Published: August 21, 2026|By Prosper Mene
Nigerian music stars Burna Boy and Tems are leading the country’s charge at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, securing three nominations between them.
Burna Boy bags two nods alongside global pop icon Shakira for their hit single “Dai Dai” in the Best Collaboration and Best Latin categories. The Afro-fusion superstar and Shakira have been performing the track to packed crowds, with children in yellow shirts joining them on stage during recent live shows.
Tems earns her nomination in the Best R&B category for “Raindance” with British-Nigerian rapper Dave. The soulful collaboration puts Tems back in the VMA spotlight following her previous global acclaim.
The 2026 MTV VMAs will hold on Sunday, September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
No Best Afrobeats Category This Year
In a notable shift, MTV has dropped the Best Afrobeats category for 2026. Introduced in 2023, the category produced three winners:
– 2023: Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
– 2024: Tyla – “Water”
– 2025: Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Tyla remains the only artist with two wins in the category. Rema is still the sole Nigerian winner of Best Afrobeats. With the category absent this year, Burna Boy and Tems are representing Nigeria in broader genre and collaboration fields.
Other African and Diaspora Nominees
African and diaspora artists remain visible across the nominations:
– PinkPantheress leads with 5 nods, including for “Stateside” with Zara Larsson
– RAYE picks up 2 nominations
– Shaboozey appears in Best Country and Best Cinematography
– Tyler, The Creator is nominated in Best Hip-Hop
– French Montana earns a Best Collaboration nod
MTV also removed several categories this year, including Best Rock, Best Pop Artist, Best Album, Video for Good, Best Group, and Song of the Summer. Best Dance returns for the first time in seven years.
Madonna tops the 2026 nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift* with 9. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each have 7, while Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson have 5 apiece.
2026 MTV VMA – Major Nominee List
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande — “hate that i made you love me”
Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
Madonna — “Confessions II – The Film”
Taylor Swift — “The Fate of Ophelia”
Sabrina Carpenter — “Tears”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift
Best Collaboration
Shakira and Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter — “Bring Your Love”
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson — “Stateside”
Best R&B
Dave and Tems — “Raindance”
Bruno Mars — “I Just Might”
Justin Bieber — “YUKON”
Best Latin
Shakira and Burna Boy — “Dai Dai”
Bad Bunny — “NUEVAYoL”
KAROL G — “Papasito”
Best Hip-Hop
Tyler, the Creator — “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”
Drake — “Janice STFU”
Travis Scott — “DUMBO”
The full list of nominees is available on MTV’s official channels.
With no dedicated Afrobeats category this year, all eyes will be on Burna Boy and Tems to extend Nigeria’s VMA legacy on September 27.
