Cardi B and Kehlani took home Best Hip-Hop at the 2026 MTV VMAs for “Safe,” rap’s one clear win on a night where Madonna and Taylor Swift dominated the ceremony’s biggest categories. Here’s how hip-hop actually fared once the results came in.
Cardi B and Kehlani beat out Drake, Travis Scott and Tyler, The Creator
“Safe” won Best Hip-Hop, beating a stacked field that included Drake’s “Janice STFU,” Travis Scott’s “Dumbo,” Tyler, The Creator’s “Sugar on My Tongue,” Don Toliver’s “E85” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “LOVER GIRL,” according to HipHopVibe. It’s the only major win rap walked away with on a night otherwise ruled by pop’s biggest names.
Drake’s double nomination came up empty
Drake entered the night with two separate shots at a Moon Person, competing for Best Album with Iceman and for Best Hip-Hop with “Janice STFU,” according to The Source. Both categories ended up going to Madonna, whose Confessions II took Best Album as part of a night where she topped multiple categories.
Kendrick Lamar and Clipse lost Best Collaboration to Madonna
Rap’s other major nomination, Best Collaboration, went to Kendrick Lamar alongside Clipse’s Pusha T and Malice for “Chains & Whips,” a track that had already picked up wins at both the 2026 Grammy Awards and the BET Awards earlier this year, part of the record-setting Grammy run for Best Rap Album Kendrick Lamar put together in 2026. The VMA itself went to Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter for “Bring Your Love” instead, denying Kendrick Lamar and Clipse a three-for-three sweep across this year’s major award shows.
Yung Lean’s Video of the Year nomination lost to Taylor Swift
Outside the genre-specific categories, Yung Lean had picked up a nomination in the night’s biggest race, Video of the Year, for “Storm II” alongside collaborator Gener8ion. The award ultimately went to Taylor Swift for “The Fate of Ophelia,” part of a night that made her the most-awarded artist in VMA history.
Other hip-hop names in the mix beyond the headline categories
Rap’s footprint at this year’s VMAs went beyond the genre-specific races. A$AP Rocky picked up a nomination in Best Cinematography for “PUNK ROCKY,” a nod to his continued treatment of music videos as visual art projects rather than straightforward promotional clips. French Montana and Max B also competed in Best Collaboration for “Ever Since U Left Me,” a nomination that carried extra weight given Max B’s release from incarceration in late 2025 and his ties to New York’s mixtape era.
Doechii’s influence showed up in an unexpected place too: her reigning status as Grammy winner for Best Rap Album helped frame Lady Gaga’s “Runway” nomination in Best Art Direction, a category where the visual language of rap videos increasingly bleeds into pop staging. Meanwhile, Latto and Doja Cat brought a rap sensibility to the Song of Summer race with “Okayyy,” competing directly against pop’s dominant summer singles.
Snoop Dogg’s hosting debut added another rap presence to the night
Rap also had a seat at the very center of the show, with Snoop Dogg hosting the VMAs for the first time. He arrived with 13 prior nominations and three wins of his own, giving the night a hip-hop face even in categories where the genre came up short. His hosting turn, paired with Cardi B and Kehlani’s win, meant rap stayed visible throughout the broadcast even as pop swept most of the marquee categories.
Cardi B’s win keeps hip-hop on the board for the night, but the results make clear how much ground pop’s biggest names covered across the ceremony’s top categories, with Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Yung Lean all coming up short outside of Best Hip-Hop.
