Taylor Swift made history at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, becoming the most decorated solo artist of all time after winning seven categories, including the prestigious video of the year award. Swift, who now holds 30 VMAs, surpassed Beyoncé’s solo record of 25, solidifying her legacy in the music industry.
Swift kicked off the evening with a win for best collaboration with Post Malone for their duet “Fortnight.” She took a moment to reflect on the anniversary of 9/11 during her acceptance speech: “Waking up this morning in New York on September 11th, 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 today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
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The event, held at UBS Arena in Long Island, largely celebrated female artists. Sabrina Carpenter delivered a captivating performance of her songs “Please Please Please” and “Espresso,” with the latter winning song of the year. While accepting the award, Carpenter said, “This is really special. I just feel so grateful to have truly the best fans in the world … and thank you to that me espresso.”
Brazilian star Anitta claimed best Latin for her song “Mil Veces,” and Lisa of Blackpink won best K-pop for her solo track “Rockstar.” South African artist Tyla won best Afrobeats for her hit “Water” and used the opportunity to highlight the diversity of African music, saying, “There’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats … African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.”
Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award, marking the seventh consecutive year the lifetime achievement prize has gone to a female artist. Perry performed a medley of her iconic hits and credited her success to her ability to “block out the noise that every single artist has to constantly fight, especially women.”
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Chappell Roan won best new artist, dedicating her win to “all the drag artists who inspire me” and “queer and trans people that fuel pop.” She further empowered queer kids in the Midwest, saying, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be, bitch!”
The night concluded with Swift winning her fifth video of the year award. She thanked her fans and gave a special shoutout to her boyfriend, Travis, saying, “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.”
Swift ended her speech by encouraging fans to register to vote, referencing her support for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign: “If you are over 18, please register to vote for something else that’s very important.”
