Taylor Swift ‘s dominance continued at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she took home seven awards — including the night’s biggest, the trophy for video of the year.
In her speech Wednesday night, Swift thanked her “boyfriend, Travis” for being on set of the Fortnight music video and cheering her on. Fans rewarded the mention of NFL star Travis Kelce with loud screams.
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,” she said, before shifting gears to the 2024 presidential election and instructing her fans who are over 18 to register to vote.
Swift did, however, avoid discussing Kamala Harris’ presidential bid on stage. On Tuesday night, Swift endorsed the vice president, moments after Harris’ debate with former president Donald Trump ended.
Swift’s awards haul brings her to a career total of 30, tying her and Beyoncé for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. Swift is, however, the most decorated solo artist of all time — Beyoncé has won 25 VMAs has a solo artist, two with Destiny’s Child and two with Jay-Z as the Carters.
Eminem is now the male artist with the most VMAs, at 14.
Swift and Post Malone also took home the first televised award of the VMAs for best collaboration, for Fortnight, handed to them by Flavor Flav and Olympian Jordan Chiles.
Swift started that speech by giving remembrance to everyone who lost their lives and loved ones during 9/11, 23 years ago.
“I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago, everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost and that is the most important thing about today,” she said. “And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
She then turned to discussing Malone.
“There is a reason Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” she shifted her attention to him. “It has taken forever for me to get him to stop calling me ma’am.”
Chappell Roan won the MTV Video Music Award for best new artist.
“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me,” she said in her speech, while wearing chain mail, reading from a written speech in her diary. “And I dedicate this to queer and trans people who run pop. … Thank you for listening.”
Women dominated the award show, no example greater than an imaginative, medieval set from Roan.
Drag queen Sasha Colby introduced her with “your favorite drag queen’s favorite artist,” a reference to Roan’s now famous Coachella performance, which in turn was inspired by Colby. Real fans no doubt got a kick out of the hyper-referential tidbit.
Roan appeared in armour, shooting a lit crossbow at castle gates that stood behind her, burning them in the process. Her dancers were knights, battling each other in incredible choreography as she sang her queer pop hit, Good Luck, Babe.
The other voice of 2024 pop, Sabrina Carpenter, won the trophy for song of the year for Espresso.
“This is really special,” she said in her speech, dedicated to her fans. “And thank you to that me-espresso.”
Earlier in the night, she brought her summery-pop to the award show, powering through her hit singles Please Please Please, Taste and Espresso while dancing with a moon man and an alien.
Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award, performing an eight-song medley spanning her career: Roar, E.T., California Gurls, Teenage Dream, I Kissed a Girl, Firework, and Lifetimes.
“I did that all on the first day of my period, can you believe it?” she joked after accepting the honour from her partner, Orlando Bloom. “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade long accidents.”
She also teased a new song, I’m His, He’s Mine, featuring Doechii, which samples the Crystal Waters classic, Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da).
Previous recipients of the Video Vanguard Award include Shakira, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Missy Elliott.
An army of Slim Shady-lookalikes followed Eminem as he kicked off the VMAs, launching into a medley of his hits Houdini and Somebody Save Me, featuring a broadcast feed of Jelly Roll. (The song references Jelly Roll’s massive country radio hit, Save Me.)
Megan Thee Stallion welcomed the crowd as a first-time host Wednesday night, who joked that the VMAs now stands for the “voluptuous Megan awards.” She later performed.
Earlier in the evening, Karol G took over, for a fiery performance of her hit, Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido. Rauw Alejandro brought Puerto Rico to the stage, running through Touching The Sky, DILUIVO and Déjame Entrar.
Tyla won the best Afrobeats award.
LL COOL J celebrated 40 years of Def Jam Records with Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and Chuck D.
Halsey took it to the suburbs for her new single, Ego, channeling garage bands. GloRilla’s Yeah Glo! and TGIF brought style.
Blackpink’s LISA, the best K-pop award winner, made her way to the VMA stage for the first time as a soloist, powering through two of her brand-new singles, New Woman and Rockstar. Shawn Mendes made along-awaited return, debuting a new John Mayer-esque acoustic number, Nobody Knows.
Anitta performed Paradise, Alegria, and Savage Funk, joined by DJ Khaled, Fat Joe and Tiago PZK and won the award for best Latin. Camilla Cabello performed in a panopticon. Benson Boone seemed as stoked as ever to perform his viral hit Beautiful Things on the VMAs stage. Lenny Kravitz proved rock isn’t dead with Are You Gonna Go My Way, Human and finally, Fly, in which he was joined by Quavo.
The 40th VMAs were held at the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island.
The night was stacked with celebrities and featured plenty of Swift, who arrived at the award show wearing a green tartan corset with a matching train and long black leather gloves.
Throughout the night, MTV flashed back to history-making across the VMAs’ 40-year-run, including Britney Spears’ albino python and Madonna’s performance of Like A Virgin.
— with files from Global News’ Sarah Do Couto