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What would the MTV Video Music Awards be like without Madonna?
Madonna’s name is almost synonymous with the VMAs. She was there from the beginning, tumbling across the stage in her wedding dress while performing “Like A Virgin” at the awards ceremony in 1984.
Over the next four decades, Madonna returned to the VMAs to deliver groundbreaking performances. He also made headlines with outrageous antics such as French kissing Britney Spears on stage, and touched the hearts of fans with an emotional tribute to Michael Jackson after the musician’s death in 2009.
Now the Queen of Pop is set to make a historic return to the 2026 VMAs on September 27, performing at the awards show for the first time in 23 years.
Madonna’s performance will open the awards ceremony for a record-breaking fifth time, ending her tie with Rihanna, who opened the awards ceremony four times.
Madonna, who released her hit album “Confessions II” in July, is attending this year’s VMAs as the most nominated artist.
NBC News entertainment writer Chris Witherspoon told TODAY.com that the singer “went back to sit on her throne for the night.”
“You can’t tell the story of the VMAs without telling the story of Madonna. From 1984’s ‘Like a Virgin’ to 1990’s ‘Vogue’ to her unforgettable performance with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott in 2003, Madonna was on point before we even said that sentence,” Witherspoon said.
“Madonna returning to the VMAs doesn’t feel like a comeback to me. It feels like the Queen of Pop coming back to the house she helped build,” Witherspoon added.
Ahead of Madonna’s triumphant VMAs comeback, let’s take a look back at her top 10 moments from the awards show.
1) The Wedding Dress Seen Around the World (1984)
Madonna’s daring performance at the opening of the MTV Video Music Awards in 1984—trolling around the stage in a punky outfit consisting of a wedding dress, rosary beads, and a “Man’s Toy” belt buckle—was her breakthrough moment.
The raunchy performance, which included some bumping and rubbing, also branded the VMAs as a rebellious alternative to the Grammys and other awards shows.
“MTV could barely fill the seats at the VMAs in the first year. By the second year, almost every performer wanted a seat on that stage. Madonna was on stage singing ‘Like a Virgin’ in a wedding dress at the first show in 1984. “I thank her so much for this comeback,” music marketing strategist, professor and former touring musician Jeff Moore told TODAY.com.
2) Madonna Expresses Herself (1989)
Five years later, Madonna returned to the VMAs to deliver one of her best televised performances, singing “Express Yourself” with two backup singer-dancers.
The newly divorced singer (her marriage to Sean Penn officially ended at the beginning of the year) began her high-energy, tightly choreographed performance by wearing a dark suit and then slipped into a corset.
3) ‘Vogue’ Meets the French Revolution (1990)
The former Material Girl’s breathtaking performance of “Vogue” in 1990 was inspired by the French Revolution. Madge as Marie Antoinette? Oh, it worked, right down to her and her dancers’ 18th-century-style powdered wigs, heavy white face makeup, and corseted dresses.
4) ‘Ray of Light’ with Lenny Kravtiz (1998)
In what is considered one of the best live performances, Madonna showcased her vocal talents on the soaring “Ray of Light” with guest guitarist Lenny Kravitz during the 1998 show.
The singer, who started her performance with the Hindu-inspired “Shanti Ashtangi”, also collected awards that night by taking home five Moon Man awards.
5) Madonna Meets Drag Impersonators (1999)
The following year, the singer was greeted by a group of drag queens wearing some of her most memorable looks, lip-syncing and dancing to her biggest hits.
“All I have to say is that I need a real man to fill my shoes!” the singer joked later.
6) Kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera (2003)
In 2003, Madonna shocked audiences when she took a moment to kiss guest performers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during a nostalgic performance of “Like A Virgin.”
Spears and Aguilera wore short wedding dresses in a fun nod to Madonna’s first VMA performance.
7) A Soulful Tribute to Michael Jackson (2009)
Madonna showed her serious side at the 2009 VMAs in an emotional tribute to late pop icon Michael Jackson, calling Jackson “one of the greatest talents the world has ever known.”
“His music,” he said in his speech, “had another layer of inexplicable magic that not only made you want to dance, but also made you believe that you could fly, that you could dare to dream, that you could be anything you wanted to be.”
He also remembered going to dinner with Jackson years ago.
“Afterwards we went back to my house to watch a movie and we sat on the couch like two kids and somewhere in the middle of the movie his hand secretly grabbed mine,” she said. “I felt like he was looking for a friend rather than a love affair, and I was happy to oblige. He didn’t feel like a superstar at that moment. He felt like a human being.”
8) A Surprise Appearance, Mommy—–! (2021)
Equipped with a black dominatrix bodysuit and hat, Madonna made a surprise appearance at the opening of the 2021 VMAs.
The singer’s appearance came immediately after viewers watched a short video telling the story of how she arrived in New York City decades ago with just $35.
Madonna then took the stage and told the crowd: “And they said we wouldn’t last long. But we’re still here, mother——!”