The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations have arrived with plenty for music lovers to follow, but the Nigerian story carries a detail that becomes more interesting the deeper the nomination list is examined. Burna Boy and Tems are both in the race, giving Nigeria 3 nominations across major international categories, yet a familiar space is missing from the lineup, creating an unexpected backdrop to what should have been another major year for Afrobeats on one of the world’s most recognisable music award stages.
The names appearing on the list tell one story, while the category structure tells another, and both become important when the journey from the first Afrobeats VMA in 2023 to the 2026 ceremony is placed side by side. By the time the full nomination list is considered, the significance of Burna Boy’s 2 nominations, Tems’ 1 nomination and the missing Best Afrobeats category becomes much clearer.
MTV VMAs 2026 nomination date
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations were announced on August 18, 2026, bringing together some of the biggest names across pop, hip hop, R&B, Latin music, K Pop, country, dance and alternative music. The ceremony is scheduled for September 27, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, where the nominees will compete for one of the most recognisable trophies in contemporary music. The ceremony is set to air across CBS and MTV, with Paramount Plus carrying the event for viewers in the United States. The nomination announcement has therefore opened a countdown toward a September night that will place established superstars, emerging artists and international collaborations on the same stage.
The overall nomination picture is led by Madonna, who enters the 2026 VMAs with 11 nominations, making her the most nominated artist on this year’s list. Taylor Swift follows closely with 9 nominations, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each receive 7 nominations. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each have 5 nominations, giving the upper end of the leaderboard a mixture of established global stars and artists whose recent releases have generated significant attention. The distribution also shows how broad the VMAs have become, with artists competing across traditional genre categories as well as technical and creative fields connected to the production of music videos.
Burna Boy’s 2 nominations
Burna Boy enters the 2026 VMAs with 2 nominations, both connected to his collaboration with Colombian superstar Shakira on “Dai Dai”, a pairing that places the Nigerian singer in categories extending beyond a traditional African music classification. The first nomination comes in Best Collaboration, where Shakira and Burna Boy face other major partnerships from across the international music scene. The second nomination comes in Best Latin, putting the Nigerian artist directly into a category that is strongly associated with Latin music and its global audience.
The Best Collaboration nomination places “Dai Dai” alongside tracks from artists including Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice, French Montana and Max B, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson, as well as Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye. Burna Boy’s inclusion means his work with Shakira is being judged alongside collaborations involving some of the biggest names in contemporary music, giving him 2 separate opportunities to leave the 2026 ceremony with a VMA.
Burna Boy enters Best Latin
The Best Latin nomination is perhaps the more unusual part of Burna Boy’s 2026 campaign because “Dai Dai” places him inside a category built around a distinct musical market. The nomination list features Anitta with Shakira, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, KAROL G, Rosalía with Yahritza Y Su Esencia, Ryan Castro with Kapo and GANGSTA, alongside Shakira and Burna Boy. The category therefore brings together artists connected to Latin music from different countries and backgrounds, with Burna Boy arriving through his collaboration with Shakira.
That nomination adds another layer to Burna Boy’s growing international profile because his music career has increasingly crossed geographical and genre boundaries. Rather than appearing in a dedicated African category, he is entering the 2026 VMAs through a collaboration that has opened a route into Best Latin while also securing recognition in Best Collaboration. His chances will ultimately depend on the voting and final results, but the categories themselves already demonstrate the scale of the competition facing him on September 27.
Tems’ 1 nomination
Tems receives 1 nomination at the 2026 VMAs, earning recognition in Best R&B for “Raindance”, her collaboration with Dave. The nomination puts the Nigerian singer alongside Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, as well as Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis. It gives Tems a direct opportunity to compete in one of the most established genre categories at the awards rather than through a category created specifically for African music.
The Best R&B nomination is significant because Tems has continued to build a reputation that crosses the boundaries between Nigerian music, contemporary R&B and the wider international music industry.
Her nomination with Dave therefore adds another example of an African artist entering the VMAs through a broader global category. Nigeria’s 2026 representation consequently comes through 3 nominations, with Burna Boy responsible for 2 and Tems responsible for 1.
