VMAs 2026 will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday 27 September, with Snoop Dogg hosting and Madonna opening the show. The ceremony starts at 7.30pm ET and 4.30pm PT, equivalent to 12.30am BST on Monday 28 September, with CBS and MTV carrying the US broadcast.
The announced MTV Video Music Awards line-up includes Lisa, Raye and Shaboozey as performers, with Charli xcx and Teyana Taylor among the presenters. Paramount+ Premium will stream the ceremony live in the US, while Essential subscribers must wait until the following day.
VMAs 2026 Start Times and Where To Watch
For UK audiences, the start falls after midnight on Monday. The announced CBS, MTV and Paramount+ arrangements cover the US, and no UK live broadcaster/streaming option was identified, but Paramount+ is identified for next-day global availability.
CBS will broadcast the awards live, with MTV showing the same programme simultaneously. US viewers watching without cable can use Paramount+ Premium, which includes livestream access to their local CBS station. That channel feed provides access to the ceremony as it airs.
Paramount+ Essential does not include live coverage of the VMAs. Subscribers to that tier will be able to stream the awards on demand on Monday 28 September, the day after the US broadcast. The viewing information does not specify when that replay will become available.
The subscription options also differ beyond the ceremony. Essential is the ad-supported plan, while Premium includes ad-free on-demand streaming and access to the Showtime streaming library.
Madonna Opens the VMAs 2026 Performance Line-Up
Madonna's opening performance will be her first at the VMAs in 23 years. She heads a performance bill that also includes Lisa, Raye, Shaboozey, Gunna and Sienna Spiro, alongside Gener8ion and Yung Lean.
Two tribute performances have been announced. Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will perform in honour of George Michael, while Kacey Musgraves will pay tribute to Dolly Parton.
Several performers also appear on the nominations list. Spiro is in contention for Best New Artist, and Shaboozey's 'Cowgirl' is nominated for Best Country and Best Cinematography. Lisa's 'Dream', featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, appears in the Best Pop, Best K-Pop, Best Cinematography and Best Editing categories.
Musgraves is nominated for Best Country with 'Dry Spell'. That category also includes Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Stella Lefty and Tucker Wetmore, alongside Shaboozey. Raye's 'Where Is My Husband!' is up for Song of the Year, while 'Click Clack Symphony', featuring Hans Zimmer, is nominated for Best Visual Effects.
Who Is Hosting and Presenting at the VMAs 2026
Snoop Dogg takes on hosting duties with 13 VMAs nominations and three wins to his name. In the press release announcing his role, he spoke about the awards show's place in his career.
'MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning.' He added, 'So to come back now and host the VMAs, all these years later, that's a full-circle moment for me.'
The presenter line-up includes Alex Warren, Charli xcx, Teyana Taylor, Troye Sivan and Tyla. Chuck D, Emma Bunton, Orville Peck and Paris Hilton have also been announced, alongside Ciara Miller, Belmont Cameli, Ella Bright, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch, Isabel May and David Corenswet.
Some of those handing out awards are nominated themselves. Charli xcx's 'SS26' is in the Best Pop and Best Art Direction fields, while Teyana Taylor's collaboration with Lucky Daye, 'Hard Part', is nominated for Best Collaboration.
VMAs 2026 Honours, Nominations and Voting
Nirvana will receive this year's Video Vanguard Award. Taylor Swift, meanwhile, will become the first recipient of the MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, a new award recognising artists' work behind the camera.
MTV describes the honour as recognising 'groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.'
Swift will also premiere her new music video for 'Patient Zero', starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. Her nominations include Best Direction for 'Opalite'. 'The Fate of Ophelia' appears in Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects, as well as Video of the Year and Best Pop.
Madonna and Swift are both nominated for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. The latter category also includes Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter. In Video of the Year, Gener8ion joins Grande, Mars, Madonna, Carpenter and Swift on the shortlist.
The Song of the Year field includes BTS's 'Swim', Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas', Huntr/X's 'Golden', Madonna and Carpenter's 'Bring Your Love', Olivia Dean's 'Man I Need', PinkPantheress's 'Stateside + Zara Larsson' and Raye's 'Where Is My Husband!'
Best Album nominees are Drake's Iceman, Madonna's Confessions II, Dean's The Art of Loving, Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, Carpenter's Man's Best Friend and Swift's The Life of a Showgirl.
Best New Artist nominees are Bella Kay, Cortis, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro and Stella Lefty. Fan voting in 12 of the 13 main categories closed at 6pm ET on Friday 25 September, while Best New Artist voting continues into the ceremony through MTV's voting website.
