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MTV has dropped the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 VMAs, three years after introducing the award to recognise the global rise of African music.
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Despite the category’s removal, Burna Boy and Tems remain on the nomination list, with Burna Boy earning two nods for “Dai Dai” with Shakira and Tems nominated for Best R&B with Dave.
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The category previously featured major African acts, with Rema and Selena Gomez winning in 2023 and Tyla taking the award in 2024 and 2025.
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Madonna leads the 2026 nominations with 11, followed by Taylor Swift with nine, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter have seven each.
August 19, (THEWILL) — The MTV Video Music Awards have dropped the Best Afrobeats category from the 2026 nominations, ending the category’s three-year run at the awards.
The category was introduced in 2023 as Afrobeats continued to gain global recognition. It provided a dedicated space for African artists to compete at one of the world’s biggest music awards.
The category is absent from the 2026 nominations announced on Tuesday, August 18. The Best Rock category has also been omitted, while Best Dance returns after a seven-year absence.
Despite the removal of the Afrobeats category, Nigerian stars Burna Boy and Tems have secured nominations in other major categories.
Burna Boy is nominated alongside Colombian singer Shakira for their collaboration, “Dai Dai.” The song earned nominations for Best Collaboration and Best Latin.
Tems, meanwhile, received a Best R&B nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave.
The nominations keep both Nigerian artists in contention at the 2026 ceremony despite the absence of a dedicated Afrobeats category.
The Best Afrobeats award had featured some of Africa’s biggest stars since its introduction. Rema and Selena Gomez won the inaugural award in 2023 for “Calm Down”, while South African singer Tyla won in 2024 and 2025.
Previous nominees also included Burna Boy, Tems, Wizkid, Asake and Ayra Starr, highlighting the growing presence of African music at the VMAs.
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Madonna leads 2026 VMA nominations
Madonna leads the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 nods, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. Her nominations are largely tied to “Confessions II – The Film,” a 14-minute visual project connected to her album “Confessions on a Dance Floor II.”
She is also nominated for Best Dance, Best Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Editing, among other categories.
Taylor Swift follows with nine nominations, including Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. Her Video of the Year nomination is for “The Fate of Ophelia,” from her album “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson follow with five nominations each. BLACKPINK’s LISA has four, while Shakira and Tate McRae have three nominations each.
Swift currently shares the record for the most VMA wins with Beyoncé, with 30 awards each. If Swift wins any award at the 2026 ceremony, she will claim her 31st VMA and become the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
The 2026 MTV VMAs will take place on September 27 in Los Angeles, with fan voting open in selected categories until September 25.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
