Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems could not turn their 2026 MTV VMA nominations into wins.
Burna Boy entered the awards with two nominations for “Dai Dai”, his collaboration with Shakira. The song competed for Best Collaboration but lost to Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bring Your Love”. Burna Boy also missed out in Best Latin, where Bad Bunny won for “NUEVAYoL”.
Tems faced Bruno Mars in Best R&B, but Mars took the award for “I Just Might”.
MTV drops Best Afrobeats after three editions
The missing Afrobeats category became another talking point for Nigerian fans. MTV introduced the award in 2023 during Afrobeats’ rapid rise on the global stage. Rema and Selena Gomez won the first prize for their worldwide hit, “Calm Down”.
Tyla followed with back-to-back victories in 2024 and 2025. She won the first with “Water” and claimed the second with “Push 2 Start”. Her wins also triggered discussions among some Nigerian fans about how international award bodies define Afrobeats. MTV has not publicly explained why it removed the category.
The change meant Nigerian stars had to compete outside the dedicated African music category. Burna Boy and Tems still secured nominations, showing their continued presence across major international genres. However, neither artist left the ceremony with a Moon Person trophy.
Madonna, Taylor Swift lead the winners
Elsewhere, Madonna delivered one of the biggest performances of the night. She collected seven awards, including Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Album. Her “Confessions II” project also won Best Dance, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography and Best Long Form Video.
Taylor Swift also enjoyed a memorable night. She won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Best Direction for “Opalite”.
Swift also became the first recipient of the MTV VMA Artist Director Honours. BTS took home three awards, including Song of the Year, Best K-Pop and Best Group.
Full list of major 2026 VMA winners
Sienna Spiro won Best New Artist, while LISA claimed Best Pop for “Dream”. Cardi B featuring Kehlani won Best Hip-Hop with “Safe”. Olivia Rodrigo took Best Alternative for “the cure”, while Ella Langley won Best Country for “Choosin’ Texas”.
Bad Bunny claimed Best Latin, and Bruno Mars secured Best R&B. PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson won Best Art Direction for “Stateside”.
Sabrina Carpenter took Best Editing for “House Tour”, while Ariana Grande won Best Visual Effects and Song of Summer. Nirvana received the Video Vanguard Award.
The 2026 ceremony also featured performances and tributes to music legends, with Snoop Dogg serving as host.
