Taylor Swift, Madonna win at awards dominated by female artists

Madonna and Taylor Swift triumphed at the 2026 MTV Video Music awards, with the former winning seven and the latter winning the night’s top honour, extending her run as the most-awarded artist in VMAs history.

In a ceremony that largely awarded female artists, Madonna entered the evening as the most nominated artist of the year with 13 nods and won seven.

“Most of you were probably not born when I performed at the very first VMAs 43 years ago,” the 68-year-old said while accepting the award for artist of the year, which she won over Swift, Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and Morgan Wallen.

Swift won three categories, including the night’s top honour – video of the year – for “The Fate of Ophelia”, and the inaugural artist director honours. The new award, to celebrate “groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video”, honoured Swift’s status as the most-decorated music video director in the show’s history, as well as its most-awarded solo artist.

Swift dedicated her win to “the ultimate showgirl” Dolly Parton, who died last month at 80 after being diagnosed with cancer.

“Listening to her songs, it’s like watching the best music video you have ever seen in your life, every single time you hear what she’s written,” she said. “And she handled this thing with such grace and joy and love and gratitude for the fact that she got to do this, and everything that happened in her life or her career, she channelled back into love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans.

After reflecting on her 20 years of making nearly 60 music videos, 18 of which she wrote and directed, Swift premiered her new video for Patient Zero, the lead single from The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, her four-track addition to last year’s critically maligned album. The new video sees her twinning with actor Dakota Johnson in a showdown with a mutual ex played by Colin Farrell.

Country singer Kacey Musgraves paid tribute to Parton by harmonizing with archival video of the late singer performing her hit I Will Always Love You, to a visibly moved crowd. Later on, Sombr, Raye, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert performed hits from George Michael’s Faith tour, 10 years after the English singer’s death aged 53.

Presided over by a largely absent, if reliably chill first-time host, Snoop Dogg, the 2026 VMA telecast was once again dominated by female artists. K-pop star Lisa won best pop for her song Dream, while British newcomer Sienna Spiro was named best new artist after fans voted throughout the show.

The Michael Jackson video vanguard award, a honorary lifetime achievement prize, went to Nirvana, for the influence of the era-defining grunge band’s music videos.