Producer Van Toffler does not know whether the next VMAs ceremony will take place — Rolling Stone

MTV Video Music Awards producer Van Toffler said he does not know whether another VMAs ceremony will take place. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said he does not control the future of the show but hopes the format of live televised music performances will be preserved.

The 2026 ceremony, produced by Toffler, drew 8.43 million viewers on CBS and MTV. According to preliminary Nielsen data including same-day viewing, this is the highest VMAs figure since 2015. Toffler also explained that the show started on time, but the CBS broadcast went on air 20 minutes later because an NFL game ran longer than scheduled. In his view, viewers should have been warned about the delay.

Tribute to Nirvana

No musical number in honor of Nirvana was organized at the ceremony because, according to Toffler, without Kurt Cobain the band would not be Nirvana. Instead, the show honored the group’s music videos and influence, and the segment was introduced by Chuck D.

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Toffler said that Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain took part in preparing the tribute. They approved the video material and the person who introduced the segment, but did not attend the ceremony in person.

Madonna, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift

The producer said that Madonna personally invited the participants in her opening number. They included Sombr, Debi Mazar, Seth Rogen, Andrew Watt and Fab 5 Freddy. The production team learned about Rogen’s participation about two days before the show.

George Michael and Dolly Parton were also honored at the VMAs. Kacey Musgraves performed the song I Will Always Love You after an archival clip in which Parton performs the composition. Taylor Swift received an award for directing music videos and won in the Video of the Year category, Toffler said.