Make Page Six a Preferred Source GC Images, Taylor Swift, Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic The best music videos of the year will be honored tonight at the 43rd annual MTV Video Music Awards.
For the second year in a row, the awards will be broadcast on CBS in addition to its regular home of MTV, making the VMAs easier to watch at home.
The VMA ceremony will be hosted by three-time winner Snoop Dogg, who was last on the VMAs stage as a performer in 2022. Nominations, which were announced on Aug. 18, are led by Madonna, who tied Lady Gaga’s record for the most nominations by a single artist in one year with 13.
She is followed by Taylor Swift with 11; Sabrina Carpenter with nine; and Ariana Grande with eight. In addition to her 11 nominations, Swift is set to receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. The special award will be her 31st VMA, Swift is now the most-awarded individual in VMA history, passing Beyoncé (30).
Dakota Johnson (left) will star in Taylor Swift’s (right) music video for “Patient Zero” premiering during tonight’s VMAs. Taylor Swift Earlier this week, Swift announced that the music video for her new single “Patient Zero” would premiere during tonight’s VMAs. A teaser shared earlier this week revealed the music video’s stars: A-listers Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.
“The timing made sense with the release,” a source told Page Six. “She really wanted to be there and the network wanted to figure out a moment in the show that was special to her where she wasn’t just in the background so MTV made this moment happen.”
MTV’s signature Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award will be given to ’90s rock band Nirvana tonight as well.
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the 2026 VMAs for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching TV live for free because of its flexible plans and great deals. CBS is currently included in two discounted genre packs: MyNews ($39.99/month for two months) and MySports ($44.99/month for six months), both of which come with a five-day free trial before payment begins.
This year, the VMAs red carpet will not be televised traditionally, but fans nationwide can tune in to the CBS Los Angeles live stream at 6 p.m. ET to watch CBS LA’s coverage of the red carpet.
Rapper Snoop Dogg will host the VMAs for the first time this year. The three-time VMA winner has appeared on the ceremony as a performer in 1994,1999, 2003, 2005 and 2022.
Madona, who leads all nominees this year, will open the ceremony marking her first VMA performance in 23 years. Gener8io, Yung Lean, Lisa, Raye, Shaboozey, Gunna and Sienna Spiro will also perform.
Kacey Musgraves is set to perform a tribute to the late Dolly Parton, while Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will honor George Michael a decade after his passing with a medley.
Madonna leads this year’s nominations with 13, tying Lady Gaga’s 2010 record for the most in one year by a single artist. GC Images VMAs 2026 nominees (top categories) There will be 23 awards handed out tonight; 17 will be fan-voted, while the rest (including craft categories like directions, cinematography and choreography) will be determined by industry professionals.
These are a few of the top prizes, but you can find the full list of 2026 VMA nominations on MTV’s official site.
Alex Warren, “Off Campus” stars Belmont Cameli and Ella Bright, Charli XCX, Chuck D, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Emma Bunton, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Orville Peck, Paris Hilton, Rachel Dratch, Teyana Taylor, Tyla and Troye Sivan were announced as presenters ahead of this year’s VMAs.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for the New York Post, Page Six, and Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with information on how to watch all of your favorite reality TV shows and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, celebrities and pop culture. Prior to joining The Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
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