The MTV Video Music Awards have dropped the "Best Rock" category from its 2026 nominations, ending a 37-year tradition, and replaced it with "Best Alternative". The move, revealed when nominations were announced on 19 August, comes just a year after the ceremony paid tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne with a performance by Yungblud and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and marks a notable shift in how the awards recognise rock and adjacent genres.

The rock category dates back to 1989, when it launched as "Best Heavy Metal Video" before evolving through several names to become "Best Rock" in recent years; its replacement, "Best Alternative", features nominees including Geese, Tame Impala, Olivia Rodrigo, Sombr and Noah Kahan. Elsewhere in this year's nominations, Madonna leads with 11 nods, including Video and Artist of the Year, while Taylor Swift follows with nine, and could become the VMAs' most-decorated artist ever if she wins even one award. The 2026 ceremony takes place on 27 September at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, airing on CBS, MTV and Paramount+.