Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, with Burna Boy receiving two nods and Tems earning one.
The nominations were announced on Tuesday ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Burna Boy earned both nominations for his collaboration with Colombian singer Shakira on “Dai Dai.”
The Grammy-winning Nigerian is nominated for Best Collaboration alongside Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice for “Chains & Whips”; French Montana and Max B for “Ever Since U Left Me”; Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love”; PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for “Stateside”; and Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye for “Hard Part.”
“Dai Dai” also earned Burna Boy a nomination for Best Latin, where the song competes against entries from Anitta and Shakira, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, KAROL G, Rosalía featuring Yahritza y Su Esencia, and Ryan Castro, Kapo and GANGSTA.
Tems, meanwhile, was nominated for Best R&B for her collaboration with British rapper Dave on “Raindance.”
They face competition from Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” Chris Brown’s “It Depends/Obvious,” Justin Bieber’s “YUKON,” Kehlani’s “Folded,” and Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis’ “Is It a Crime.”
The 2026 VMAs will air live on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+. Fans can vote in most categories daily until September 25 at 6 p.m. ET.
Madonna leads this year’s nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine.
Notably, the Best Afrobeats category is absent from this year’s VMA nominations after appearing in the previous three editions.
South African singer Tyla won the category in 2025 with “Push 2 Start,” beating Nigerian nominees Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems and Asake. She had previously won the award in 2024 for “Water,” while Rema and Selena Gomez took the inaugural award in 2023 for “Calm Down.”
The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 to honour music videos, songs and artists and have become one of the industry’s most prominent annual music events.
Full 2026 MTV VMA Nominations
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 & Malice — “Chains & Whips”
- French Montana & 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
- Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
- Charli xcx — “SS26”
- LISA — “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
- Olivia Rodrigo — “drop dead”
- Sabrina Carpenter — “House Tour”
- Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Best Hip-Hop
- Cardi B ft. 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
- Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
- Chris Brown — “It Depends/Obvious”
- Dave & Tems — “Raindance”
- Justin Bieber — “YUKON”
- Kehlani — “Folded”
- Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis — “Is It a Crime”
Best Alternative
- Geese — “Taxes”
- mgk & 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 & Faithless — “New Religion”
- Harry Styles — “Aperture”
- Lady Gaga & Doechii — “RUNWAY”
- Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
- PinkPantheress & Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
- Slayyyter — “DANCE…”
- Tate McRae — “Nobody’s Girl”
Best Latin
- Anitta & Shakira — “Choka Choka”
- Bad Bunny — “NUEVAYoL”
- Fuerza Regida — “TU SANCHO”
- KAROL G — “Papasito”
- Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia — “La Perla”
- Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA — “LA VILLA”
- Shakira & Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Best K-Pop
- BLACKPINK — “JUMP”
- BTS — “SWIM”
- CORTIS — “REDRED”
- KATSEYE — “PINKY UP”
- LE SSERAFIM ft. j-hope — “SPAGHETTI”
- LISA — “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi”
Best Country
- 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 ft. Hans Zimmer — “Click Clack Symphony.”
- Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
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