Madonna opens 2026 VMAs as Van Toffler reveals how performance came together
Former MTV executive Van Toffler discusses Madonna and Nirvana ahead of the 2026 VMAs, airing live Sept. 27 at 7:30 PM ET on CBS and MTV, streaming on Paramount+ Premium and returning to Los Angeles since 2017.
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Madonna took home a number of awards at the 2026 MTV VMAs, including the biggest honor of the night, Artist of the Year.
She also won Best Collaboration and Best Dance awards, bringing her total 2026 VMAs award wins to seven.
During the show, which was hosted by Snoop Dogg at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Kacey Musgraves channeled Dolly Parton in a tribute to the late country icon.
She sang Parton’s song, “I Will Always Love You” for her tribute, one month after Parton’s death.
Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for her music video “The Fate of Ophelia.” Swift wrote and directed the music video for her song. Swift dedicated her win to Parton.
She also received the first ever Artist Director Honors, presented by her friend Dakota Johnson. Swift also received the award for Best Direction for “Opalite.”
Madonna won a total of seven MTV VMAs.(Dimitrios Kambouris/ for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Madonna opened the show with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX — 23 years after her last performance for the ceremony.
She performed “Bring Your Love” with Sabrina Carpenter, and “Danceteria” with Charli XCX.
There were also guest appearances by Julia Garner, Sombr, Debi Mazar and Seth Rogen in her show-opener performance.
Madonna pictured at the VMAs on Sunday night with Taylor Swift.(Christopher Polk/CBS
Fans took to X to share their reaction to Madonna’s performance.
“Train wreck,” one fan wrote, adding that she “looked like she was hanging on for dear life.”
Another called her performance “cringeworthy,” and someone else wrote on X: “Much of her performance was just embarrassing… lip-sync & awkward moves….still happy for her wins btw.”
Others gushed about her performance. One fan wrote: “I’m proud of Madonna. That was a great performance & great showcase of the creative vision of the album. THEE QUEEN.”
Others said: “Can’t get enough,” “Insane performance,” “killed it tonight,” “What a great performance thank u Mother Madonna u continue to amaze me.”
Madonna beat Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars and Morgan Wallen for the Artist of the Year.
The artist began her acceptance speech by thanking her fingers “because I can always count on them.”
Madonna also pointed out that the audience wasn’t born when she performed at the first ever MTV Video Music Awards, which took place in 1984. She had sung “Like A Virgin.”
Taylor Swift accepted the Video of the Year Award for “The Fate of Ophelia” onstage at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.(Rich Polk/Billboard
She said during her performance her shoe fell off, calling it a “little problem.”
Madonna recalled she tried to dive and grab her shoe by trying to make herself “look cute and sexy.”
“I had a little problem with my shoes and I dove onto the stage to try and make myself look cute and sexy and like I meant to do it.”
However, she said by doing so, she accidentally flashed her backside.
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“In those days, butt cheeks were not hanging out. I just want to remind you. And I went backstage feeling really proud of myself, and my manager told me that my career was over.”
The singer said in the last year and a half, she focused on “finding myself, believing in myself, and really making the music that I wanted to make.”
She added: “I mean, that really is the definition of being an artist. And my hope for all of you here tonight is that you spend the next year, or the next 10 years, or put the rest of your life doing the same, finding yourself and believing in yourself.”
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Madonna also won Best Dance for “Confessions II – The Film.”
While accepting the award, which she did with presenters Charli XCX and Troye Sivan beside her, she said, “I came to New York to be a dancer and dance is where everything happened for me in my life.”
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She continued: “I came to life on the dance floor, I fell in love with people on the dance floor, and I lost many people I loved on the dance floor. [And] dance brings everybody together. We’re all equal on the dance floor.”
Madonna also took home the Moon Person for Best Collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter for their song “Bring Your Love.”
Kacey Musgraves channeled Dolly Parton for the icon’s tribute.(Matthew Taplinger/CBS
Musgraves paid tribute to Parton at the VMAs.
The tribute began with Parton on screen singing her song “I Will Always Love You.”
Musgraves appears on stage in the pre-taped tribute, and takes over singing the song while wearing a hot pink gown and voluminous hair, channeling the singer’s look.
Parton died on August 25 at age 80.
Parton died in August at age 80.(Matthew Taplinger/CBS
The 2026 VMAs also included a tribute to Nirvana. The band was awarded the Video Vanguard Award.
Swift also debuted her music video for “Patient Zero.” The music video stars Johnson and Colin Farrell.
Other performers at the VMAs included Lisa, Sienna Spiro, Bruno Mars, Sombr and Shaboozey.
Spiro was the winner of Best New Artist, while Lisa took home Best Pop Award.
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