The 2026 VMAs took over the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night, with Snoop Dogg hosting and the broadcast starting 22 minutes late after the Ravens-Cowboys game ran long. Madonna opened the show with a Confessions II medley featuring cameos from Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx and Seth Rogen, then went on to collect the most wins of the night, including artist of the year. Taylor Swift won video of the year for“The Fate of Ophelia”and premiered her“Patient Zero”music video during the show.
The performance lineup delivered across the board. RAYE performed“I Will Overcome”and“Where Is My Husband!,”LISA brought her new single“SaWaDiKa,”and Sienna Spiro earned a standing ovation for“Great Expectation.”Kacey Musgraves covered Dolly Parton’s“I Will Always Love You,”while Yung Lean hit the stage and a George Michael tribute featured sombr, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert. It was the kind of night that gave fans something to argue about well past midnight.
Now Billboard has published its ranking of the night’s best performances and opened a fan vote, so the debate is officially live. Madonna’s medley, Taylor’s video debut, RAYE’s set, and that standing ovation moment are all in the conversation. Which VMA performance got your vote? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.