Why the 2026 VMAs are delayed as backlash grows
Fans are outraged as the MTV VMA Awards telecast has been delayed.
The annual music awards ceremony was due to kick off at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday 27th September at 7:30pm EST (4:30pm PST); however, it is yet to begin.
It's reported that the broadcast delay is due to overrunning NFL game coverage on CBS.
As reported by Just Jared, the Dallas Cowboys vs Baltimore Ravens game, which has been airing for the past few hours on the channel, was supposed to be over by now but is still ongoing.
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Taking to X to react, one fan quipped: "We're delaying the VMAs because of f***ing football? People that care about football don't care about the VMAs and people that care about the VMAs don't care about football which is why it should strictly be on MTV and not CBS!!!!!! What the hell?"
While a second penned: "wdym they delayed the vmas because of the nfl..." and a third wrote: "Yeah, I’m about to throw the remote at my tv."
A fourth chimed in with: "I’m so f***ing mad I just missed Madonna, Sabrina, and Charli for a f***ing football game???"
While a fifth wrote: "WE DON’T GIVE A F*** ABOUT NO DAMN FOOTBALL GIVE THE DAMN AWARDS OUT."
And a sixth added: "Why don't they just stop showing the football game hello? they're making everything late??"
While CBS is still airing the football game, MTV is filling the delay with a look at the history of the Video Vanguard Award.
It comes after a slew of huge name celebrities arrived on the red carpet for the ceremony, hosted by Snoop Dogg, such as Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and Paris Hilton.
Madonna will be opening the show with her first performance at the VMAs in 23 years, and also has the most nominations - 11 - including for video of the year for Confessions II - The Film, artist of the year, and song of the year for ‘Bring Your Love’.
Also in the running, Taylor Swift has nine nods, including artist of the year, and is being honoured with the first-ever award for artist director.
The broadcasters said the artist director honour is a ‘new award recognising groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling’.
It comes after the 36-year-old singer made her solo directorial debut in 2020 with the video for her Lover single ‘The Man,’ which won her best direction at the MTV VMAs that year.
The next year she made her filmmaking debut with All Too Well: The Short Film, which won VMAs for video of the year, best long-form video and best direction.
Madison Burgess