MTV released the nominations for the 2026 Video Music Awards, and somewhere between the usual pop stars, viral hits and major categories, rock disappeared.
Fans looking for the Best Rock nominees found nothing.
The category, which had given rock artists a dedicated place at the VMAs for 37 years, does not appear on this year’s list.
It is a quiet change, but a significant one.
Rock has been part of the VMAs since 1989, when MTV introduced Best Heavy Metal Video. The award later evolved, eventually becoming Best Rock, where some of the genre’s biggest names competed over the years.
Now, that category is gone.
MTV has not publicly explained why it dropped Best Rock, and the move leaves rock artists without a dedicated category at one of music’s most recognisable award shows.
They can still compete in other categories, including Best Alternative, but the change closes a chapter that lasted nearly four decades.
There is some irony in that.
MTV grew into a cultural powerhouse during an era when rock videos helped define the channel. Artists such as Metallica, Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and Green Day all belonged to a generation that benefited from MTV’s relationship with the genre.
But the 2026 VMAs tell a different story.
This year, rock no longer has a category carrying its name.
After 37 years, the award is off the list.