Madonna Is Back: Queen of Pop to Open 2026 MTV VMAs
Madonna is returning to the MTV Video Music Awards for her first live performance at the ceremony in 23 years. The 68-year-old pop star will open the 2026 VMAs, MTV…
Madonna is returning to the MTV Video Music Awards for her first live performance at the ceremony in 23 years.
The 68-year-old pop star will open the 2026 VMAs, MTV and CBS announced Wednesday. Her return follows her last live VMA performance in 2003, when she appeared alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.
That performance featured a medley of “Hollywood,” “Like a Virgin,” and “Passenger,” along with Madonna's now-famous onstage kisses with Spears and Aguilera.
Madonna Leads 2026 VMA Nominations
Madonna is also having a major year at the VMAs, leading all artists with 11 nominations. Her nominations include Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for Confessions II – The Film, and Song of the Year for “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter.
She enters the ceremony with 19 competitive VMA wins and 20 overall wins, including her 1986 Video Vanguard Award.
This marks the third time Madonna has led the VMAs in nominations. She previously received nine nominations for “Vogue” in 1990 and nine for “Ray of Light” and “Frozen” in 1998.
Madonna's VMA History
Madonna performed at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, where she sang “Like a Virgin” after emerging from a giant wedding cake in a wedding dress and her signature “Boy Toy” belt. The performance became one of the show's defining moments.
In 1986, she became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. She later delivered memorable performances of “Express Yourself” in 1989, “Vogue” in 1990, and “Bye Bye Baby” in 1993.
In 2021, Madonna made an unannounced appearance at the VMAs to celebrate MTV's 40th anniversary.
Her latest return comes after the release of Confessions II, her critically acclaimed No. 1 album and 15th studio set. Released July 3, the project follows her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor and explores family, loss, love, and her early years as an artist.
The 2026 VMAs, hosted by Snoop Dogg, will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. The ceremony will be available globally on Paramount+ and MTV the following day.
