LOS ANGELES — The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards delivered a packed night of major performances, tributes and milestone moments on September 27, with BLACKPINK’s LISA winning Best Pop, Madonna returning to the VMA stage and Kacey Musgraves honoring the late Dolly Parton.
Hosted by Snoop Dogg at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the two-hour ceremony brought together some of the biggest names in global pop music. Madonna opened the show, while Taylor Swift, Nirvana and other major artists were also central to the night’s headline moments.
LISA Takes Home Best Pop
LISA scored a major solo milestone at the VMAs, winning Best Pop for “Dream,” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
The BLACKPINK member was also nominated in Best K-Pop, Best Cinematography and Best Editing for the same project.
Her win adds another international award-show achievement to LISA’s growing solo career and places her among the K-pop artists making an increasingly visible impact on major U.S. music-award stages.
Madonna Returns to the VMA Stage
One of the night’s biggest moments came from Madonna, who opened the ceremony with Sabrina Carpenter.
The performance marked Madonna’s return to the VMA stage after more than two decades. It was also her fifth time opening the VMAs, a record for the ceremony.
Madonna entered the night with 11 nominations, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and several technical categories for “Confessions II – The Film.”
Kacey Musgraves Honors Dolly Parton
The ceremony also included a tribute to Dolly Parton, who died in August at age 80.
Country singer Kacey Musgraves performed a rendition of Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” as part of the tribute. Parton’s career spanned decades and included landmark achievements in country music, songwriting and popular culture.
The tribute gave the ceremony one of its most reflective moments as artists and fans remembered Parton’s influence.
Taylor Swift Makes VMA History
Taylor Swift received the inaugural Artist Director Honors, recognizing her work behind the camera and contributions to music-video storytelling.
She also had a major role in the ceremony through the world premiere of her new “Patient Zero” music video, directed by Swift and starring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson.
The award added another milestone to Swift’s extensive VMA history.
Nirvana Receives the Video Vanguard Award
Nirvana was honored with the Video Vanguard Award, another major highlight of the ceremony.
The 2026 VMAs also featured performances from artists including LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey, Gunna, Sienna Spiro, Teddy Swims, Yung Lean, GENER8ION and others.
A Night Connecting K-Pop, Pop and Music History
The 2026 VMAs brought together several generations and corners of the music industry — from Madonna’s decades-long VMA history and Dolly Parton’s country legacy to Taylor Swift’s expanding role as a music-video director and LISA’s continued rise as a solo K-pop artist.
For LISA, the Best Pop victory adds another significant chapter to her solo career. For Madonna, the return to the VMA stage marked another milestone in an award show with which she has been closely associated since its earliest years.
And with the ceremony now over, the attention shifts to what these artists will do next — especially as LISA’s solo career continues expanding beyond BLACKPINK and a new generation of global performers takes the VMA spotlight.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
