The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards have added a substantial new wave of live performers spanning hip-hop, R&B, country and international pop. Gunna, RAYE, Shaboozey, Yung Lean, GENER8ION, LISA and Sienna Spiro are now confirmed for the September 27 ceremony at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The announcement brings several firsts to the broadcast. Gunna and Shaboozey will deliver the first televised performance of their collaboration High Noon, while RAYE, Shaboozey, GENER8ION, Yung Lean and Sienna Spiro will make their first appearances as VMA performers.

The complete new performer wave was confirmed through the official CBS and MTV announcement. The show will be hosted and executive produced by Snoop Dogg, whose expanded role places a foundational West Coast hip-hop figure at the center of the VMAs' first Los Angeles ceremony since 2017. CBS will carry the ceremony live, MTV will simulcast it and Paramount+ Premium subscribers in the United States will be able to stream it live.

Shaboozey is scheduled to perform Cowgirl before being joined by Gunna for the first broadcast performance of High Noon. Both artists enter the ceremony as nominees, with Shaboozey competing in Best Country and Best Cinematography and Gunna carrying two nominations.

The pairing is especially relevant to HitsCulture because it brings two distinct branches of contemporary Black music onto the same stage. Shaboozey has built his crossover position by connecting country storytelling with hip-hop rhythm and presentation. Gunna arrives from a melodic Atlanta rap tradition that has become one of modern hip-hop's most influential commercial sounds.

Presenting High Noon on a network television broadcast enhances the ongoing exchange between hip-hop and country inside one of music television's most visible annual productions.

RAYE is also confirmed for her first performance on the VMA stage. The British singer, songwriter and producer enters the night as a two-time VMA winner and is nominated for Song of the Year with Where Is My Husband!. Her appearance extends a major North American run that has included her own sold-out dates and stadium performances with Bruno Mars.

French producer GENER8ION and Swedish rapper Yung Lean will use their first VMA appearance for the world premiere performance of STORM II. The collaboration is nominated for Video of the Year, Best Direction and Best Choreography.

Yung Lean's inclusion acknowledges the long reach of the internet-shaped rap movement he helped define. His influence can be heard across cloud rap, alternative hip-hop and the emotionally fragmented production styles that later entered the mainstream.

LISA will return to the VMAs for the television debut of SaWaDiKa, a single from her forthcoming EP PRESS PLAY. She enters the ceremony with four nominations and is described by MTV as the most-nominated K-pop solo artist in VMA history.

Sienna Spiro, a Best New Artist nominee, will make her first VMA performance following the release of her debut album Visitor.

Madonna was previously announced as the show's opening performer. It will be her first musical performance at the VMAs in 23 years and adds a legacy component to a lineup otherwise filled with debuts and newly released collaborations.

Additional performers, presenters and special guests are still expected.