Madonna sweeps 2026 MTV VMAs with seven wins as Burna Boy, Tems miss out
Madonna dominated the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27, taking home seven awards including Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration (‘Bring Your Love’ with Sabrina Carpenter), Best Album (Confessions II) and Best Cinematography. Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, Best Direction for ‘Opalite’ and the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honours, and premiered her self‑directed video for ‘Patient Zero’. Nigerian stars Burna Boy and Tems left empty‑handed: Burna Boy’s collaboration ‘Dai Dai’ with Shakira lost Best Collaboration to Madonna & Carpenter, while Tems’ ‘Raindance’ with Dave lost Best R&B to Bruno Mars’ ‘I Just Might’. The shutout comes after MTV dropped the Best Afrobeats category, which had run since 2023, leaving Nigerian acts to compete in broader fields. For Nigeria’s music fans, the result underscores the ongoing struggle for genre‑specific recognition on global stages and raises questions about how Afrobeats will be represented in future international awards. Fans can stay updated on Burna Boy and Tems’ upcoming releases, support local platforms that celebrate Afrobeats, and consider joining conversations calling for the reinstatement of genre‑focused categories at events like the VMAs.