Madonna returned to the stage of the MTV Video Music Awards 23 years after her last performance at the gala and she did not do it alone. The queen of pop was in charge of opening the ceremony held this Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles with a show full of guests, stage changes and references to her new musical era.
The singer kicked off the gala accompanied by Sabrina Carpenter, with whom she performed Bring Your Love, one of the songs from her new album Confessions II. Carpenter appeared at the piano while Madonna began the performance sitting on the instrument, before coming down to the stage to continue with the choreography alongside a group of dancers.
But the performance still had several surprises in store. Madonna then transformed the stage into the bathroom from the Danceteria music video and it was then that Charli XCX appeared to perform Danceteria Afterhours with her, the recently released remix of the song included in Confessions II.
The performance ended up becoming a parade of well-known faces. Debi Mazar, Julia Garner, Sombr and Seth Rogen made different appearances during the show, while producer Andrew Watt and other figures linked to Madonna's universe also participated.
Madonna performing with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX at the #VMAs pic.twitter.com/v6eGcXA3mC
— SEXED UP! Singers (@SexedUpSingers) September 28, 2026
23 years after her last performance
Madonna's return to the VMAs had a particularly symbolic component. The artist had not performed at the gala since 2003, when she starred alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in one of the most remembered moments in the history of the awards.
Her relationship with the VMAs, in reality, began much earlier. Madonna participated in the first edition of the awards in 1984, where she performed Like a Virgin. Since then, she has graced the gala stage on several occasions, with performances such as Express Yourself in 1989, Vogue in 1990, and Ray of Light with Lenny Kravitz in 1998.
This time, she also returned to a gala where she arrived as the artist with the most nominations. Madonna accumulated 13 nominations at the 2026 VMAs, ahead of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Ariana Grande.
A new era for Madonna
The return to the VMAs comes in the midst of a new musical phase for the artist. Madonna released Confessions II in July, her first album in seven years and a continuation of her celebrated Confessions on a Dance Floor, released in 2005. The album also marks a new reunion with producer Stuart Price, responsible for much of the sound of that album and a fundamental collaborator in this new phase. The project consists of 16 songs that recover elements of dance music associated with Madonna and combine them with contemporary production.
Before the release, the singer had already begun to present this new era with different appearances. In April, she surprised the audience during the second weekend of Coachella by taking the stage with Sabrina Carpenter to premiere Bring Your Love. Other promotional actions followed, including a rave party in West Hollywood and a performance in Times Square in collaboration with Grindr.
In recent days, Madonna also released Danceteria Afterhours with Charli XCX. The VMAs performance thus served to bring together on the same stage two of the most important collaborations of this new phase. The result was a return to the VMAs tailor-made for Madonna: 23 years later, the artist returned to the stage that helped make her an MTV icon, and she did so surrounded by some of the most relevant figures in current pop.
All nominations and winners of the MTV VMAs 2026
Video of the Year
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- Bruno Mars — I Just Might
- GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- Sabrina Carpenter — Tears
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Artist of the Year
- Ariana Grande
- Bruno Mars
- Madonna
- Morgan Wallen
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
- BTS — Swim
- Ella Langley — Choosin' Texas
- HUNTR/X — Golden
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love
- Olivia Dean — Man I Need
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — Stateside
- RAYE — WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!
