Pop star Madonna has secured 11 nominations for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, surpassing Taylor Swift to lead this year's shortlist.
The singer earned nods for Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for Confessions II - The Film ahead of the ceremony next month. Swift earned nine nominations and will compete against Madonna for Video of the Year with her track The Fate of Ophelia, from her latest album The Life of a Showgirl.
The MTV Video Music Awards, presented annually by cable network MTV, recognize excellence in music videos and pop culture. Madonna's latest milestone comes four decades after the Material Girl performer helped put the awards show on the global cultural map with a headline-grabbing performance that wrote television history. The star's new success demonstrates her enduring influence and ability to continuously reinvent herself at the top of the music industry.
Four Decades of VMA History
Madonna created one of the most iconic moments in broadcast history at the inaugural VMAs in 1984. Taking the stage in a wedding dress fastened with a Boy Toy belt buckle, she rolled on the floor while performing Like a Virgin, pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable on cable television at the time.
Both Madonna and Swift already possess extensive collections of VMA Moon Person trophies, the silver astronaut statues awarded to category winners. Madonna received her first Moon Person in 1986, when she was honored with the Video Vanguard Award for her pioneering contributions to the development of music videos.
In 1987, Madonna won the award for Best Female Video for her hit song Papa Don't Preach. Over the course of her four-decade career, she has accumulated 20 VMA trophies.
Swift enters this year's contest after recently concluding the most commercially successful concert tour of all time. Swift is currently tied with Beyoncé at the top of the all-time leaderboard for the most VMA victories, with both artists holding 30 awards each.
Nominees and Broadcast Details
Other major contenders in this year's lineup include Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter. According to news agency APE-MPE, both artists gathered seven nominations each. Grande took home the coveted Video of the Year trophy at last year's ceremony.
Music fans will have the opportunity to vote online in 13 of this year's award categories to select the winners.
The winners will be announced on September 27 during an event broadcast live on television networks CBS and MTV. The ceremony will also be streamed live online through the Paramount+ subscription platform.
