Madonna ROASTS Sabrina Carpenter who is left frantically defending her team as their MTV VMAs 2026 speech goes off the rails

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By SAMEER SURI, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 03:02 BST, 28 September 2026 | Updated: 04:38 BST, 28 September 2026

Madonna left Sabrina Carpenter on the defensive by taking a swipe at her team during their acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.

Carpenter, 27, and Madonna, 68, took the stage at the Peacock Theater together when they won best collaboration for the video for their duet Bring Your Love.

'I would like to briefly say how this collaboration came about,' said Madonna. 'Everybody who knows me knows how impatient I am, and when five days passed and I still didn't get connected with Sabrina and didn't hear back from her about whether she wanted to do a song with me - five days! - I DM'ed her.'

As the live audience reacted to the dig at Carpenter's entourage, she herself was reduced to fits of nervous laughter while standing beside Madonna.

Eventually, she sprang frantically to her employees' defense, saying: 'My team replies! Just so everybody knows, they do respond to people!'

Carpenter then acknowledged to a round of applause that 'I respond faster, so direct line to me is always the best way to get in contact.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Madonna and Carpenter's representatives for comment. 

Madonna left Sabrina Carpenter on the defensive by taking a swipe at her team during their acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday

Carpenter, 27, and Madonna, 68, took the stage at the Peacock Theater together when they won best collaboration for the video for their duet Bring Your Love

'Okay, so we're gonna go back there and have a drink or something,' replied the Queen of Pop, as Carpenter once again let out an anxious giggle.

After pouring scorn on Carpenter's entourage, Madonna struck a more conciliatory tone by showering praise on her duet partner and stressing their common traits.

'I love working with you because you are so professional, and in this day and age it's really hard to find professional people to work with,' said Madonna.

'When I show up late, she shows up early, so it works out. And she has OCD and so do I,' the Material Girl hitmaker informed the audience.

'We write our lyrics down on pieces of paper, like they did in the 1800s, and it's been wonderful working with you and I love this song,' she raved.

'And if you think it's a love song, you are wrong. It is a song about people who think they know you better than you know yourself. And I love you,' she said to Carpenter.

Their shambolic joint speech came after Madonna brought Carpenter and Charli XCX onstage with her for her opening performance at the ceremony.

Madonna had not sung onstage at the VMAs since 2003, when she set off a media firestorm by kissing both Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

MTV VMAs 2026 winners: AT A GLANCE

Artist of the Year: Madonna

Best Collaboration: Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter - Bring Your Love

Best Dance: Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Best Cinematography: Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Best Choreography: Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Best Visual Effects: Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Best Long Form Video: Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

As the live audience reacted to the dig at Carpenter's entourage, she herself was reduced to fits of nervous laughter while standing beside Madonna

This Sunday, she and Carpenter delivered a rendition of Bring Your Love and Charli XCX then hit the stage for her new duet with Madonna, Danceteria Afterhours.

The original version of Danceteria was a solo track by Madonna, featured on her latest album Confessions II, which was released in July and serves as a sequel to her smash hit 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. 

Bring Your Love was in contention for two prizes - best collaboration, which it has won, and for one of the top prizes of the night, song of the year.

Certain other categories pitted the two pop stars against one another, such as the coveted prize for video of the year, in which Madonna's Confessions II (The Film) won out, sweeping aside Carpenter's clip for Tears. 

Madonna was most nominated artist at this year's VMAs with 11 nods to her name, narrowly beating Taylor Swift's nine. Madonna ended up scooping seven awards, while Swift won three. 

Nevertheless, Swift was triumphant after being announced as the winner of the inaugural Artist Director Honors Award, her 33rd Moon Man trophy.

She is now the artist with the most VMA wins in history, having previously been tied with Beyonce, who is now in second place with 30 gongs to her name.

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

She has emerged as a reliable engine of memorable moments at the fete, where she ignited a fan frenzy in 2003 via her lip-lock with Spears.