The missing Best Afrobeats category
The biggest detail surrounding Nigeria’s 2026 VMAs story is not a name appearing on the nomination list but a category that is no longer there. Best Afrobeats does not appear among the 2026 categories, marking a significant change from the previous 3 editions of the awards. The category first appeared at the VMAs in 2023, giving Afrobeats a dedicated space at the ceremony after the genre had grown into a major force in international music.
Its absence in 2026 is particularly noticeable because the VMAs had already established a short but recognisable history for the category. Rema and Selena Gomez won the inaugural Best Afrobeats VMA in 2023 for “Calm Down”, followed by Tyla’s victory for “Water” in 2024. Tyla then won again in 2025 with “Push 2 Start”, making her the first artist to win the category twice. The 2026 lineup now arrives without the award that had been part of the previous 3 ceremonies.
The 2023 beginning
The history of Best Afrobeats at the VMAs began in 2023 when Rema and Selena Gomez won the inaugural award for “Calm Down”. Their victory represented an important moment for Afrobeats at a major American music awards ceremony because it placed the genre within a dedicated VMA category rather than requiring African artists to compete exclusively through broader international or genre classifications.
Rema’s victory also reflected the extraordinary international reach of “Calm Down”, which had become one of the biggest Afrobeats records of its period. The collaboration with Selena Gomez gave the song an additional global dimension and helped establish the first Best Afrobeats winner in VMA history. That moment created an expectation that the category would continue as a permanent part of the awards structure.
Tyla takes over in 2024
The 2024 edition brought a different winner when South African singer Tyla took the Best Afrobeats award for “Water”. Her victory immediately became part of a wider conversation about how African music was being classified on international award platforms because Tyla’s music is strongly associated with Amapiano and South African musical influences.
Tyla herself had previously emphasised her South African identity and her connection to Amapiano, which made the category title particularly interesting. Her victory demonstrated the difficulty of placing the rapidly expanding range of African sounds into a single category. Afrobeats has a specific West African origin and identity, while African pop music increasingly includes sounds from South Africa, East Africa and other parts of the continent that do not necessarily fit neatly into the Afrobeats label.
Tyla makes history in 2025
Tyla returned to the top of the category in 2025, winning Best Afrobeats for “Push 2 Start”. The victory gave her a second consecutive award and made her the first artist to win the Best Afrobeats VMA twice. Her 2025 victory came against a field that included several major Nigerian names, including Asake, Burna Boy featuring Travis Scott, Rema, Tems featuring Asake, Wizkid featuring Brent Faiyaz, as well as Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea.
The result meant that only 2 artists had won Best Afrobeats across the category’s 3 year history, with Rema and Tyla becoming the first names permanently attached to the award’s record. Rema and Selena Gomez took the inaugural prize in 2023, while Tyla claimed the award in both 2024 and 2025. The 2026 nominations therefore arrive after a short but clearly established history for the category.
Nigeria’s 2026 position
Nigeria still has a meaningful place in the 2026 VMAs despite the absence of Best Afrobeats. Burna Boy and Tems are both nominated, with their 3 nominations spread across Best Collaboration, Best Latin and Best R&B. Their inclusion makes it difficult to describe the 2026 nominations as a complete disappearance of Nigerian music from the awards.
Burna Boy’s 2 nominations are particularly notable because neither comes through a Nigerian or African specific category. His collaboration with Shakira has placed him in Best Collaboration and Best Latin, while Tems enters Best R&B through “Raindance” with Dave. The Nigerian presence therefore remains visible, but it takes a different form from the one created by Best Afrobeats.
Full Video of the Year nominations
The Video of the Year category features Ariana Grande with “hate that i made you love me”, Bruno Mars with “I Just Might”, GENER8ION starring Yung Lean with “STORM”, Madonna with “Confessions II – The Film”, Sabrina Carpenter with “Tears”, and Taylor Swift with “The Fate of Ophelia”. These nominees represent a mixture of major established artists and high profile contemporary releases.
The category remains one of the biggest prizes of the night because it brings together artists from different musical backgrounds under a single award. Madonna’s inclusion is particularly notable because her 11 nominations place her at the top of the overall 2026 nomination table. Taylor Swift follows with 9, giving the category a strong concentration of artists who already have significant VMA histories.
