (Premium) in the U.S. The show will also be available globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.

The VMAs are produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Van Toffler serves as producer. Jesse Ignjatovic of Den of Thieves, Barb Bialkowski and Bruce Gillmer serve as executive producers alongside Barry Barclay and Floris Bauer. Melanie Block serves as co-executive producer and Gary Lanvy as co-producer. Snoop Dogg is executive producer alongside producers Sara Ramaker and Jasmin Ratansi. Jen Proctor is executive talent producer.

Below is the full list of nominees in the four social categories, followed by an updated leaderboard showing the artists with the most nominations for the 2026 VMAs.