Snoop Dogg to Host the 2026 MTV VMAs as Awards Return to Los Angeles

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards have found their host, and MTV is going with someone who has plenty of history with the show.

Snoop Dogg will host this year's VMAs when the awards return Sunday, September 27, live from Los Angeles. The ceremony marks the VMAs' first return to the West Coast since 2017 and will air on CBS while simultaneously airing on MTV and streaming live for Paramount+ Premium subscribers in the United States.

For Snoop, hosting the show brings things full circle after more than three decades of memorable appearances on the VMA stage. The rapper is a 13-time VMA nominee and three-time winner whose history with the awards stretches all the way back to his main-stage debut in 1994.

His other VMA moments include closing the 1999 ceremony alongside Dr. Dre and Eminem, participating in a tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. in 2005 and teaming with Eminem for a metaverse-inspired performance in 2022. Now he'll move from performer and nominee to the person responsible for guiding the entire show.

“MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning,” Snoop said in announcing the news, calling the hosting gig a “full-circle moment.” He also promised that this year's ceremony will deliver some of the unpredictable moments that have become part of VMA history.

Considering Snoop's personality, MTV may have found exactly the right person for the job. Award shows can sometimes feel overly scripted, while Snoop has built a career both in and outside of music, around making just about any television appearance feel like Snoop walked into the room and decided to take over.

He's also become one of entertainment's most versatile personalities. His television résumé has expanded far beyond music over the years, making the jump to hosting one of MTV's biggest nights feel less like an experiment and more like a natural next step.

There's still plenty we don't know about this year's show. Performers, presenters and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks, giving MTV plenty more to reveal before Snoop takes the stage later this month.

One major honoree has already been confirmed, however, with Nirvana set to receive the Video Vanguard Award. Between that tribute, Snoop taking over as host and the show's return to Los Angeles, the 2026 VMAs are leaning heavily into music history while still leaving room for whatever comes next.

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards air live Sunday, September 27 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and live streaming available through Paramount+ Premium in the U.S. The ceremony will also become available globally the following day on Paramount+ and MTV.