Taylor Swift: Madonna heads into the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards as the most-nominated artist this year.
She earned 11 nods total. Taylor Swift trails close behind with nine nominations.
Swift already shares the record for most VMA wins in history. She's tied with Beyoncé at 30 career wins apiece.
One more trophy this year would make her the sole most-awarded artist in VMA history.
Swift picked up nominations across several categories.
These include Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography, and Best Visual Effects.
The Video of the Year race sets up a direct matchup between the two pop icons.
Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia" is competing against Madonna's "Confessions II — The Film."
Swift also landed a Best Direction nod for her Showgirl-era track "Opalite."
Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter follow with seven nominations each.
Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson rounded out the top tier of contenders with five nominations apiece.
Swift's nine nominations give her multiple shots at breaking the all-time wins record.
Video of the Year remains the category to watch, given her head-to-head with Madonna.
The 2026 MTV VMAs are set to air live from Los Angeles on September 27.
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