Best New Artist
- Bella Kay
- CORTIS
- Magnus Ferrell
- Malcolm Todd
- Myles Smith
- Sienna Spiro
- Stella Lefty
Best Collaboration
- Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice — Chains & Whips
- French Montana x Max B — Ever Since U Left Me
- Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter — Bring Your Love
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — Stateside
- Shakira & Burna Boy — Dai Dai
- Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye — Hard Part
Best Pop Song
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- Charli xcx — SS26
- LISA feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi — Dream
- Olivia Rodrigo — drop dead
- Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
- Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Hip-Hop Song
- Cardi B with Kehlani — Safe
- Don Toliver — E85
- Drake — Janice STFU
- Megan Thee Stallion — LOVER GIRL
- Travis Scott — DUMBO
- Tyler, The Creator — SUGAR ON MY TONGUE
Best R&B Song
- Bruno Mars — I Just Might
- Chris Brown — It Depends/Obvious
- Dave and Tems — Raindance
- Justin Bieber — YUKON
- Kehlani — Folded
- Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis — Is It a Crime
Best Alternative Song
- Geese — Taxes
- mgk and Fred Durst — FIX UR FACE
- Noah Kahan — The Great Divide
- Olivia Rodrigo — the cure
- SOMBR — Homewrecker
- Tame Impala — Dracula
- Twenty One Pilots — Drag Path
Best Dance
- Bebe Rexha and Faithless — New Religion
- Harry Styles — Aperture
- Lady Gaga and Doechii — RUNWAY
- Madonna — Confessions II - The Film
- PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — Stateside
- Slayyyter — DANCE…
- Tate McRae — Nobody’s Girl
This category returned to the VMAs after seven years.
Best Latin Song
- Anitta with Shakira — Choka Choka
- Bad Bunny — NUEVAYoL
- Fuerza Regida — TU SANCHO
- KAROL G — Papasito
- Rosalía with Yahritza Y Su Esencia — La Perla
- Ryan Castro, Kapo and GANGSTA — LA VILLA
- Shakira and Burna Boy — Dai Dai
Best K-pop Song
- BLACKPINK — JUMP
- BTS — SWIM
- CORTIS — REDRED
- KATSEYE — PINKY UP
- LE SSERAFIM with j-hope of BTS — SPAGHETTI
- LISA — Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
Best Country Song
- Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
- Kacey Musgraves — Dry Spell
- Lainey Wilson — Somewhere Over Laredo
- Luke Combs — Back in the Saddle
- Shaboozey — Cowgirl
- Stella Lefty — Boston
- Tucker Wetmore — Brunette
Best Direction
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- Bruno Mars — I Just Might
- GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
- Taylor Swift — Opalite
Best Art Direction
- Charli xcx — SS26
- Lady Gaga & Doechii — RUNWAY
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — Stateside
- SOMBR — My Body Isn't Ready
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Cinematography
- A$AP Rocky — PUNK ROCKY
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- LISA — Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- Shaboozey — Cowgirl
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Editing
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- Bruno Mars — I Just Might
- LISA — Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Choreography
- GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
- Harry Styles — Dance No More
- KATSEYE — PINKY UP
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- Tate McRae — Nobody's Girl
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Visual Effects
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- JISOO X ZAYN — Eyes Closed
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
- PinkPantheress + Zara Larsson — Stateside
- RAYE feat. Hans Zimmer — Click Clack Symphony
- Taylor Swift — The Fate of Ophelia
Best Group
- BLACKPINK
- BTS
- CORTIS
- FLO
- Fuerza Regida
- Geese
- KATSEYE
- Twenty One Pilots
Best Long Form Video
- Charli xcx — Music, Fashion, Film
- Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
- GENER8ION — STORM starring Yung Lean
- Madonna — Confessions II – The Film
Best Album
- Drake — Iceman
- Madonna — Confessions II
- Olivia Dean — The Art of Loving
- Olivia Rodrigo — You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
- Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend
- Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Song of the Summer
- Ariana Grande — hate that i made you love me
- Bruno Mars — Risk It All
- Charli xcx — Camera
- Ella Langley — Choosin’ Texas
- KATSEYE — Hootie Frutti
- Latto con Doja Cat — Okayyy
- Morgan Wallen — Been by Now
- Olivia Dean — So Easy (To Fall in Love)
- Olivia Rodrigo — Stupid Song
- Sabrina Carpenter — House Tour
- Slayyyter — brand new chanel$
- SOMBR — Homewrecker
- Stella Lefty — Boston
- Tame Impala y JENNIE — Dracula
- Taylor Swift — I Knew It, I Knew You