Madonna and Taylor Swift were at the center of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, a night filled with major performances, tributes and several pieces of VMA history.
The awards were held Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Snoop Dogg hosted the show.
Madonna opened the ceremony with her first VMA performance in more than 20 years. The performance used imagery connected to her new album, "Confessions II," including green lasers, dancers and cameras following the performers around the stage.
She was soon joined by Sabrina Carpenter for "Bring Your Love."
The collaboration was more than an opening-night spectacle. Madonna and Carpenter later won Best Collaboration for the song.
Madonna then moved into "Danceteria," joined by Charli XCX. The performance also included appearances by several people connected with "Confessions II — The Film," including actress Julia Garner and longtime Madonna friend Debi Mazar.
It was only the beginning of Madonna's unusually successful night.
She entered the ceremony with 13 nominations and finished with seven awards. Her wins included Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Dance, Best Long Form Video, Best Album, Best Cinematography and Best Choreography.
The seven victories increased Madonna's career VMA total to 27.
Winning Artist of the Year also gave the night an unusual historical connection. Madonna was one of the performers who helped make the VMAs famous during the early years of the awards show.
Her appearance Sunday marked her first performance at the VMAs since 2003, when her performance with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera became one of the most talked-about moments in the show's history.
Taylor Swift made some history of her own.
Swift received the first Artist Director Honor, a new award recognizing artists whose work as directors has contributed to music videos and visual storytelling.
During her acceptance speech, Swift thanked fans as well as the many performers, actors and production crews who have worked with her on music videos throughout her career.
Swift has increasingly moved behind the camera during her career. She has written and directed a growing number of her own music videos and has won previous VMAs for directing.
She also won Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and Best Direction for "Opalite."
Counting the new Artist Director Honor, CBS News reported that Swift now has 33 VMAs. That moves her ahead of Beyoncé and makes Swift the most-awarded artist in the history of the ceremony.
Swift also gave fans something new to watch.
During the ceremony, she premiered the music video for "Patient Zero," a new single from "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore." The video stars Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell alongside Swift.
The evening also included an emotional tribute to Dolly Parton.
Kacey Musgraves performed "I Will Always Love You" following a video tribute to the country music legend, who died in August.
Parton originally wrote and recorded "I Will Always Love You" in the 1970s. The song later became a worldwide hit when Whitney Houston recorded her version for the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard."
Swift also remembered Parton while accepting the final award of the evening.
Another major honor went to Nirvana.
Surviving members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepted the Video Vanguard Award, which recognizes major contributions to music video and popular culture.
The tribute included archival footage of Kurt Cobain talking about several Nirvana videos. Those included "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are" and "Heart-Shaped Box."
Nirvana's videos became an important part of MTV during the early 1990s, when grunge music moved from the alternative music scene into mainstream popular culture.
BLACKPINK member LISA also had a major night.
She performed her new single "SaWaDiKa" during its television debut. The performance included a tuk-tuk, the three-wheeled taxis closely associated with Thailand.
Earlier in the ceremony, LISA won Best Pop for "Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi."
Sienna Spiro won Best New Artist, while BTS won Song of the Year for "Swim." BTS also took home the award for Best Group.
The 2026 ceremony came during a period when the music industry has changed greatly from the years when MTV was the main place for audiences to watch music videos.
YouTube, streaming services and social media now provide most music video distribution. The VMAs, however, continue to use elaborate performances, unexpected collaborations and major premieres to create moments designed for audiences far beyond traditional television.
This year's show leaned heavily on artists from different generations.
Madonna represented an artist closely connected with MTV's earliest years. Nirvana represented the network's enormous influence during the alternative-rock boom of the 1990s. Swift represented an era in which artists can release their videos directly to audiences around the world.
Those generations came together during one evening.
Madonna's seven victories made her the night's biggest winner. Swift added another milestone to a career already filled with VMA records.
For both artists, the night was also a reminder of how important music videos remain even though the way people watch them has completely changed.