鈥榮 dominance continued at the , where she took home seven awards 鈥 including the night鈥檚 biggest, the trophy for video of the year.
In her speech Wednesday night, Swift thanked her 鈥渂oyfriend, Travis鈥 for being on set of the 鈥淔ortnight鈥 music video and cheering her on. Fans rewarded the mention of NFL star Travis Kelce with loud screams.
鈥淓verything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,鈥 she said, before shifting gears to the and instructing her fans who are over 18 to register to vote.
Swift did, however, avoid discussing on stage. On Tuesday night, Swift , moments after Harris鈥
Swift鈥檚 awards haul brings her to a career total of 30, tying her and Beyonc茅 for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. Eminem is now the male artist with the most VMAs, at 15.
Swift and Post Malone also took home the first televised award of the VMAs for best collaboration, for 鈥淔ortnight,鈥 handed to them by and Olympian Jordan Chiles.
Swift started that speech by giving remembrance to everyone who lost their lives and loved ones during 9/11,
鈥淚鈥檝e 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,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd everything that happens tonight falls behind that.鈥
She then turned to discussing Malone.
鈥淭here is a reason Post Malone is everyone in music鈥檚 favorite person to collaborate with,鈥 she shifted her attention to him. 鈥淚t has taken forever for me to get him to stop calling me ma鈥檃m.鈥
won the MTV Video Music Award for best new artist.
鈥淚 dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me,鈥 she said in her speech, while wearing chain mail, reading from a written speech in her diary. 鈥淎nd I dedicate this to queer and trans people who run pop. 鈥 Thank you for listening.鈥
Women dominated the award show, no example greater than an imaginative, medieval set from Roan.
Drag queen Sasha Colby introduced her with 鈥測our favorite drag queen鈥檚 favorite artist,鈥 a reference to Roan鈥檚 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 armor, 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, 鈥淕ood Luck, Babe.鈥
The other voice of 2024 pop, , won the trophy for song of the year for 鈥淓spresso.鈥
鈥淭his is really special,鈥 she said in her speech, dedicated to her fans. 鈥淎nd thank you to that me-espresso.鈥
Earlier in the night, she brought her summery-pop to the award show, powering through her hit singles 鈥淧lease Please Please,鈥 鈥淭aste鈥 and 鈥淓spresso鈥 while dancing with a moon man and an alien.
received , performing an eight-song medley spanning her career: 鈥淩oar,鈥 鈥淓.T.,鈥 鈥淐alifornia Gurls,鈥 鈥淭eenage Dream,鈥 鈥淚 Kissed a Girl,鈥 鈥淔irework,鈥 and 鈥淟ifetimes.鈥
鈥淚 did that all on the first day of my period, can you believe it?鈥 she joked after accepting the honor from her partner, Orlando Bloom. 鈥淭here are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade long accidents.鈥
She also teased a new song, 鈥淚鈥檓 His, He鈥檚 Mine,鈥 featuring Doechii, which samples the Crystal Waters classic, 鈥淕ypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da).鈥
Previous recipients of the Video Vanguard Award include Beyonc茅, Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Missy Elliott.
An army of Slim Shady-lookalikes followed as he kicked off the VMAs launching into a medley of his hits 鈥淗oudini鈥 and 鈥淪omebody Save Me,鈥 featuring a broadcast feed of Jelly Roll. (The song references Jelly Roll鈥檚 massive country radio hit, 鈥淪ave Me.鈥)
Megan Thee Stallion welcomed the crowd as a first-time host Wednesday night, who joked that the VMAs now stands for the 鈥渧oluptuous Megan awards.鈥 She later performed.
Earlier in the evening, Karol G took over, for a fiery performance of her hit, 鈥淪i Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.鈥 to the stage, running through 鈥淭ouching The Sky,鈥 鈥淒ILUIVO鈥 and 鈥淒茅jame Entrar.鈥
Tyla won the best Afrobeats award.
LL COOL J celebrated 40 years of Def Jam Records with Public Enemy鈥檚 Flavor Flav and Chuck D.
Halsey took it to the suburbs for her new single, 鈥淓go,鈥 channeling garage bands. GloRilla鈥檚 鈥淵eah Glo!鈥 and 鈥淭GIF鈥 brought style.
Blackpink鈥檚 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, 鈥淣ew Woman鈥 and 鈥淩ockstar.鈥 Shawn Mendes made along-awaited return, debuting a new John Mayer-esq. acoustic number, 鈥淣obody Knows.鈥
Anitta performed 鈥淧aradise,鈥 鈥淎legria,鈥 and 鈥淪avage Funk,鈥 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 鈥淏eautiful Things鈥 on the VMAs stage. Lenny Kravitz proved rock isn鈥檛 dead with 鈥淎re You Gonna Go My Way,鈥 鈥淗uman鈥 and finally 鈥淔ly,鈥 in which he was joined by Quavo.
The 40th VMAs were held at the UBS Arena on New York鈥檚 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鈥 40-year-run, including Britney Spears鈥 albino python and Madonna鈥檚 performance of 鈥淟ike A Virgin.鈥