Artist of the Year nominations
Artist of the Year features Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. The category recognises the wider impact of an artist rather than focusing on one individual song or video, making it one of the central awards to watch when the ceremony takes place on September 27.
Madonna’s nomination adds another major milestone to her already dominant 2026 campaign. With 11 nominations overall, she has more nominations than every other artist on this year’s list. Taylor Swift’s 9 nominations place her second, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter remain close behind with 7 each.
Song of the Year nominations
Song of the Year features BTS with “Swim”, Ella Langley with “Choosin’ Texas”, HUNTR/X featuring EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI with “Golden”, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter with “Bring Your Love”, Olivia Dean with “Man I Need”, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with “Stateside”, and RAYE with “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”.
The category adds another dimension to the 2026 awards because it is separate from the video focused categories. The nominees therefore represent songs that have secured recognition within a field that brings together K Pop, country, pop and other major contemporary sounds. The breadth of the list reflects the increasingly international structure of the VMAs.
Best New Artist nominations
Best New Artist features Bella Kay, CORTIS, Magnus Ferrell, Malcolm Todd, Myles Smith, Sienna Spiro and Stella Lefty. The category provides one of the clearest opportunities for emerging artists to gain a major VMA distinction during a ceremony otherwise dominated by established global names.
The presence of newer performers alongside artists such as Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Bruno Mars gives the 2026 ceremony a mixture of experience and new momentum. The eventual winner will join the growing list of artists whose careers received an important award moment at the VMAs.
Best Pop nominations
Best Pop includes Ariana Grande with “hate that i made you love me”, Charli xcx with “SS26”, LISA with “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, Olivia Rodrigo with “drop dead”, Sabrina Carpenter with “House Tour”, Tate McRae with “Nobody’s Girl”, and Taylor Swift with “The Fate of Ophelia”.
The category contains several artists who are already among the most visible names in international pop music. Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift also feature prominently elsewhere in the nominations, reinforcing their positions as some of the major contenders heading into September.
Best Hip Hop nominations
Best Hip Hop features Cardi B featuring Kehlani with “Safe”, Don Toliver with “E85”, Drake with “Janice STFU”, Megan Thee Stallion with “LOVER GIRL”, Travis Scott with “DUMBO”, and Tyler, The Creator with “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”.
The category brings together artists with strong identities across contemporary hip hop and rap, with each nominee competing for recognition within a field that remains one of the most closely followed parts of the VMAs. Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott and Tyler, The Creator all arrive with established reputations, while the category also reflects the continuing importance of collaborations and evolving sounds within hip hop.
Best R&B nominations
Best R&B features Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Dave and Tems, Justin Bieber, Kehlani, and Mariah the Scientist with Kali Uchis. Tems’ nomination for “Raindance” places her directly against artists with extensive international audiences and established VMA histories.
Her inclusion gives Nigeria a clear point of interest beyond Burna Boy’s nominations. The result on September 27 will determine whether Tems can convert her Best R&B nomination into a VMA victory, but the nomination itself confirms that her work is being recognised within one of the major international genre categories.
Best Dance returns
Best Dance features Bebe Rexha and Faithless with “New Religion”, Harry Styles with “Aperture”, Lady Gaga and Doechii with “RUNAWAY”, Madonna with “Confessions II – The Film”, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with “Stateside”, Slayyyter with “DANCE…”, and Tate McRae with “Nobody’s Girl”.
The return of Best Dance is one of the notable structural changes in the 2026 VMAs because the category has returned after a 7 year absence. Its comeback arrives during the same ceremony in which Best Afrobeats is missing, showing that the awards have not simply retained every category from previous years.
Best K Pop nominations
Best K Pop features BLACKPINK with “JUMP”, BTS with “SWIM”, CORTIS with “REDRED”, KATSEYE with “PINKY UP”, LE SSERAFIM featuring j hope of BTS with “SPAGHETTI”, and LISA with “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
The category demonstrates the continuing international importance of K Pop within the VMAs. BTS, BLACKPINK, LISA, KATSEYE and LE SSERAFIM represent a part of the global music market that has become increasingly prominent within major American awards ceremonies.
