The Aporia · Madonna's at the MTV VMAs tonight. Here's what to know about this year's show.

Madonna's at the MTV VMAs tonight. Here's what to know about this year's show.

Read the original at CBS News ↗

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Sundby, A. (2026, September 27). Madonna's at the MTV VMAs tonight. Here's what to know about this year's show. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vmas-mtv-awards-2026-how-to-watch/

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Quick Summary

Madonna is set to perform at the MTV VMAs for the first time in over 20 years on September 27, where she will also compete for 13 awards, potentially increasing her career total of Moon Person Awards to 33 if she wins all categories. Taylor Swift will receive the VMAs' inaugural Artist Director Honors and is nominated in 11 categories, making her the most-awarded artist with a tie-breaking win over Beyoncé. The show will be hosted by Snoop Dogg and broadcast on CBS and Paramount+.

Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards Artist Director Honor at the 43rd annual ceremony on September 27, making it her 31st Moon Person trophy and officially breaking the tie with Beyoncé for most awards in VMA history. The event, hosted by Snoop Dogg, will also see the premiere of Swift's new music video for "Patient Zero" at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Madonna returns to perform after a 23-year hiatus and holds 11 nominations, followed closely by Taylor Swift with 11 nods herself. The ceremony will be broadcast on CBS alongside MTV. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial to watch the VMAs live for free. This year’s show celebrates the best music videos of 2026, marking a significant milestone for both Madonna and Taylor Swift in terms of recognition and impact on the award show's legacy. Other notable performances include Sabrina Carpenter with nine nominations and Ariana Grande with eight. MTV also honors Nirvana with this year's Video Vanguard Award. The event features various categories such as Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Choreography, among others, recognizing excellence in music video artistry and innovation. Madonna's appearance is set to open the show on September 27 at Peacock Theater. Madonna’s comeback performance is anticipated with special guests including Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter. MTV VMAs continue to celebrate iconic moments, performances, and innovations in music videos throughout the years. Swift's contribution includes a deluxe edition release titled "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore," which debuted alongside “Patient Zero,” further cementing her creative influence on modern pop culture. DIRECTV provides a free trial for VMAs viewership starting September 27, ensuring widespread accessibility and engagement with the event. Overall, this year's MTV Video Music Awards are set to be a memorable celebration of music video artistry and fan community interactions. Madonna’s presence is marked by her historic contributions since the inaugural ceremony in 1984, signaling an era of continued innovation and cultural significance for the VMAs. Snoop Dogg, as host, brings his unique blend of entertainment, comedy, and musical prowess to the stage, promising a dynamic and engaging evening for all music lovers. The combination of Madonna’s comeback performance and Swift's historical award acceptance promises to make this year’s MTV Video Music Awards an unforgettable event in the annals of pop culture history. DirectTV's free trial offer enhances viewer accessibility, ensuring that fans can enjoy the full spectrum of performances, awards, and fan interactions live from Peacock Theater on CBS. The VMAs continue to celebrate creativity, innovation, and community engagement in music video artistry, making September 27 a highly anticipated date for music enthusiasts worldwide.

Written for “MTV Video Music Awards 2026” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 50 other(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 32 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

CBS News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Entertainment

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articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-27 · how these are computed

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Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

CBS News · 4280 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

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🔮 Madonna is set to take the stage as a performer at the for the first time in over 20 years today as she looks to add to her 20 career wins at the VMAs.

2026-09-27 · assertive framing · Madonna's at the MTV VMAs tonight. Here's what to know about this year's show.

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Topics

CBS MTV Nirvana VMA VMAs

Subjects

Madonna PERSON · 4× Kacey Musgraves PERSON · 2× Los Angeles GPE · 2× MTV ORG · 2× .)Swift PERSON · 1× Beyoncé PERSON · 1× Nirvana ORG · 1× Snoop Dogg PERSON · 1× Swift PERSON · 1× VMAs ORG · 1×

Narrative

Here's a rundown of the :- Video of the Year: Ariana Grande, "Brighter Days Ahead" - Artist of the Year: Lady Gaga - Song of the Year: Rosé and Bruno Mars, "APT." - Best New Artist: Alex Warren - Best Pop Artist: Sabrina Carpenter - MTV Push Performance of the Year: KATSEYE, "Touch" - Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, "Die With a Smile" - Best Pop: Ariana Grande, "Brighter Days Ahead" - Best Hip-Hop: Doechii, "Anxiety" - Best R&B: Mariah Carey, "Type Dangerous" - Best Alternative: Sombr, "Back to Friends" - Best Rock: Coldplay, "ALL MY LOVE" - Best Latin: Shakira, "Soltera" - Best K-Pop: LISA featuring Doja Cat and RAYE, "Born Again" - Best Afrobeats: Tyla, "PUSH 2 START" - Best Country: Megan Moroney, "Am I Okay?" - Best Album: Sabrina Carpenter, "Short n' Sweet" - Best Long Form Video: Ariana Grande, "Brighter Days Ahead" - Video for Good: Charli xcx, "Guess featuring Billie Eilish" - Best Group: Blackpink - Song of Summer: Tate McRae, "Just Keep Watching" - Best Direction: Lady Gaga, "Abracadabra" - Best Art Direction: Lady Gaga, "Abracadabra" - Best Cinematography: Kendrick Lamar, "Not Like Us" - Best Editing: Tate McRae, "Just Keep Watching" - Best Choreography: Doechii, "Anxiety" - Best Visual Effects: Sabrina Carpenter, "Manchild"

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-27

🔮 Madonna is set to take the stage as a performer at the for the first time in over 20 years today as she looks to add to her 20 career wins at the VMAs.

