VMAs 2026 Winners Full List: Every Major Category (Pre-Ceremony Hub)

VMAs 2026 winners full list — every major MTV Video Music Awards category in one scrollable hub before the 2026 ceremony crowns honorees Sunday, September 27, 2026, in Los Angeles on MTV, CBS, and Paramount+. As of June 11, 2026, no winners have been announced: MTV typically reveals nominees in early August, fan voting opens afterward, and Moon Person envelopes open live on telecast night. This page lists each marquee category with Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026 until official results post, plus predicted frontrunners clearly labeled as expert projections from Variety, Billboard, and MTV reporting — not confirmed results. For ceremony history and shock moments, see our sibling guides MTV VMAs most iconic moments and VMA Moon Person trophy history.

Editor note: USA Celebs will update this VMAs 2026 winners full list within hours of the September 27 ceremony with verified honorees sourced from MTV.com, CBS, and Variety. Bookmark now for ceremony-night scrolling; return after MTV’s live simulcast for the definitive winner log. We cover category results and records — not red-carpet outfit breakdowns (Pillar F owns fashion analysis). Cross-link to Grammy winners complete list 2026, Emmy winners 2026 full list, and our Awards archive for full awards-season context.

VMAs 2026 Winners Full List: Ceremony, Venue, and How to Watch

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards return to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017, per CBS and MTV announcements reported by Entertainment Now and Arise News. The Primetime telecast is confirmed for Sunday, September 27, 2026, 8/7c (two hours live coast-to-coast) on MTV and CBS, with streaming on Paramount+. The 2025 ceremony aired from UBS Arena in New Jersey with LL Cool J hosting; the 2026 Los Angeles move signals a franchise reset after years in New York and New Jersey.

Host: TBD as of June 2026 — announcements typically follow the early-August nominee reveal. We will update this VMAs 2026 winners full list hub when MTV confirms an emcee.

How to watch: Linear MTV and CBS in all U.S. time zones; Paramount+ streaming for subscribers; MTV.com historically streams nomination mornings and post-show coverage. Fan voting historically covers 21 categories with up to 10 votes per day per category during the voting window — a detail that can reorder any race on the VMAs 2026 winners full list.

Key dates before winners lock:

• Nominees announced: Early August 2026 (MTV typically reveals ~one month before show night)
• Fan voting window: Opens after nominations; closes before telecast
• 2026 MTV Video Music Awards: Sunday, September 27, 2026 — when this VMAs 2026 winners full list goes from TBD to verified

All-time records context: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé remain tied for the most VMA wins in history with 30 Moon Persons each, per 2026 pre-show reporting — a storyline that could reshape the VMAs 2026 winners full list if either artist competes and extends the record.

How to Read This VMAs 2026 Winners Full List (Pre-Ceremony)

Every category below follows the same honest format until September 27:

• Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
• Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS — not results): trade-consensus projections extrapolated from 2025 momentum, chart performance through spring 2026, and historical VMA voter patterns — sourced from Variety, Billboard, and MTV through early June 2026

Fan votes, late-summer single drops, and surprise performer announcements routinely produce VMA upsets — which is why we never present predictions as winners on the VMAs 2026 winners full list until envelopes open. For deeper ceremony lore, read MTV VMAs most iconic moments — our timeline of stage shocks from Kanye-Taylor to Madonna-Britney — and most VMAs won by an artist for the all-time leaderboard context.

Video of the Year

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026

Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): The 2025 race went to Ariana Grande for “Brighter Days Ahead” over Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, and The Weeknd & Playboi Carti. For 2026, projected contenders include artists who dominated 2025 nominations — Lady Gaga (12 noms in 2025), Bruno Mars (11), and Kendrick Lamar (10) — plus any late-eligible videos that break between now and August. Video of the Year remains the crown jewel on the VMAs 2026 winners full list because it blends craft categories and mass appeal.

Why it matters: Video of the Year winners often sweep multiple craft Moon Persons the same night — Lady Gaga claimed Artist of the Year plus direction and art direction in 2025 while Ariana Grande took the top video prize.

Artist of the Year

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026

Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Lady Gaga won Artist of the Year in 2025 over Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. Projected 2026 contenders include Gaga if she maintains release momentum, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé (both chasing a record-extending 31st VMA), Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and breakout arena acts from the eligibility window. Artist of the Year is frequently bumped earlier in the telecast when a headliner has a concurrent concert — a scheduling quirk readers tracking the VMAs 2026 winners full list should expect.

Song of the Year

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026

Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): ROSÉ & Bruno Mars won Song of the Year in 2025 for “APT.” over Alex Warren, Billie Eilish, Doechii, Ed Sheeran, Gracie Abrams, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Lorde, and Tate McRae. Bruno Mars collaborations historically overperform on the VMAs 2026 winners full list projection boards; Doechii’s “Anxiety” and Sabrina Carpenter’s pop run also carry 2025 nomination heat into 2026 eligibility.

Best New Artist

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026

Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Alex Warren won Best New Artist in 2025. The 2026 slate depends on who MTV deems “new” under eligibility rules — typically artists who broke through during the eligibility period without prior competitive VMA history. Watch rising pop and hip-hop crossovers announced with August nominations.

Genre Categories on the VMAs 2026 Winners Full List

MTV splits Moon Persons across genre lanes that readers search alongside the marquee prizes. All remain TBD until September 27:

Best Pop

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Ariana Grande won Best Pop in 2025 for “Brighter Days Ahead.” Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, and Tate McRae filled the 2025 Best Pop Artist ballot — all projected to compete if eligible videos land.

