2026 MTV VMAs: Cardi B, Kehlani, RAYE and the Black artists behind the night’s biggest moments

Black artists shaped the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards through performances, collaborations, fashion and the people trusted to guide the show. Snoop Dogg hosted the September 27 ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, while Cardi B, Kehlani and PinkPantheress were among the names attached to winning videos. For our readers, those stories deserve room alongside the night’s overall headline winners.

Snoop Dogg brings the show back West

Snoop’s opening monologue made the West Coast return part of the celebration. After praising Madonna’s opening performance, he joked about her “Like a Virgin” legacy and promised a party in his home city. The ceremony was the VMAs’ first on the West Coast since 2017. He also served as an executive producer, giving him a role behind the broadcast as well as in front of the audience.

Cardi B, Kehlani and PinkPantheress in the winner’s circle

Cardi B and Kehlani won Best Hip-Hop for “Safe.” The category also included Don Toliver, Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott and Tyler, the Creator. The result puts a collaboration between two women at the center of this year’s hip-hop video conversation, with both artists sharing the song’s billing.

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside” won Best Art Direction. That distinction recognizes the visual world built around a song, making it a reminder to look beyond the recording artist when celebrating a music video. The people shaping sets, color and design contribute to what audiences remember, too.

The R&B trophy went to Bruno Mars for “I Just Might.” Black nominees in the category included Kehlani’s “Folded,” Chris Brown’s “It Depends/Obvious,” Dave and Tems’ “Raindance,” and Mariah the Scientist’s collaboration with Kali Uchis, “Is It a Crime.” Kehlani therefore appeared in both the hip-hop winner’s circle and the R&B nominations.

RAYE, Shaboozey and Gunna take the stage

RAYE performed “I Will Overcome” and “Where Is My Husband!” Her set moved from strings to a full-band presentation, with a glittering red dress revealed beneath her coat. It gave the singer two different settings for her voice during her VMAs performance debut.

She also joined the George Michael tribute, singing “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” the duet he originally recorded with Aretha Franklin. The segment included Sombr, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert; MNEK and Saint Harison joined its closing “Freedom! ’90” celebration alongside MEEK. RAYE’s selection brought Franklin’s place in that musical partnership back into the spotlight as the show honored Michael.

Shaboozey’s performance brought together “Cowgirl” and “High Noon,” with Gunna joining him for the collaboration. Dark leather coats and a Western set connected the presentation to its country setting. Their appearance put country and rap together on the same awards-show stage.

Ciara Miller introduced Shaboozey after appearing in his “Cowgirl” video earlier this year. Her red-carpet outfit referenced Tyra Banks’ look in Coyote Ugly, connecting the night’s fashion to another Black woman’s screen presence. Shaboozey was also nominated for Best Country and Best Cinematography for “Cowgirl,” although he did not win either category.

Teyana Taylor, Tyla and the red carpet

Teyana Taylor arrived in a black Zuhair Murad gown with lace and feather detailing, extending the night’s story beyond the trophies. She was a Best Collaboration nominee with Lucky Daye for “Hard Part” and was announced as a presenter. Her combination of music, performance and fashion made her part of several conversations surrounding the ceremony.

Tyla’s carpet appearance added a different fashion note: a blue snakeskin-print Mowalola bra and low-rise skirt, with a Chopard watch worn at her ankle. Normani wore Robert Wun, PinkPantheress chose Nina Ricci, and RAYE arrived in Georges Hobeika. Chlöe Bailey and Olandria also appeared on the carpet. Those arrivals broadened the evening’s Black presence beyond the performers and people receiving trophies.

Chuck D and moments inside the ceremony

Tyla was also on the announced presenter lineup. Public Enemy’s Chuck D had a specific role in one of the evening’s major honors: he presented Nirvana’s Video Vanguard Award. Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear accepted, with Novoselic remembering Kurt Cobain. A hip-hop pioneer introducing that recognition was another place where Black participation reached beyond a genre-specific award.

Photographs from inside the ceremony also captured PinkPantheress with FLO’s Stella Quaresma, Renée Downer and Jorja Douglas, along with Teyana Taylor and RAYE together. These were candid appearances, rather than announcements of new collaborations.

The Black nominees across genres

The nominations offered more names worth following. Olivia Dean appeared in Song of the Year for “Man I Need,” Best Album for The Art of Loving and Song of Summer for “So Easy (To Fall in Love).” Drake’s Iceman was also up for Best Album. FLO competed for Best Group, while Latto and Doja Cat’s “Okayyy” was among the Song of Summer contenders. These were nominations, not wins.

Other nominated collaborations included Clipse and Kendrick Lamar’s “Chains & Whips,” French Montana and Max B’s “Ever Since U Left Me,” and Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai.” Doechii’s work with Lady Gaga on “Runway,” A$AP Rocky’s “Punk Rocky” and Myles Smith’s Best New Artist nomination also featured on the ballot.

A missing category: Best Afrobeats

One omission from this year’s awards deserves attention: there was no Best Afrobeats category on the 2026 slate. Introduced in 2023, it first went to Rema and Selena Gomez for “Calm Down,” followed by Tyla’s wins for “Water” in 2024 and “Push 2 Start” in 2025. African artists remained represented elsewhere: Burna Boy shared Best Collaboration and Best Latin nominations with Shakira for “Dai Dai,” and Tems joined Dave in Best R&B for “Raindance.” The category’s absence alone does not establish why organizers changed the lineup.

For the wider results, Madonna finished with seven awards, Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” and BTS took Song of the Year for “SWIM” and Best Group. Those results provide the overall picture; the performances and appearances above show how much more there was to follow for fans of Black music and entertainment.

Which performance, video or red-carpet moment deserves a closer look next? Tell us in the discussion below.