The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will air on Sunday from Los Angeles, featuring a special tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton, who died in August. Kacey Musgraves will perform the tribute, honouring Parton's significant influence on both country music and popular culture. The awards show will also include tributes to George Michael and Kurt Cobain, with Snoop Dogg hosting the event.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+. Madonna leads the nomination count with 13 nominations, whilst Taylor Swift received 11. Musgraves has a personal connection to Parton, having visited her extensive personal archive of clothing and jewellery dating back to 1967, which she described as resembling a museum, with every item catalogued, labelled, and photographed.