Flash back to Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs 15 years ago, in 2009. That’s what made that b—famous, according to Kanye West, who infamously rushed the stage and stole the microphone out of her hand.
Focus on present day, with Swift winning 7 Moon Men at ceremonies hosted by Megan Thee Stallion Wednesday night at Long Island’s UBS Arena, including Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.
The new trophies bring her total wins to 30, tying with Beyoncé for the most VMAs of all time.
“Directing this video and putting it together and writing it was the most wonderful experience. And that is because of all the people that I got to make it with,” Swift said in her acceptance speech for Video of the Year. “The thing is that this video seems very sad when you watch it, but it actually was like the most fun video to make.”
Swift also praised someone who was always on set while filming the music video. “Something that I’ll always remember is that when I would finish a take and I’d say, ‘cut,’ and we’d be done with that take, I would always just hear someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it. And that one person was my boyfriend Travis [Kelce],” she added, eliciting screams from the audience. “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”
Swift concluded, “To the fans, I’m always trying to figure out a way to say thank you to you for making my life what it is, for making the Eras Tour what it has become, for making ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ what it has become. That’s all you guys for doing that and for voting for this award…. I appreciate it so much.”
In another acceptance speech, she took a moment to honor the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, saying, “Everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
Swift became the first artist to win the VMA for Video of the Year three years in a row. She took home the award last year for “Anti-hero” and in 2022 for “All Too Well: The Short Film.”
The accolades came just one night after she famously endorsed Kamala Harris for president, signing her Instagram post “Childless Cat Lady.”
Proving once again that it’s Taylor’s world and we just live in it.
Here are the winners in the major categories:
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
Billie Eilish – “Lunch”
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Eminem – “Houdini”
SZA – “Snooze”
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
Eminem
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ‘Em”
Jack Harlow – “Lovin on Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
WINNER: Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Tyla
Song of Summer
Ariana Grande — “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”
Benson Boone — “Beautiful Things”
Billie Eilish — “Birds of a Feather”
Chappell Roan — “Good Luck, Babe!”
Charli XCX & Billie Eilish — “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish
Eminem — “Houdini”
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar — “Like That”
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion — “Wanna Be”
Hozier — “Too Sweet”
Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us”
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen — “I Had Some Help”
Sabrina Carpenter — “Please Please Please”
Shaboozey — “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
SZA — “Saturn”
WINNER: Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — “Fortnight”
Tommy Richman — “Million Dollar Baby”
MTV Best Push Performance of the Year
August 2023: Kaliii – “Area Codes”
September 2023: GloRilla – “Lick or Sum”
October 2023: Benson Boone – “In the Stars”
November 2023: Coco Jones – “ICU”
December 2023: Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
January 2024: Jessie Murph – “Wild Ones”
February 2024: Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”
March 2024: Chappell Roan – “Red Wine Supernova”
April 2024: Flyana Boss – “Yeaaa”
May 2024: Laufey – “Goddess”
WINNER: June 2024: Le Sserafim – “Easy”
July 2024: The Warning – “Automatic Sun”
Best Collaboration
Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy “
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion – “Wanna Be”
Jessie Murph ft. Jelly Roll – “Wild Ones”
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
Post Malone ft. Morgan Wallen – “I Had Some Help”
WINNER: Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – “Fortnight”
Best Pop
Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Best Hip-Hop
Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – “Rich Baby Daddy“
WINNER: Eminem – “Houdini”
GloRilla – “Yeah Glo!”
Gunna – “Fukumean”
Megan Thee Stallion – “Boa”
Travis Scott ft. Playboi Carti – “Fe!n”
Best R&B
Alicia Keys – “Lifeline”
Muni Long – “Made For Me”
WINNER: SZA – “Snooze”
Tyla – “Water”
Usher, Summer Walker, 21 Savage – “Good Good”
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
Best Alternative
WINNER: Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”
Bleachers – “Tiny Moves”
Hozier – “Too Sweet”
Imagine Dragons – “Eyes Closed”
Linkin Park – “Friendly Fire”
Teddy Swims – “Lose Control (Live)”
Best Rock
Bon Jovi – “Legendary”
Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Green Day – “Dilemma”
Kings of Leon – “Mustang”
WINNER: Lenny Kravitz – “Human”
U2 – “Atomic City”
Best Latin
WINNER: Anitta – “Mil Veces”
Bad Bunny – “Monaco”
Karol G – “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
Myke Towers – “Lala”
Peso Pluma & Anitta – “Bellakeo”
Rauw Alejandro – “Touching the Sky”
Shakira & Cardi B – “Puntería”
Best Afro-Beats
Ayra Starr ft. Giveon – “Last Heartbreak Song”
Burna Boy – “City Boys”
Usher, Pheelz – “Ruin”
Chris Brown ft. Davido & Lojay – “Sensational”
Tems – “Love Me JeJe”
WINNER: Tyla – “Water”
Best K-pop
Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
WINNER: Lisa – “Rockstar”NCT Dream – “Smoothie”
NewJeans – “Super Shy”
Stray Kids – “Lalalala”
Tomorrow x Together – “Deja vu”
Video for Good
Alexander Stewart – “If Only You Knew”
WINNER: Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For (From the Motion Picture Barbie)”Coldplay – “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll – “Best for Me”
Raye – “Genesis.”
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
VMAs Most Iconic Performance
Beyoncé — “Love on Top”
Eminem — “The Real Slim Shady / The Way I Am”
WINNER: Katy Perry — “Roar”Lady Gaga — “Paparazzi”
Madonna — “Like a Virgin”
Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott — “Like a Virgin / Hollywood”
Taylor Swift — “You Belong With Me”
