Donnie Wahlberg and Vanessa Lachey host Best of VMAs specials, revisiting the show’s most iconic and unforgettable moments ahead of the 2026 ceremony.
The MTV Video Music Awards have built a reputation for unforgettable performances, daring fashion and moments that continue to shape music culture. Ahead of the 2026 ceremony, CBS is giving fans a chance to revisit some of that history with two primetime specials dedicated to the artists and moments that made the VMAs such a major part of pop culture. The first special, ‘Best of VMAs: Iconic Vanguard Performances’, airs Sunday, September 13 at 9:30 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT on CBS and will stream on Paramount+ Premium. Hosted by Donnie Wahlberg, the program celebrates recipients of the Video Vanguard Award, spotlighting performances that became defining chapters in MTV history.
The award has been presented since 1984, when David Bowie, The Beatles and film director Richard Lester became its first recipients. Over the decades, the honor has recognized artists whose creativity and influence have left a lasting mark on music and visual culture, with Mariah Carey becoming the latest recipient in 2025.
The special is expected to revisit performances from several major Vanguard honorees, including Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Ye, Rihanna, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Shakira, Katy Perry and Mariah Carey. Since 2013, recipients have typically been given the chance to perform a medley of songs before accepting the award, creating some of the ceremony’s most memorable stretches.
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CBS will follow that celebration with ‘Best of VMAs: Unforgettable Moments’ on Sunday, September 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Former MTV VJ Vanessa Lachey will host the second special, which looks back at the unpredictable moments that have helped define the VMAs. These will include bold fashion statements and surprising collaborations as well as the performances that transformed rising artists into established stars. Madonna is likely to be a major part of the retrospectives. The pop icon leads the 2026 VMA nominations with 11 nods, while her history with the ceremony goes back to its very first show. Her performance of “Like a Virgin” in 1984 remains one of the most recognizable moments in VMA history and helped establish the kind of spectacle the awards would become known for.
For longtime viewers, the specials should bring back familiar favorites while introducing newer audiences to performances that helped define different eras of music. This makes the countdown to this year’s ceremony even more nostalgic and exciting. The two specials arrive as a warm-up to the 2026 MTV VMAs, which will air live coast-to-coast from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater at L.A. Live on Sunday, September 27 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. ET/4:30–6:30 p.m. PT on CBS. The ceremony will also be simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+ Premium in the U.S., with global availability on Paramount+ and MTV the following day.
With decades of performances and pop culture moments to draw from, the specials offer a timely reminder of why the VMAs remain one of music television’s most recognizable stages.
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