Snoop Dogg has experienced plenty of memorable MTV Video Music Awards moments over the past three decades, but he is about to add a major first to that list. The legendary rapper has been announced as the host of the 2026 MTV VMAs, marking his first time hosting the awards ceremony after years of appearing as a performer and nominee. The show will air Sunday, September 27, on CBS and MTV and stream on Paramount+.
Snoop succeeds LL COOL J, who hosted the 2025 ceremony. He is no stranger to leading a major event himself, having hosted the NFL Honors in February 2025.
Snoop Dogg MTV VMAs History Comes Full Circle
Snoop’s history with the VMAs stretches back more than three decades. The 54-year-old rapper has earned 13 VMA nominations and taken home three awards during his career. His first victory came in 1994, when he won Best Rap Video. He later added Best Dance Video in 2006 and Best Art Direction in 2015.
Snoop has also been responsible for several notable performances on the VMA stage. In 1999, he closed out the ceremony alongside Dr. Dre and Eminem. He participated in a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. in 2005 and returned in 2022 for a performance with Eminem inspired by the Otherside metaverse.
“MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning,” Snoop said in a statement according to the Associated Press. “Some of the biggest moments of my career happened on that stage and on MTV—they gave hip-hop a place to be loud, fearless and seen by the whole world.” His move from VMA winner and performer to host comes 32 years after that first victory.
Snoop Dogg Calls New Role a ‘Full-Circle Moment’
The significance of that history wasn’t lost on Snoop when he addressed his new assignment. “So to come back now and host the VMAs, all these years later, that’s a full-circle moment for me,” he said. The rapper also highlighted his history with producer Van Toffler, who will produce this year’s show through Gunpowder & Sky.
“And doing it with my brother Van Toffler makes it even more special,” Snoop continued. “Van was there during those early MTV days when we were changing the culture in real time, and we’ve got a whole lot of history together. Now we get to make some new history.”
Snoop won’t only be the face of the broadcast. He will also serve as an executive producer alongside Sara Ramaker and Jasmin Ratansi, giving him another role behind the scenes. As for what viewers can expect, he isn’t giving away many details just yet. “The VMAs have always been about those moments you don’t forget – and trust me, we’re gonna give y’all a few more,” he teased.
The 2026 MTV VMAs Have Another Major Moment Planned
Snoop will have plenty happening around him when the ceremony gets underway. Nirvana will receive the Video Vanguard Award, bringing the legendary rock band back into the VMA spotlight 34 years after its first performance at the ceremony in 1992.
The show will also mark a change of scenery. After recent ceremonies were held in the New York area, the VMAs are returning to Los Angeles for the first time since 2017, with the event taking place at the Peacock Theater.
More announcements are still coming, with performers, presenters and special guests expected to be revealed in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. For Snoop, the hosting assignment adds a new chapter to a VMA relationship that began decades ago.
He has gone from collecting his first award in the 1990s to performing alongside some of hip-hop’s biggest names and, eventually, helping lead the entire broadcast. When the cameras start rolling on September 27, he’ll be experiencing the VMAs from a position he hasn’t occupied before: host.
