Shure Wireless Technology Delivers the Sound of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards
NILES, IL, October 30, 2026 – Shure wireless technology supported the MTV Video Music Awards, helping the production team deliver clear, reliable audio for hosts, presenters, and live performances. Axient Digital wireless systems were deployed throughout the show, while Shure PSM 1000 Advanced In-Ear Personal Monitoring Systems supported artists across the production.
Shure ADX2 handheld transmitters paired with KSM11 microphone capsules served as the host microphones for Snoop Dogg and other onstage talent. The configuration gave the broadcast audio team a consistent production microphone solution designed to handle rapid changes in speaking level and the demands of a live awards show.
Reliable RF Performance Across a Demanding Live Broadcast
The production relied on Shure Axient Digital wireless systems to support a high channel count in a dense RF environment. ShowLink® Remote Control provided the RF team with real-time control of compatible transmitters, enabling critical adjustments without interrupting artists or the live show.
“Shure Axient Digital delivered exceptional RF performance throughout the MTV Video Music Awards, providing the reliability and confidence needed in a demanding live RF environment. Even with a dense spectrum and a number of wireless channels in operation, Axient Digital remained rock solid. ShowLink was equally impressive, giving us real-time remote control of the transmitters and allowing the RF team to make critical adjustments without interrupting the artists or the show. The combination of RF stability, flexibility, and control is what makes Axient Digital such a powerful system,” said Michael Hahn, RF Coordinator, Soundtronics Wireless.
KSM11 Brings Natural, Consistent Sound to Production Microphones
“The KSM11 has become my go-to capsule for production mics. On an awards show like the VMAs, you're constantly dealing with huge dynamic shifts, with guests going from soft-spoken to shouting over the crowd. The KSM11 handles those transitions effortlessly while preserving full, articulate warmth, so I never felt like I had to over-EQ or over-compress to keep voices sitting right.
“Of course, a live broadcast mix is only as good as the team around it. We had an incredible audio department, and the mixers in the house had the PA so well balanced that room bleed complemented our broadcast sound rather than competing with it. Having a capsule with that level of acoustic transparency made it an absolute pleasure to mix,” said Omer Barzilay, Broadcast A1.
Artist-Specific Wireless Solutions
The VMAs featured artist-specific Shure wireless configurations across several of the night’s performances. Best New Artist winner Sienna Spiro performed with a custom chrome ADX2 transmitter paired with an SM58® microphone capsule. During the George Michael tribute, SOMBR also used a custom chrome ADX2/SM58, while the tribute’s other vocalists used ADX2/SM58 systems. Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert used ADX2 transmitters paired with non-Shure microphone capsules.
Additional performances included Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX using ADX2 transmitters. Gunna joined Shaboozey using an ADX2 transmitter with a KSM9 microphone capsule, while LISA used an ADX1 bodypack transmitter paired with a BETA® 54 Headworn Vocal Microphone.
Consistent In-Ear Monitoring Across the Show
Monitor Mixers Andres Arango and Manny Barajas supported performers using Shure PSM 1000 Advanced In-Ear Personal Monitoring Systems throughout the VMAs. The systems provided artists and the production team with dependable, consistent monitoring across the show’s varied musical performances.
Behind the Sound
ATK served as the main audio provider for the production. The audio team included Craig Robertson, FOH Production Mixer; Omer Barzilay, Broadcast A1; John Harris and Eric Schilling, Music Mixers; Jeff Peterson and Andrew Fletcher, FOH Music Mixers; and Andres Arango and Manny Barajas, Monitor Mixers. Soundtronics Wireless handled the antenna infrastructure and RF coordination, with Michael Hahn serving as RF Coordinator.
From host microphones and artist wireless to broadcast mixing, music mixing, monitor mixing, antenna infrastructure, and RF coordination, the full audio team worked together to deliver the reliability, control, and sound quality required for one of music’s most visible live broadcasts.