Madonna accepts VMAs 2026 award in $2.8M diamond necklace and grills

The Queen of Pop brought her own crown jewels to the VMAs.

Madonna accepted the award for Artist of the Year at the 2026 ceremony in a beribboned corset bodysuit accessorized with some serious sparkle.

Around her neck: a 115-carat Leviev diamond station necklace worth a whopping $2.8 million. And on her teeth, a glinting grill.

The evening’s most-nominated artist, with 13 nods, beat out Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and Morgan Wallen for the category. It was her second Moon Person of the night, following a Best Collaboration win for “Bring Your Love,” her duet with Carpenter.

Madonna opened the show with her first VMAs performance in 23 years, peeling off a black blazer to reveal a wine-red bodysuit for “Bring Your Love” with Carpenter before adding a lace-up leather jacket for “Danceteria Afterhours” with Charli XCX.

On stage accepting Artist of the Year, she reflected on her first appearance at the VMAs in 1984, when she performed “Like a Virgin” atop a giant wedding cake at the inaugural show. After she lost a shoe and her skirt flew up mid-routine, her then-manager “told me my career was over,” she recalled.

“I spent the last year and a half finding myself, believing in myself and really making the music that I wanted to make,” she continued. “And, to me, that really is the definition of being an artist.”

The dental bling is a long-running signature for the star, who designed a set of “birthday grills” for herself in 2022. “People have a problem with my grills, I don’t know why,” she told Jimmy Fallon at the time.

“I just like the way it looks — it’s mouth jewelry — and I have really ugly teeth,” she added.