Best Country nominations
Best Country includes Ella Langley with “Choosin’ Texas”, Kacey Musgraves with “Dry Spell”, Lainey Wilson with “Somewhere Over Laredo”, Luke Combs with “Back in the Saddle”, Shaboozey with “Cowgirl”, Stella Lefty with “Boston”, and Tucker Wetmore with “Brunette”.
The category continues the VMAs’ wider approach of recognising major genre markets rather than limiting the awards to pop and mainstream music. Country remains one of the strongest musical categories in the United States, and the 2026 nominees reflect both established performers and newer names.
Best Alternative nominations
Best Alternative features Geese with “Taxes”, mgk and Fred Durst with “FIX UR FACE”, Noah Kahan with “The Great Divide”, Olivia Rodrigo with “the cure”, SOMBR with “Homewrecker”, Tame Impala with “Dracula”, and twenty one pilots with “Drag Path”.
The category adds another layer to the 2026 nomination list, with artists working across alternative rock, pop and other contemporary sounds. Olivia Rodrigo’s inclusion also demonstrates how artists can move across category boundaries when their music reaches audiences beyond one fixed genre.
Best Direction nominations
Best Direction includes Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION starring Yung Lean, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. The category focuses on the creative direction behind the nominated videos and therefore adds a filmmaking dimension to the awards.
Madonna’s “Confessions II – The Film” appears again, adding to the growing number of categories connected to her 2026 campaign. Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift also continue their strong representation across the nomination list.
Best Art Direction nominations
Best Art Direction features Charli xcx with “SS26”, Lady Gaga and Doechii with “RUNAWAY”, Madonna with “Confessions II – The Film”, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with “Stateside”, SOMBR with “My Body Isn’t Ready”, and Taylor Swift with “The Fate of Ophelia”.
These categories show that the VMAs are not limited to recognising artists and songs alone. The awards also acknowledge the visual construction behind music videos, including art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.
Best Cinematography nominations
Best Cinematography features A$AP Rocky with “PUNK ROCKY”, Ariana Grande with “hate that i made you love me”, LISA with “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, Madonna with “Confessions II – The Film”, Shaboozey with “Cowgirl”, and Taylor Swift with “The Fate of Ophelia”.
The category places visual storytelling at the centre of the competition and further explains why the VMAs remain different from awards that focus primarily on audio recordings. A successful music video can compete across several technical fields depending on its direction, imagery and production.
Best Editing nominations
Best Editing includes Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, LISA, Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. Each nominee is recognised for the editing work that shapes the final visual product, giving another opportunity for major artists to collect recognition from the same video.
Madonna again appears among the nominees, reinforcing her position as the leading name in the 2026 nomination count. Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter also continue to appear repeatedly across the technical categories.
Best Choreography nominations
Best Choreography features GENER8ION starring Yung Lean, Harry Styles, KATSEYE, Madonna, Tate McRae and Taylor Swift. The category highlights the movement and performance design that contribute to the identity of a music video.
The presence of KATSEYE, Tate McRae and Taylor Swift alongside established artists such as Madonna and Harry Styles gives the category a broad generational range. It also demonstrates how choreography has remained an important part of the visual identity of modern pop releases.
Best Visual Effects nominations
Best Visual Effects features Ariana Grande, JISOO with ZAYN, Madonna, PinkPantheress with Zara Larsson, RAYE featuring Hans Zimmer, and Taylor Swift. These nominations recognise the technical work used to create or enhance the visual world of each nominated video.
Madonna’s continued appearance in the technical categories contributes heavily to her overall total of 11 nominations. Taylor Swift also maintains a strong presence, while artists such as JISOO, RAYE and PinkPantheress receive recognition for visually ambitious releases.
The wider category changes
Best Afrobeats is not the only previous category absent from the 2026 lineup. Reports surrounding the nomination announcement have also identified the absence of Best Rock, Best Group, Best Album, Video for Good, Best Long Form Video and Song of Summer. At the same time, Best Dance has returned after 7 years.
