Madonna’s speech

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Accepting her Moon Person on stage, Madonna began her speech with a joke, telling the audience, “I would like to thank my fingers, because I can always count on them.”

“Some of you were probably not born … but I performed at the first MTV awards in 1984,” the pop icon recalled. She then opened up about the mishap that became one of the most memorable moments from that inaugural ceremony.

not Madonna giving the best speech EVER😭#VMAs pic.twitter.com/t6KgibHBXS

— MIRIANA🪩 (@mysinsmysavior) September 28, 2026

“I had a little problem with my shoes, and one of my stilettos fell off. I dove onto the stage to try to make myself look cute and sexy like I meant do do it. My dress went up, my butt cheek was hanging out — and those days, butt cheeks were not hanging out,” Madonna said.

The singer also remembered how her manager at the time reacted to the incident, saying he apparently “told me my career was over.” More than four decades later, Madonna returned to the VMAs as the ceremony’s most nominated artist of 2026.

During her speech, Madonna also spoke about Confessions II, the follow-up to her acclaimed 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 earlier this summer. “I want you to know I spent the last year and a half finding myself, believing in myself and really making the music that I wanted to make,” she said, while also acknowledging Stuart Price, her collaborator on both Confessions albums.

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“To me, that really is the definition of being an artist. My hope for all of you tonight is that you spend the next year, or the next 10 years, or the rest of your life, doing the same — finding yourself and believing in yourself,” Madonna added.

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter celebrate their Best Collaboration win

Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter won the Best Collaboration award for their song Bring Your Love at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. While accepting the award, Madonna recalled how the collaboration came together, revealing that she reached out to Carpenter herself after not hearing back for five days.

“Everybody who knows me knows how impatient I am,” Madonna said. “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’d her.”

According to Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter responded to her message, and the two were soon working together in the studio. “It was fabulous,” she said, praising Carpenter for being professional.

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Madonna also joked about their working styles, saying, “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. When I show up late, she shows up early. So, we—it works out. She has OCD and so do I. We write our lyrics down on pieces of paper like they did in the 1800s. “It’s been wonderful working with you and I love the song.”

THIS DUO!!! @Madonna and @SabrinaAnnLynn take home Best Collaboration at the #VMAs 👯‍♀️🏆 pic.twitter.com/YMlwumHuTd

— MTV (@MTV) September 28, 2026

Madonna also clarified the meaning behind Bring Your Love, saying that despite sounding like a love song, it is actually about people who believe they know someone better than that person knows themselves.


“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,” she said.

My team replies, just so everybody knows. They do respond to people, but I respond faster. So, direct line to me is always the best way to get in contact,” shared Sabrina Carpenter.

MADONNA E TAYLOR SWIFT!! #VMAs pic.twitter.com/BXuOYrnBU0

— Madonna Access (@madonnaccess) September 28, 2026

The 2026 Artist of the Year win brought that journey full circle for Madonna, who returned to the VMAs stage this year for her first performance at the ceremony in 23 years. She also led this year’s nominations with 11 nods.