Best Hip-Hop

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Doechii won Best Hip-Hop in 2025 for “Anxiety.” Kendrick Lamar remains a perennial Video of the Year and hip-hop threat on every VMAs 2026 winners full list projection.

Best R&B

Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Mariah Carey won Best R&B in 2025 for “Type Dangerous” during her Video Vanguard victory year — R&B voters often reward legacy vocalists with strong videos.

Best Rock, Alternative, Latin, K-Pop, Afrobeats, and Country

Winner (each): TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
2025 reference winners (PREDICTIONS baseline): Coldplay (Best Rock), sombr (Best Alternative), Shakira (Best Latin), LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE (Best K-Pop), Tyla (Best Afrobeats), Megan Moroney (Best Country). Genre lanes diversify the VMAs 2026 winners full list beyond pop-rap dominance.

Best Collaboration, Best Group, and Best Album

Best Collaboration
Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars won Best Collaboration in 2025 for “Die With a Smile” — Bruno Mars shared nominations across three collabs that night. Duet-heavy ballots are a fixture on the VMAs 2026 winners full list.

Best Group
Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): BLACKPINK won Best Group in 2025. K-pop and pop ensembles historically split this category.

Best Album
Winner: TBD — ceremony Sept. 27, 2026
Predicted frontrunners (PREDICTIONS): Sabrina Carpenter won Best Album in 2025 for Short n’ Sweet. Album category winners often correlate with Artist of the Year momentum on the final VMAs 2026 winners full list.

Craft Categories: Direction, Cinematography, Choreography, and More

Behind-the-camera Moon Persons matter for music-video obsessives searching the VMAs 2026 winners full list. All craft winners TBD until September 27:

• Best Direction: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Lady Gaga won for “Abracadabra” in 2025; auteur-performers who direct their own videos overperform
• Best Art Direction: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Gaga’s “Abracadabra” won in 2025; high-concept visual eras dominate
• Best Cinematography: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won in 2025
• Best Editing: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Tate McRae’s F1 tie-in won in 2025
• Best Choreography: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Doechii’s “Anxiety” won in 2025
• Best Visual Effects: TBD — PREDICTIONS: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” won in 2025

Craft sweeps often preview Video of the Year winners — readers who care about direction and cinematography should watch these lines on the VMAs 2026 winners full list as closely as the marquee categories.

Special Awards: Video Vanguard, Visionary, and Song of Summer

Non-competitive and semi-competitive honors shape VMA night even when they are not fan-voted races on the main VMAs 2026 winners full list:

• Video Vanguard Award: Recipient TBD — 2025: Mariah Carey; honors career-spanning impact with a signature performance
• Rock The Bells Visionary Award: Recipient TBD — 2025: Busta Rhymes; debuted as a new honor in 2025
• Latin Icon Award: Recipient TBD — 2025: Ricky Martin received the first Latin Icon Award
• Song of Summer: Winner TBD — 2025: Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching (From F1 the Movie)”
• Video for Good: Winner TBD — 2025: Charli xcx, “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
• Best Long Form Video: Winner TBD — 2025: Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
• PUSH Performance of the Year: Winner TBD — 2025: KATSEYE, “Touch”

Vanguard recipients often dominate telecast conversation — see best VMA performances of all time for how career-tribute sets rank against competitive wins on the VMAs 2026 winners full list.

Who Leads the VMAs 2026 Winners Full List? (All-Time vs. 2026 Cycle)

Before any 2026 Moon Person is handed out, the career leaderboard frames the stakes. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé sit tied at 30 VMAs each — one win away from sole possession of the all-time record documented in most VMAs won by an artist. Lady Gaga’s four-trophy 2025 night (Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Direction, Best Art Direction) proved she remains a category flood threat even when she does not take Video of the Year.

Three pre-ceremony takeaways for readers bookmarking this hub:

• Los Angeles return may boost West Coast artist turnout and performance scale — affecting both the VMAs 2026 winners full list and live-moment history covered in MTV VMAs most iconic moments.
• CBS simulcast year two expands reach beyond core MTV viewers — fan voting and ratings shocks can reorder underdog categories.
• Bruno Mars collaboration dominance in 2025 nominations suggests duet videos will again flood Video of the Year and Song of the Year on the VMAs 2026 winners full list.

When Will the VMAs 2026 Winners Full List Update?

USA Celebs updates this page in three waves:

1. Early August 2026 — Nominee names replace prediction-only context (winners still TBD)
2. Fan voting window — We note voting deadlines as MTV publishes them; fan favorites can differ from critic projections
3. September 27, 2026, live telecast — Envelopes open; verified honorees replace every TBD line on the VMAs 2026 winners full list within hours

We source final results from MTV, CBS, Variety, Billboard, and Deadline — never social-media rumor. Until then, treat every name outside an official August nomination announcement or September 27 telecast reveal as a projection.

Explore More VMA and Awards Coverage

• Shock history: MTV VMAs most iconic moments.
• Trophy lore: VMA Moon Person trophy history.
• Record chase: most VMAs won by an artist.
• Stage legends: best VMA performances of all time.
• Explained: Kanye West Taylor Swift VMA moment explained.
• 2003 moment: Madonna Britney Christina VMA kiss story.
• TV peers: Emmy winners 2026 full list.
• Music peers: Grammy winners complete list 2026.
• Visit our Awards archive for Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and ceremony history.