The queen of pop is poised to reclaim her throne in the music industry. Dominating this year’s MTV Video Music Awards nominations is not Taylor Swift but Madonna, who has secured the top spot for the third time in her career. With a total of 11 nominations for the upcoming ceremony, Madonna’s acclaimed album “Confessions II” and its associated film are at the forefront.
Surpassing Taylor Swift, who holds the title for the most honored solo artist in VMA history, Madonna’s nominations overshadowed Swift’s nine nods for her album “The Life of a Showgirl” and the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia.” Trailing closely behind Swift are Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande, each earning seven nominations.
This isn’t Madonna’s first rodeo leading the VMAs nominations; she previously held the top spot in 1990 and 1998 with her “Vogue” and “Ray of Light” eras. However, Madonna’s iconic 1984 performance at the inaugural VMAs, where she pushed the boundaries of cable television with her rendition of “Like a Virgin” in a wedding dress and “Boy Toy” belt buckle, remains a standout moment in VMA history.
Among Madonna’s nominations are categories such as video of the year, artist of the year, and song and collaboration of the year for “Bring Your Love,” featuring fellow nominee Carpenter. In the highly anticipated video of the year category, “Confessions” will compete against Swift’s “Ophelia,” Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Carpenter’s “Tears,” Bruno Mars’s “I Just Might,” and Gener8ion and Yung Lean’s “Storm.”
For this year’s VMAs, voting is open to the public for 13 categories. The winners will be revealed during the live broadcast of the ceremony on September 27, airing on CBS, MTV, and streaming on Paramount+.