Cardi B and Kehlani Take Home Best Hip-Hop at the 2026 VMAs

Cardi B and Kehlani are adding another major accolade to their run after “Safe” captured the Best Hip-Hop award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.

The ceremony took place September 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, bringing together some of the biggest names across music. In the hip-hop category, Cardi B and Kehlani faced a stacked group of contenders, including Don Toliver’s “E85,” Drake’s “Janice STFU,” Megan Thee Stallion’s “LOVER GIRL,” Travis Scott’s “DUMBO,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE.”

Ultimately, “Safe” came out on top, giving Cardi B and Kehlani another notable moment for their collaboration. The two artists previously connected on Cardi’s 2018 track “Ring,” but their latest collaboration has now added a VMA trophy to their history.

#VMAs Best Hip-Hop Winner: “Safe” by Cardi B & Kehlani 🏆

Other nominees:

▫️ Don Toliver – “E85”
▫️ Drake – “Janice STFU”
▫️ Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL”
▫️ Travis Scott – “DUMBO”
▫️ Tyler, The Creator – “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”

— Kurrco (@Kurrco) September 28, 2026

While Cardi and Kehlani represented hip-hop with one of the night’s major wins, the 2026 ceremony featured plenty of history beyond the genre. Taylor Swift secured major honors, including Video of the Year and Best Direction, while Madonna collected seven awards during the ceremony.

The show was hosted by Snoop Dogg and aired live from Los Angeles across CBS, MTV, and Paramount+ on September 27, with the ceremony becoming available globally the following day.

For Cardi B, the victory adds another highlight to an already busy period. With “Safe” now carrying a VMA win, the collaboration with Kehlani has officially become one of the standout hip-hop moments from this year’s ceremony.

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