Country music will have a strong presence at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with Morgan Wallen, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Stella Lefty and Tucker Wetmore all earning nominations. More Entertainment News
Taylor Swift is among the most-nominated artists of the year with nine nominations, second only to Madonna, who leads the field with 11. Swift is nominated for Video of the Year and Artist of the Year, along with Best Pop and several technical categories for “The Fate of Ophelia.” Her “Opalite” video is also nominated for Best Direction. Swift enters this year’s awards with 30 competitive VMA wins.
Morgan Wallen will compete alongside Swift, Madonna, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and Sabrina Carpenter for Artist of the Year, making him the only country artist in the category.
Ella Langley earned two nominations for “Choosin’ Texas,” including Song of the Year and Best Country. She is the only country artist represented in the overall Song of the Year category.
The Best Country category features a mix of established stars and rising artists. Langley is nominated alongside Kacey Musgraves for “Dry Spell,” Lainey Wilson for “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Luke Combs for “Back in the Saddle,” Shaboozey for “Cowgirl,” Stella Lefty for “Boston” and Tucker Wetmore for “Brunette.”
Several of the country nominees also appear elsewhere on the ballot. Shaboozey’s “Cowgirl” is nominated for Best Cinematography, while Stella Lefty is also up for Best New Artist. Lefty and Wetmore are among the artists competing for their first VMA Moon Person.
Madonna leads all nominees with 11 nominations, followed by Swift with nine. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each earned seven nominations, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson received five each.
The 2026 awards will also see the return of the Best Dance category for the first time in seven years.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will air on September 27, 2026 at 6:30pm. It will broadcast live on CBS and simulcast on MTV, with streaming available on Paramount+.
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