The major celebs who skipped the VMAs 2026 and why, despite having multiple nominations

The VMAs were last night, with Taylor Swift, Madonna and BTS taking home awards, but some huge celebs skipped the awards ceremony this year. Here is a list of all the people who weren’t on the red carpet, and their all-important reasons why. 

Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Ariana Grande 

Ariana was nominated for a whopping eight awards and won two, but she wasn’t actually there. She took home the award for Best Visual Effects and Song of the Summer for hate that i made you love me video, but skipped the ceremony because she’s “taken a step back” from public life. In August, a source told PEOPLE she was “taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny”. The Eternal Sunshine Tour ended on 1st September. 

Bruno Mars 

Despite six nominations and winning Best R&B for his track I Just Might, Bruno skipped the ceremony too, but he had a very good reason. He was playing at the Falcon Stadium in Colorado on Sunday night as part of his ongoing tour, The Romantic Tour. Ironically, his support act RAYE actually dropped out that night to perform at the 2026 VMAs.  

Zara Larsson 

Zara Larsson was also forced to skip the VMAs because she was performing at the Portola Music Festival in San Francisco on Sunday night. She picked up the award for Best Art Direction alongside PinkPantheress for their song Stateside, but she was nominated in five different categories. 

Credit: Georgia Taylor/Shutterstock

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Lady Gaga 

Another very good reason for Lady Gaga, who missed this year’s awards because she just had a baby! She was nominated for Best Dance with her and Doechii’s track Runway, but wat at home with her newborn daughter, Rose Bean Polansky. Gaga kept the entire pregnancy a secret, but Rose is believed to have been born in Los Angeles on 9th June.

Harry Styles 

Harry Styles’ Dance No More was up for Best Choreography and Aperture was nominated for Best Dance, but he decided not to attend. He’s in the middle of his 30-night Together, Together residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City and performed on Friday and Saturday night, so he probably just wanted a break. He also didn’t win any of his nominations. 

Shakira 

Shakira was nominated for three awards on Sunday night, including Best Collaboration for her collaboration with Burna Boy, Dai Dai, which was the theme song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Two of her tracks, Dai Dai and Choka Choka, were also up for Best Latin, but she was busy performing in Madrid, Spain, as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.

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Featured image credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock and Georgia Taylor/Shutterstock