Madonna BEATS Taylor Swift as she sweeps nominations at MTV VMAs

The nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were unveiled Tuesday morning, with Madonna emerging as the artist with the most nods.

Madonna, 68, is in compeтιтion for a staggering 11 prizes, narrowly beating out Taylor Swift, who has nods in nine categories.

They will be vying against each other for the evening’s top honor, video of the year, with Swift up for The Fate of Ophelia and Madonna for Confessions II – The Film.

Rounding out the category are the music videos for Hate That I Made You Love Me by Ariana Grande, Tears by Sabrina Carpenter, I Just Might by Bruno Mars and Storm by GENER8ION (starring Yung Lean).

Swift, 36, and Beyonce, 44, are currently tied as the most decorated artists in the history of the VMAs, each with 30 gongs to her name.

Inasmuch as Beyonce has no nominations this year, all Swift has to do is win a single prize in order to become the single record-holder, via the ᴀssociated Press. 

The nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were unveiled Tuesday morning, with Madonna emerging as the artist with the most nods

Madonna, 68, is in compeтιтion for a staggering 11 prizes, narrowly beating out Taylor Swift, who has nods in nine categories

Madonna famously performed at the first-ever VMAs in 1984, bursting from a gigantic wedding cake wearing a bridal gown for a rendition of Like a Virgin.

She has since emerged as a reliable engine of headline-grabbing moments for the ceremony, igniting a fan frenzy by kissing Britney Spears on the lips there in 2003. 

Over the course of her more than four-decade career, she has earned a total of 19 VMAs, meaning that in order to equal Swift and Beyonce’s current record she will have to triumph in every category in which she is nominated this year.

The VMAs will be held on September 27 at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS at 7:30pm EST.

Trailing Madonna and Swift, Grande and Carpenter are tied for third place with seven nominations apiece, while Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsonn each have five.