Taylor Swift cemented her status as a music icon by sweeping the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. The pop superstar took home seven awards, including the coveted Video of the Year, making her the most decorated solo artist in VMAs history.
Swift’s wins bring her total to 30, surpassing Beyoncé’s record of 25 as a solo artist. Beyoncé also has four additional VMAs from her time with Destiny’s Child and as part of The Carters with Jay-Z.
Swift accepted her first award of the night for Best Collaboration with Post Malone for their song “Fortnight.” She opened her speech by acknowledging the anniversary of 9/11, saying, “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, that is the most important thing today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
The ceremony, hosted by Megan Thee Stallion at Long Island’s UBS Arena, marked 40 years of the VMAs. The rapper honoured iconic moments from past shows, including Britney Spears’ memorable live performance with a snake.
Megan also took the stage to perform her songs “Boa,” “Hiss,” and “Mamushi” alongside Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba.
Eminem opened the night with a nod to his iconic 2000 VMAs performance, featuring an army of Slim Shady lookalikes, but the evening belonged largely to female artists.
Rising star Sabrina Carpenter wowed the audience with performances of “Please Please Please” and “Taste,” before taking home Song of the Year for “Espresso.” Carpenter accepting her first-ever VMA thanked her fans, saying, “I just feel so grateful to have truly the best fans in the world.”
K-pop sensation Lisa of Blackpink won Best K-Pop for her solo hit “Rockstar,” while Brazilian star Anitta took home Best Latin for “Mil Veces.” South African artist Tyla won Best Afrobeats for her song “Water,” highlighting the diversity within African music during her acceptance speech.
Katy Perry was honoured with the Video Vanguard Award, presented by her husband Orlando Bloom. Perry performed a medley of her hits, including “Dark Horse,” “ET,” and “Firework,” and addressed her critics, saying, “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.”
Chappell Roan won Best New Artist, dedicating her award to the LGBTQ+ community and offering words of encouragement to queer kids in the Midwest.
Fellow nominee Benson Boone made his debut with a high-energy performance of “Please Stay,” while Shawn Mendes marked his return to the spotlight with his new song “Nobody Knows.”
Veteran performers Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy delivered standout performances, but the night ultimately belonged to Swift.
The singer closed the show by becoming the only artist to win Video of the Year five times, thanking “my boyfriend, Travis” and adding, “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”
The list of nominees and winners:
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
• Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight (WINNER)
Best New Artist
• Benson Boone
• Chappell Roan (WINNER)
• 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
• Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight (WINNER)
• Tommy Richman — MILLION DOLLAR BABY
VMAs Most Iconic Performance
• Beyonce — Love On Top
• Eminem — The Real Slim Shady / The Way I Am
• Katy Perry — Roar (WINNER)
• Lady Gaga — Paparazzi
• Madonna — Like A Virgin
• Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott — Like A Virgin / Hollywood
• Taylor Swift — You Belong With Me
Artist of the Year
• Ariana Grande
• Bad Bunny
• Eminem
• Sabrina Carpenter
• SZA
• Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Song of the Year
• Beyonce — TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
• Jack Harlow — Lovin On Me
• Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us
• Sabrina Carpenter — Espresso (WINNER)
• Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight
• Teddy Swims — Lose Control
Performance of the Year
• Kaliii — Area Codes
• GloRilla — Lick or Sum
• Benson Boone — In The Stars
• Coco Jones — ICU
• Victoria Monet — On My Mama
• Jessie Murph — Wild Ones
• Teddy Swims — Lose Control
• Chappell Roan — Red Wine Supernova
• Flyana Boss — yeaaa
• Laufey — Goddess
• LE SSERAFIM — Easy (WINNER)
• The Warning — Automatic Sun
Best Pop
• Camila Cabello
• Dua Lipa
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Tate McRae
• Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Best Hip-Hop
• Drake feat. Sexxy Red & SZA — Rich Baby Daddy
• Eminem — Houdini (WINNER)
• GloRilla — Yeah Glo!
• Gunner — fukumean
• Megan Thee Stallion — BOA
• Travis Scott feat. Playboi Carti — FE!N
Best R&B
• Alicia Keys — Lifeline
• Muni Long — Made For Me
• SZA — Snooze (WINNER)
• Tyla — Water
• USHER, Summer Walker, 21 Savage — Good Good
• Victoria Monet — On My Mama
Best Alternative
• Benson Boone — Beautiful Things (WINNER)
• 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
• Lenny Kravitz — Human (WINNER)
• U2 — Atomic City;
Best Latin
• Anitta — Mil Veces (WINNER)
• Bad Bunny — MONACO
• Karol G — MI EX TENIA RAZON
• Myke Towers — LALA
• Peso Pluma & Anitta — BELLAKEO
• Rauw Alejandro — Touching The Sky
• Shakira & Cardi B — Punteria
Best K-Pop
• Jung Kook feat. Latto — Seven
• Lisa — Rockstar (WINNER)
• NCT DREAM — Smoothie
• NewJeans — Super Shy
• Stray Kids — LALALALA
• TOMORROW X TOGETHER — Deja Vu
Best Direction
• We can’t be friends (wait for your love) — Ariana Grande
• Tiny Moves — Bleachers
• Houdini — Eminem
• BOA — Megan Thee Stallion
• Please Please Please — Sabrina Carpenter
• Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (WINNER)