2026-09-27 · CBS News

Madonna's at the MTV VMAs tonight. Here's what to know about this year's show. · assertive framing

Claims (32 extracted, 1 hedged)

Madonna is set to take the stage as a performer at the for the first time in over 20 years today as she looks to add to her 20 career wins at the VMAs. asserted

she → set → VMAs

The awards show also brings a milestone for , who will be given the VMAs' first-ever Artist Director Honors, which organizers said recognizes artists "whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling. asserted

work → bring → storytelling

accolade guarantees that Swift, who's also nominated in 11 categories, will become the show's most-awarded artist, breaking the tie between her and Beyoncé, who each collected 30 Moon Persons . asserted

who → guarantee → Persons

(Neither added to their total .)Swift asserted

Neither → add → total

What time do the 2026 VMAs start? asserted

VMAs → start → time

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. PT, on Sunday, Sept. 27. asserted

show → start → Sunday

Who's hosting the 2026 VMAs? asserted

Who → host → VMAs

This year's show is being hosted by Snoop Dogg. asserted

show → host → Dogg

The rapper known for hits like "Beautiful," "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Gin and Juice" is no stranger to the VMAs stage, having first performed at the show in 1994 and winning three times during his career. asserted

It → know → career

Where to watch the 2026 VMAs The VMAs will be airing on CBS television stations (MTV. asserted

VMAs → watch → stations

The show will also be streaming on Paramount+. ) and onHow to watch the VMAs red carpet See the stars arrive and check out the best looks from the red carpet in special coverage streaming live on CBS News Los Angeles starting at 6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT, ahead of the VMAs. asserted

stars → stream → VMAs

Along with Madonna's highly anticipated return, the performances at this year's VMAs include a special tribute to by Kacey Musgraves, who is nominated in the best country category. asserted

who → anticipate → category

Here's a list of the VMA performers announced so far, in alphabetical order: asserted

list → announce → order

When Madonna last performed at the VMAs , George W. Bush was in the White House, the U.S. was five months into the Iraq War, and Mark Zuckerberg was a few months away from launching what's now known as Facebook. asserted

what → perform → Facebook

This year, a performance by the 68-year-old Queen of Pop will open the VMAs. asserted

performance → open → VMAs

If she sweeps all 13 categories, her career total will go up to 33. asserted

total → sweep → 33

LISA, a member of the K-pop group Blackpink and a four-time nominee this year, will be taking the stage to perform her new single "SaWaDiKa." asserted

LISA → take → single

First-time nominees GENER8ION and Swedish rapper Yung Lean, whose song "Storm" is up for four awards, will perform the world premiere of "Storm II." asserted

song → perform → Storm

Singer-songwriter Sombr, nominated in three categories, will join , whose hit "Where Is My Husband!" is up for song of the year, and in a tribute performance for , who died in 2016. asserted

who → nominate → 2016

The tribute comes nearly 40 years after the release of his first solo album, "Faith." asserted

tribute → come → album

Country and hip-hop artist will sing "Cowgirl," which received two nominations. asserted

which → sing → nominations

He'll also join Gunna for their collaboration "High Noon. asserted

He → join → collaboration

"Best new artist nominee Sienna Spiro will also take the stage during the night. asserted

Spiro → take → night

The presenters announced for the show include: - Alex Warren - Belmont Cameli - Brandon Sklenar - Charli xcx - Ciara Miller - David Corenswet - Ella Bright - Isabel May - Jeff Probst - Rachel Dratch - Teyana Taylor - Troye Sivan - Tyla uncertain

presenters → announce → show

Fan voting in most categories closed Friday, but fans can still cast ballots for best new artist and song of the summer. asserted

fans → close → summer

Voting for the summer's top tune will be happening on MTV's Instagram Stories until 11 a.m. ET Sunday. asserted

Voting → happen → ET

Fans can vote for best new artist online even after the show starts. asserted

show → vote → artist

Where are the 2026 VMAs being held? asserted

VMAs → hold → ?

The VMAs will be held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, returning to the West Coast for the first time since 2017. asserted

VMAs → hold → 2017

The 7,100-seat theater last hosted the VMAs in 2015, when the venue was known as the Microsoft Theater. asserted

venue → host → Theater

Last year, the VMAs were held at New York's UBS Arena on Long Island. asserted

VMAs → hold → Island

I → die → Us