That wider restructuring is an important part of the 2026 story because it places the missing Afrobeats category within a broader alteration of the awards system. The absence of Best Afrobeats therefore appears alongside several other category changes rather than standing completely alone. MTV has not publicly provided a specific explanation establishing why Best Afrobeats was removed from the 2026 lineup.
What remains confirmed
The confirmed facts are straightforward. Best Afrobeats appeared at the VMAs in 2023, 2024 and 2025, with Rema and Selena Gomez winning the inaugural award for “Calm Down” in 2023. Tyla won the award for “Water” in 2024 and returned to win again for “Push 2 Start” in 2025, making her the first artist to win the category twice.
The 2026 nomination list contains no Best Afrobeats category, while Burna Boy receives 2 nominations and Tems receives 1 nomination in broader international categories. Burna Boy is nominated for Best Collaboration and Best Latin with Shakira for “Dai Dai”, while Tems is nominated for Best R&B with Dave for “Raindance”.
Burna Boy’s chances at the VMAs
Burna Boy has 2 routes to a VMA victory in 2026, with “Dai Dai” competing in both Best Collaboration and Best Latin. His Best Collaboration nomination places him among major international partnerships, while Best Latin gives the Nigerian singer another opportunity in a category with a distinct musical identity.
The final outcome will be determined at the ceremony on September 27, 2026, but the nomination itself is already notable because both opportunities have emerged outside the missing Best Afrobeats category. Burna Boy’s 2026 VMA campaign therefore rests entirely on his ability to compete within broader international categories.
Tems’ chances at the VMAs
Tems has 1 opportunity to take home a VMA, with “Raindance” competing in Best R&B. Her opponents include Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Kehlani and Mariah the Scientist with Kali Uchis, making the category one of the strongest fields for her to navigate.
The nomination nevertheless gives Tems a place among major R&B names at the 2026 ceremony. Her route to the award is direct, with the result resting on the final voting process and the outcome announced during the September 27 ceremony.
September 27 becomes the key date
The next major date for the nominees is September 27, 2026, when the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will take place in Los Angeles. Fan voting is open across 13 categories, while Best New Artist voting continues through the show, creating another layer of anticipation before the ceremony.
For Nigerian music, the attention will naturally remain on Burna Boy and Tems. Burna Boy has 2 nominations from “Dai Dai”, while Tems has 1 nomination for “Raindance”. Their results will provide the clearest measure of Nigeria’s performance at the ceremony after the disappearance of the dedicated Best Afrobeats category.
The 2026 VMA picture
The 2026 VMAs arrive with Madonna leading the nominations on 11, Taylor Swift following with 9, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with 7 each, and Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with 5 each. The full list stretches across major musical genres and technical categories, with artists from different parts of the global music industry competing for recognition.
Nigeria enters that picture through Burna Boy and Tems, but the structure of their nominations is what makes this year particularly notable. Neither artist is competing for Best Afrobeats because that category is absent from the 2026 lineup. Burna Boy instead appears in Best Collaboration and Best Latin, while Tems competes in Best R&B.
A different chapter for Afrobeats
The 2026 nominations mark a new chapter in the short history of Afrobeats at the VMAs. The genre had a dedicated award for 3 consecutive editions, beginning with Rema and Selena Gomez in 2023, followed by Tyla in 2024 and 2025. That run has now ended with Best Afrobeats missing from the 2026 categories.
What remains certain is that African artists are still part of the VMA conversation. Burna Boy and Tems are both nominated, with their work reaching categories that extend beyond an Africa specific classification. Their nominations ensure that Nigerian music remains represented when the ceremony takes place on September 27.
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards therefore present a nomination list filled with major names, international collaborations and a noticeably altered category structure. Burna Boy carries 2 nominations through “Dai Dai”, Tems carries 1 through “Raindance”, Madonna leads the entire field with 11 nominations, and Best Dance returns after 7 years. Yet sitting alongside those developments is the disappearance of Best Afrobeats after 3 editions, leaving September 27 as the date when Burna Boy and Tems will discover whether their nominations become VMA wins and when the 2026 awards will write the next chapter of Afrobeats’ complicated relationship with the MTV stage.
