Madonna Leads VMA Nominations With 11 Noms For Confessions II
As a gay of a certain age, it’s been fun to see all the headlines this morning announcing that Madonna has a leading 11 VMA nominations thanks to Confessions II, eight of which are for the stunning “Confessions II — The Film.” The 14-minute music video (watch above) is up for Video of the Year, Best Dance Video, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Choreography. Madonna is also up for Artist of the Year, and she has two nods for “Bring Your Love” (Song of the Year and Best Collaboration, with Sabrina Carpenter). I and anyone over the age of 40 hasn’t watched the VMAs in at least 10 years (has anyone of any age watched the basically defunct cable network award show in the last decade? it doesn’t even air on MTV now, it’s on Paramount sister network CBS), but I’ll turn it on next month to see if Madonna wins.
Madonna has amassed a total of 20 VMA trophies over the last forty years, including one Video of the Year win for 1998’s “Ray Of Light.” She hasn’t won a VMA this century, her last win being in 1999 for Best Video from a Film (“Beautiful Stranger”). Her other big wins were of course for “Like A Prayer,” “Vogue,” “Take A Bow,” “Rain,” “Express Yourself,” and “Papa Don’t Preach.”
The 2026 VMAs will air on September 27th on CBS, and they’re saying that the winners will be determined by fan votes, but I doubt that’s true. Assuming it’s rigged, they’ll probably give Madonna Video of the Year, which would be very deserved. I either don’t care for or don’t know who almost every other nominee is on the list below (except for Noah Kahan, who has one of the best albums of the year, but he’s not a music video artist, so he only has one nomination), but here they all are:
Video of the Year
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
- GENER8ION – “STORM” starring Yung Lean
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Artist of the Year
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- Madonna
- Morgan Wallen
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
- BTS – “Swim”
- Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
- HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – “Golden”
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
- Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
- RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”
Best New Artist
- Bella Kay
- CORTIS
- Magnus Ferrell
- Malcolm Todd
- Myles Smith
- Sienna Spiro
- Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
- Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips”
- French Montana x Max B – “Ever Since U Left Me”
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
- Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
- Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – “Hard Part”
Best Pop
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- Charli xcx – “SS26”
- LISA – “Dream” feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
- Olivia Rodrigo – “drop dead”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
- Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Hip-Hop
- Cardi B feat. Kehlani – “Safe”
- Don Toliver – “E85”
- Drake – “Janice STFU”
- Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL”
- Travis Scott – “DUMBO”
- Tyler, The Creator – “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”
Best R&B
- Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
- Chris Brown – “It Depends/Obvious”
- Dave & Tems – “Raindance”
- Justin Bieber – “YUKON”
- Kehlani – “Folded”
- Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
- Geese – “Taxes”
- mgk & Fred Durst – “FIX UR FACE”
- Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide”
- Olivia Rodrigo – “the cure”
- SOMBR – “Homewrecker”
- Tame Impala – “Dracula”
- twenty one pilots – “Drag Path”
Best Dance
- Bebe Rexha & Faithless – “New Religion”
- Harry Styles – “Aperture”
- Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson – “Stateside”
- Slayyyter – “DANCE…”
- Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
- Anitta with Shakira – “Choka Choka”
- Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL”
- Fuerza Regida – “TU SANCHO”
- KAROL G – “Papasito”
- Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – “La Perla”
- Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – “LA VILLA”
- Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
- BLACKPINK – “JUMP”
- BTS – “SWIM”
- CORTIS – “REDRED”
- KATSEYE – “PINKY UP”
- LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – “SPAGHETTI”
- LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Best Country
- Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas”
- Kacey Musgraves – “Dry Spell”
- Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo”
- Luke Combs – “Back in the Saddle”
- Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
- Stella Lefty – “Boston”
- Tucker Wetmore – “Brunette”
Best Direction
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
- GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
- Taylor Swift – “Opalite”
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx – “SS26”
- Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
- SOMBR – “My Body Isn’t Ready”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Cinematography
- A$AP Rocky – “PUNK ROCKY”
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- Shaboozey – “Cowgirl”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- Bruno Mars – “I Just Might”
- LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Choreography
- GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean”
- Harry Styles – “Dance No More”
- KATSEYE – “PINKY UP”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Visual Effects
- Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me”
- JISOO X ZAYN – “Eyes Closed”
- Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson”
- RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – “Click Clack Symphony.”
- Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia”
