Madonna leads the 2026 VMA nominations with 11 nods

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Madonna tops the field for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nominations, ahead of Taylor Swift's nine, according to Variety.
• The Balearics stay hot and cloudless on Tuesday 18 August 2026, with highs of 32 to 33 degrees and no rain forecast, per Open-Meteo.
• A DGT rule taking effect in 2026 will affect driving licence holders born between 1956 and 1961, reports Diario de Mallorca.
• AEMET warns that storms, thermal downbursts and very strong gusts could reach the Balearics from Thursday, according to Diario de Ibiza.
• A sperm whale was spotted in the waters off Menorca last Sunday, an encounter witnesses called a genuine privilege, according to Es Diari.

Today's essentials

Madonna leads the 2026 VMA nominations with 11 nods. Madonna is the most-nominated artist at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with 11 nominations, ahead of Taylor Swift with nine, according to Variety.

Variety reports that the pop veteran's 11 nods put her clearly out front, with Taylor Swift second on nine. Just behind them, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter are tied for third with seven nominations each, a figure Variety states by name (some aggregated tallies put the pair lower, so treat seven as the sourced count).

On the strength behind the surge, Yahoo Entertainment points to Madonna's 'Confessions II' project and the single 'Bring Your Love', a duet with Sabrina Carpenter, as the engine of her nominations. Her selections span the biggest categories, from Video of the Year and Artist of the Year to Song of the Year, Best Collaboration and a run of craft awards including Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Choreography.

The headline races are crowded. For Video of the Year, the nominees are Madonna ('Confessions II, The Film'), Taylor Swift ('The Fate of Ophelia'), Ariana Grande ('Hate That I Made You Love Me'), Bruno Mars ('I Just Might'), Sabrina Carpenter ('Tear') and Gener8ion ('Storm'). Artist of the Year lines up Madonna, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter and Morgan Wallen.

There is history at stake, too. Madonna and Beyoncé are currently tied as the most-awarded artists in VMA history, with 30 trophies each, so a strong night could rewrite the record books, though who ends up on top is still an open question going into the show.

What it means for you: if you want to watch, the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards air live on Sunday 27 September 2026 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, carried on CBS, MTV and Paramount+ at 19:30 ET, according to CBS News and The Daily Beast. With the US start time falling in the small hours in Spain, streaming on Paramount+ or MTV is the practical way to catch it from the Balearics, live or on catch-up the next morning.

Weather today

Hot and cloudless across the Balearics. The Balearics stay hot on Tuesday 18 August 2026, with highs around 32 to 33 degrees, mostly dry skies and no rain expected, according to Open-Meteo.

In Palma, Open-Meteo puts the low at 25 degrees and the high at 32, under partly cloudy skies with a zero percent chance of rain and a light breeze topping out near 17 km/h. It is a straightforward summer day: light clothing, water on you, and shade in the early afternoon.

The rest of the archipelago runs a touch warmer. Around Soller in northern Mallorca, expect 26 to 33 degrees with the same partly cloudy, rain-free picture and very light winds near 9 km/h, while on the other islands, Sant Antoni sees 26 to 33 degrees under mostly clear skies and breezes up to 13 km/h. With nothing to break the heat, an early swim or an evening outing beats the middle of the day.

Transport & traffic

No transport or traffic incidents reported at time of publication.

What's changing for you

• DGT licence change from 2026 for 1956-1961 drivers. A DGT rule taking effect in 2026 will affect driving licence holders born between 1956 and 1961, according to Diario de Mallorca. If you were born between 1956 and 1961 and drive here, this one is worth flagging on your radar: Diario de Mallorca reports a DGT measure kicking in during 2026 that specifically targets that age group. Keep an eye on your licence's renewal date and the official DGT channels for the exact terms as they are confirmed, so a renewal or medical check does not catch you out.

Local news to know

• Death of Mallorca teacher Bartomeu Bou Vaquer at 88. Ultima Hora reports the death of Bartomeu Bou Vaquer, a well-regarded teacher at schools including Sant Josep Obrer and Eugenio López, at the age of 88 in Muro.
• A chain of chairs in Palma to revive 'prendre sa fresca'. Ultima Hora also carries a call from activist Madó Farta for a chain of chairs in Plaza España, Palma, to revive the tradition of prendre sa fresca (sitting out in the evening cool) and defend residents' right to enjoy public space.
• Sperm whale spotted off Menorca. A sperm whale was sighted in the waters off Menorca last Sunday, in an encounter those aboard described as a genuine privilege, according to Es Diari.
• AEMET warns of storms reaching the islands from Thursday. Diario de Ibiza relays an AEMET forecast of a significant change in the weather from Thursday, with a sharp drop in temperatures and storms, thermal downbursts and very strong gusts that could reach the Balearics.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow