NewsConfirmed
Who skipped the 2026 VMAs — and why
Ariana is on a break, Harry had a night off from his New York residency and Travis Kelce was on the field.
Several nominees didn’t show up at the Peacock Theater. Ariana Grande, with seven nominations, has been on a break since her tour ended on September 1. BTS were absent too and won three categories remotely.
Harry Styles was on a night off from his 30-show Madison Square Garden residency in New York. Shakira is in the middle of a 12-night run in Madrid, and Zara Larsson was playing Portola festival in San Francisco. Katseye had performed on the “Saturday Night Live” season 52 premiere the night before.
Travis Kelce didn’t join Taylor Swift: the same day, the Kansas City Chiefs beat Miami 24–10.
