These Are the Biggest Snubs From the 2026 VMAs Nominations

It’s true: VMA season is officially upon us! MTV’s beloved Video Music Awards kick off a months-long string of awards shows, soft-launching fans into full-fledged Grammy campaigns. As we hold out for our favorite rising artists to receive recognition at the iconic awards show, seasoned vets are also making their returns to MTV.

For starters, Ultimate Mother/Queen of Pop, Madonna, is leading the charge with 11 nominations this year. The same trailblazer who wore a “Boy Toy” belt at the first-ever VMAs in 1984 and made out with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage in 2003 is back for more iconic moments at the VMAs, thanks to the massive success of her album Confessions II.

Other heavyweights like Lady Gaga, Doechii, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift are also nominated, while newcomers like Bella Kay and CORTIS are only some of the 26 first-time nominees at this year’s show, which hits CBS on Sunday, September 27.

There’s so much to celebrate about this year’s VMA noms, but there are a few misses and snubs that I can’t help but fixate on. Some breakout acts were snubbed altogether, while others were only recognized in specific categories. While this year’s eligibility period remains unclear, last year’s show recognized artists who were active from June 20, 2024, to June 18, 2025. Assuming this year’s period was from June 20, 2025, to June 18, 2026, here are the 2026 VMAs snubs that should have been considered for a coveted Moon Person in the following categories.

ADÉLA

I’ll give MTV their 10s for the range of artists in this category, from Sienna Spiro and Bella Kay to CORTIS and Malcolm Todd. But one thing it’s seriously lacking? A bona fide pop diva, which takes superhuman form in ADÉLA. While her debut album hasn’t even dropped yet, the Pop Star Academy alum has studied pop culture her entire life, which shows in her Bangerz-inspired TikTok viral hit “Ain’t in LA” and in her live performances.

Having seen her perform to a crowd of 700 people and to an audience of thousands at Lollapalooza (less than a year apart, might I add), I can confidently attest that ADÉLA is easily one of pop’s biggest breakouts this year. So, what gives?

Zara Larsson

I’ll cut to the chase here. Pop is always a stacked category, and it’s impossible to cover all its bases. This year’s show recognized Charli xcx’s minimal “SS26,” K-pop giant LISA’s “Dream,” and Olivia Rodrigo’s charming lead single, “drop dead,” but there’s someone who’s taken over TikTok feeds and festival lineups that should also be here: Zara Larsson. Sure, Zara is championed for her viral PinkPantheress collab, “Stateside,” across other categories, but her resurgence, along with her larger-than-life Midnight Sun album cycle, deserves its (hibiscus) flowers, too.

(Note: Slayyyter, who received her first VMAs nod in the revived Best Dance category for “DANCE…” is a very close second here.)

FLO

Don’t lie. You’ve definitely tried learning the “Leak It” choreo alone in your room at 2 a.m. (Or, maybe I’m just projecting.) Though FLO’s sophomore album, THERAPY AT THE CLUB, was released outside of this year’s (potential) eligibility period, their lead single dropped back in March and has garnered more than 45 million streams on Spotify since. Not only that, but the tongue-in-cheek music video for the track pokes fun at the “Khia Asylum” debate that has taken over stan culture over the last few years.

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Also…if awards shows are still nominating literal abusers for their trophies in this category, then why not give a vocally gifted girl group a shot? Just saying.

BTS

There’s no denying that BTS transcended the game in K-pop and beyond. The group made their huge comeback earlier this year after all seven members finished their mandatory South Korean military service, and their devoted ARMY of nearly 37 million monthly Spotify listeners never wavered in their support. They broke streaming records with their latest genre-bending album, ARIRANG, which became the most-streamed K-pop album in a single day and the biggest opening day album debut of 2026 on Spotify. BTS may have received recognition in the VMAs’ Best K-Pop and Song of the Year categories for “SWIM,” but I feel like a comeback this significant deserves recognition on a much larger scale.

Then again, BTS might be bigger than the program at this point, since they rightfully called out the Recording Academy and pulled out of Grammy consideration for 2027. But that doesn’t mean they should be snubbed in a major category at the VMAs.

Olivia Rodrigo

Thankfully, O-Rod wasn’t entirely snubbed. She earned nominations in the Best Pop category for “drop dead” and in the Best Alternative category for “the cure,” but I’d argue that the latter was a clear contender for Video of the Year. In an age of digitally modified and AI-generated “art,” Olivia honored how magic really happens with a practically designed set for “the cure.” The entire hospital set and, yes, even Olivia’s guitar, were created with good ol’ arts and crafts, while visual effects played a pivotal role in the editing process. (Even then, I’m shocked that this didn’t receive a nod in behind-the-scenes categories like Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.)

I firmly believe the track is a magnum opus in itself, but the visuals, crafted by creative director Jaime Gerin, Lana Kim, and Cat Solen, sell the heart and humanity that really tug at one’s heartstrings. Perhaps this is an Addison Rae situation where O-Rod receives recognition at the Grammys down the road, but either way…she was robbed!