Top 5 Country Moments You Might Have Missed at the 2026 MTV VMAs
The MTV Video Music Awards have never been a country awards show, but country music was hard to miss this year. The 2026 VMAs took over Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Sunday, Sept. 27, with Snoop Dogg hosting a night that included Madonna’s return to the VMA stage after more than two decades, Taylor Swift taking home Video of the Year, BTS winning Song of the Year and Sienna Spiro being named Best New Artist. Nirvana received the Video Vanguard Award, while tributes throughout the show honored music legends including George Michael and Dolly Parton.
But tucked between some of the night’s biggest pop culture moments was a noticeable country presence. From one of the genre’s fastest-rising stars taking home an iconic Moon Person to a country-rap crossover onstage and multiple reminders of Parton’s influence far beyond Nashville, here are five country moments you might have missed at the 2026 VMAs.
1. Ella Langley Takes Home Best Country for “Choosin’ Texas”
Ella Langley added another major award to an already standout year when “Choosin’ Texas” won Best Country at the 2026 MTV VMAs, marking her first-ever VMA win. Langley took home the award in a category that also included Kacey Musgraves’ “Dry Spell,” Lainey Wilson’s “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Luke Combs’ “Back in the Saddle,” Shaboozey’s “Cowgirl,” Stella Lefty’s “Boston” and Tucker Wetmore’s “Brunette.”
The song had an even bigger presence across the show, earning Langley four nominations in total. Along with Best Country, “Choosin’ Texas” was nominated for Song of the Year, Song of Summer and Best Long Form Video, putting her in categories alongside artists from across the broader music landscape. That wider recognition made the night notable beyond the Best Country trophy itself. “Choosin’ Texas” has already become one of the defining songs of Langley’s year, and its showing at the VMAs was another sign of how prominently both she and country music are showing up in mainstream music conversations.
2. Shaboozey Brings Country and Hip-Hop Together With Gunna
Shaboozey did not just attend the VMAs. He got one of country music’s biggest moments on the actual stage. He opened his performance with “Cowgirl” before rapper Gunna joined him for “High Noon,” both from Shaboozey’s latest album “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.” The performance leaned heavily into the Western world Shaboozey has built around the project while continuing the country and hip-hop combination that has become central to his sound.
It was also a fitting stage for Shaboozey, whose music has always blended country, hip-hop and Western influences. Rather than changing that identity for the VMAs, he brought it fully into a show traditionally centered on pop, hip-hop and rock, showing how naturally his sound now fits within the broader mainstream music landscape.
3. Kacey Musgraves Honors Dolly Parton With “I Will Always Love You”
One of the night’s most emotional moments belonged to Kacey Musgraves.
Musgraves honored Dolly Parton with a stripped-down rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” with archival footage of Parton opening the segment before Musgraves took over at the piano. Wearing a sparkling pink look and Parton-inspired hair, Musgraves kept the performance simple and let the song carry the moment.
The performance was pre-recorded in Los Angeles because Musgraves was performing at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville that same night as part of her Middle of Nowhere Tour. Even while on tour, she still made sure Parton was part of the moment, and she has continued honoring her throughout the tour as well. For an awards show built around spectacle, the tribute stood out by doing almost the opposite. It was simple, personal and another reminder of how much Parton’s influence runs through the artists who came after her.
4. Taylor Swift Dedicates Video of the Year to Dolly Parton
Parton’s influence returned later in the night, this time during the show’s biggest award.
After winning Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Taylor Swift used part of her acceptance speech to dedicate the honor to Parton, calling her the “ultimate showgirl” and pointing specifically to the vivid storytelling in her songwriting. It was a particularly fitting connection. Swift began her career in Nashville and has spent much of her own career emphasizing songwriting and visual storytelling, while Parton’s influence has long extended well beyond country music.
Between Swift’s speech and Musgraves’ performance, Parton became one of the emotional threads running through the entire show, another reminder that her impact cannot be contained to one genre.
5. Stella Lefty Makes Her VMA Red Carpet Debut in a Wedding Dress
Stella Lefty may not have left with Best Country, but she still created one of country music’s most talked-about fashion moments of the night. The “Boston” singer arrived in a vintage Claire Pettibone bridal gown from the designer’s fall 2015 collection, complete with intricate beading, fringe detailing and an undone updo. The look quickly landed in fashion coverage from outlets including Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone and Who What Wear. Not all of the online reaction was positive. Some criticism of Lefty’s appearance became harsh enough that fellow country artist Lauren Alaina publicly came to her defense afterward.
But the bigger story may have been Lefty’s presence at the VMAs at all. Less than two years into her rapid rise, the 24-year-old arrived with “Boston” nominated in multiple categories and walked one of music’s most recognizable red carpets. That rise has also been one of the more debated stories in country music this year. Lefty has faced criticism over her wealthy family background and accusations online that some of her songs sound too similar to previously released hits. “Boston,” in particular, drew comparisons to Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season,” and Kahan ultimately received a songwriting credit. Lefty has said she did not intentionally draw from the song. Against that backdrop, seeing Lefty nominated at the VMAs made the moment even more notable. Whether the conversation has centered on her music, her background, her sudden success or now her red carpet look, she has quickly become one of country music’s most visible and debated rising artists.
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