MTV Video Music Awards 2026 WINNERS

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande - Hate That I Made You Love Me

Bruno Mars - I Just Might

Gener8ion (starring Yung Lean - Storm

Madonna - Confessions II (The Film)

Sabrina Carpenter - Tears

Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia - WINNER

Taylor Swift earned top honor Video of the Year to break an epic record 

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande

Bruno Mars

Madonna - WINNER

Morgan Wallen

Sabrina Carpenter

Taylor Swift 

SONG OF THE YEAR

BTS - Swim - WINNER

Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas

Huntr/x - Golden

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter - Bring Your Love

Olivia Dean - Man I Need

Raye - Where Is My Husband

BEST NEW ARTIST

Bella Kay

Cortis

Magnus Ferrell

Malcolm Todd

Myles Smith

Sienna Spiro - WINNER

Stella Lefty

British singer took home the coveted Best New Artist gong

BEST COLLABORATION

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice – Chains & Whips

French Montana and Max B – Ever Since U Left Me

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter - Bring Your Love - WINNER

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside

Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai

Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye – Hard Part

BEST POP

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me

Charli XCX – SS26

Lisa – Dream - WINNER

Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead

Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour

Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

BEST HIP-HOP

Cardi B featuring Kehlani – Safe - WINNER

Don Toliver – E85

Drake – Janice STFU

Megan Thee Stallion – Lover Girl

Travis Scott – Dumbo

Tyler, The Creator – Sugar on My Tongue

BEST R&B

Bruno Mars – I Just Might - WINNER

Chris Brown – It Depends/Obvious

Dave & Tems – Raindance

Justin Bieber – Yukon

Kehlani – Folded

Mariah The Scientist and Kali Uchis – Is It a Crime

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Geese – Taxes

MGK and Fred Durst – Fix Ur Face

Noah Kahan – The Great Divide

Olivia Rodrigo – The Cure - WINNER

Sombr – Homewrecker

Tame Impala – Dracula

Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path

BEST DANCE

Bebe Rexha and Faithless – New Religion

Harry Styles – Aperture

Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film) - WINNER

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside

Slayyyter – Dance...

Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl

 BEST LATIN

Anitta and Shakira – Choka Choka

Bad Bunny – NUEVAYoL - WINNER

Fuerza Regida – Tu Sancho

Karol G – Papasito

Rosalía – La Perla

Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta – La Villa

Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai

BEST K-POP

Blackpink – Jump

BTS – Swim - WINNER

Cortis – Redred

Katseye – Pinky Up

Le Sserafim – Spaghetti

Lisa – Dream

 BEST COUNTRY

Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas - WINNER

Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell

Lainey Wilson – Somewhere over Laredo

Luke Combs – Back in the Saddle

Shaboozey – Cowgirl

Stella Lefty – Boston

Tucker Wetmore – Brunette

BEST DIRECTION

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love me

Bruno Mars – I Just Might

Gener8ion – Storm

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour

Taylor Swift – Opalite - WINNER

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me

A$AP Rocky – Punk Rocky

Lisa – Dream

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film) - WINNER

Shaboozey – Cowgirl

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

Madonna dominated as she earned the most wins with seven 

BEST EDITING

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me

Bruno Mars – I Just Might

Lisa – Dream

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour - WINNER

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

Sabrina took home Best Editing for House Tour as she accepted Best Collaboration with Madonna

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Gener8ion – Storm

Harry Styles – Dance No More

Katseye – Pinky Up

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)n - WINNER

Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me - WINNER

Jisoo and Zayn – Eyes Closed

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film) - WINNER

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside

Raye – Click Clack Symphony

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

BEST ART DIRECTION

Charli XCX – SS26

Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway

Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside - WINNER

Sombr – My Body Isn’t Ready

Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia

PinkPantheress earned Best Art Direction alongside Zara Larsson for Stateside