Taylor Swift enjoyed a triumphant, history-making night at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday.
The singer won in nine of the 11 categories she was nominated – including Artist of the Year – at the annual event, which was held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The 33-year-old singer-songwriter won Album of the Year for Midnights and Show of the Summer, in addition to taking home six awards for the video and track for Anti-Hero.
They included Video of the Year; Best Cinematography; Best Visual Effects; Best Direction, Best Pop; and Song of the Year.
It’s been 14 years since Taylor won her first VMA for Best Video by a Female Artist for You Belong with Me (and her acceptance speech was infamously interrupted by Kanye West.)
On Tuesday, Swift told the crowd as she accepted the award for Best Pop for Anti-Hero, ‘I love making pop music, I love making pop music videos, I also love making country.
2023 MTV VMAs: Best moments from the MTV Video Music Awards
The latest: Taylor Swift, 33, won in the category for Best Pop for Anti-Hero at the MTV Video Music Awards Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
The singer told the crowd as she accepted the award, ‘I love making pop music, I love making pop music videos, I also love making country’
‘I love slinking around different genres and the only reason I’m allowed to do that is because you, the fans, gave me the opportunity to do this.’
She added, ‘One big adventure and it’s all so much to challenge myself to make music that’s different than what I made last and I just love you for it. But I really love making pop music, so thank you so, so, so much.’
Swift won her second award for Song of the Year for Anti-Hero.
‘I want to say, I’m really, really lucky that I get to write songs with one of my best friends in the world, his name is Jack Antonoff,’ she said in her second speech. ‘I’m so lucky I’ve been making music with him since we worked on an album called 1989 – we will continue working together until 2089!’
The superstar continued: ‘Anyway, I am so, so happy because this is validating my favorite part of what I get to do.
‘I started writing songs when I was 12 and it always starts with a very isolated emotion, a very specific type of insecurity or self-loathing that I feel like I’m the only one who is feeling in that moment.
‘But then when I go out on tour and I’ve got stadiums singing the words back to me.’
She added, ‘It brings me to this very relaxing feeling of maybe we all have the same issues, so thank you so much to the fans, I love you so much, this means the world to me. Thank you!’
MTV VMAS 2023 Worst Dressed Awards
Swift was presented with her first honors by NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick
Swift was seen embracing fellow musical superstar Justin Timberlake at the event
Swift was nominated for 11 VMAs Tuesday, including seven for her Anti-Hero music video
Swift won her second award for Song of the Year for Anti-Hero, as fans cheered her on
Swift credited her musical collaborator Jack Antonoff in her second speech
Taylor Swift stuns in black at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
Look away Kanye: How times have changed for the singer, whose thunder was stolen by Kanye West as she accepted the Best Female Video award in 2009. While Taylor is now a household name, the troubled rapper veers from one controversy to another
Swift took home her third award of the evening for Best Direction for directing the video for her hit track Anti-Hero.
MTV VMAs: Winners at a glance
Video Of The Year: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Artist Of The Year: Taylor Swift
Song Of The Year: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best New Artist: Ice Spice
Best Pop: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
She thanked her ‘brilliant collaborators’ in her third speech of the evening, saying that being director ‘is absolutely a team sport.’
Swift thanked her editors, cinematographer and director of photography, as well as the actors in the video, adding, ‘You absolutely played the parts perfectly.’
Swift won her fourth award on the telecast for Video of the Year for Anti-Hero.
‘This is unbelievable – I just want to say that the fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,’ she said. ‘Based on the memories that we made recently, the most joyful and exhilarating experience and we are not even halfway done.
‘It’s really felt like the adventure of a lifetime this past year.’
The huge evening resulted in Swift moving up in second all-time on MTV VMA winners with 25 overall – only second to Beyoncé’s 28, two of which she earned as a member of Destiny´s Child.
Pop royalty Madonna (20 VMA awards) and Lady Gaga (19 VMA awards) round out the quartet of musical queens.
Amazing: Taylor shows off her nine awards
Swift took home her third award of the evening for Best Direction for directing the video for her hit track Anti-Hero
Swift thanked her editors, cinematographer and director of photography, as well as the actors in the video, adding, ‘You absolutely played the parts perfectly’
The pop superstar walked with confidence on the triumphant night on the East Coast
Elsewhere, Anitta was named the Best Latin Winner for her song Funk Rave.
‘We are here again, Brazil, we are here again,’ the Rio de Janeiro native, 30, said in her acceptance speech. ‘For the second time, we are here. Thank you so much for my fans, without you I would be nothing.’
Shakira was honored with the Video Vanguard Award and performed as well.
‘Tonight I want to thank people who have played a key role in my visual history,’ she said. ‘And the amazing women who work with me for not only smart but always help me push through all my challenges while wearing so many hats. You girls are amazing, thank you so much!’
The Whenever, Wherever singer, 46, also thanked her family and fans in accepting the vaunted honors.
Previous recipients include Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Missy Elliott.
Diddy was named receive the Global Icon Award and performed at the VMAs for the first time since 2005.
‘Love wins, y’all, love wins,’ said Diddy, who became the third recipient of the award, following the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022 and the Foo Fighters in 2021.
In his acceptance speech, Diddy said, ‘This is so surreal. I appreciate you all coming in just giving me my flowers and celebrating me.
‘Of course I got to thank God, because that’s my secret weapon. It don’t matter what religion you are, make sure you know there’s a higher power of love and I want to just say I give all glory to god, thank you so much. This is a dream come true.’
Anitta was named the Best Latin Winner for her song Funk Rave
The Rio de Janeiro native, 30, said in her acceptance speech, ‘Thank you so much for my fans, without you I would be nothing’
Shakira glitters in gold on the 2023 MTV VMAs red carpet
Shakira was honored with the Video Vanguard Award and performed as well
Shakira said, ‘Tonight I want to thank people who have played a key role in my visual history’
The Whenever, Wherever singer, 46, was upheld by fans as she performed at the show
Shakira added to her trophy mantle as her track with KAROL G, TQG, took home the honors for Best Collaboration
Both of the Colombian singers were contenders for the night’s Artist of the Year prize
Diddy received the Global Icon Award and performed at the VMAs for the first time since 2005
Diddy became the third recipient of the award, following the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022 and the Foo Fighters in 2021
In his acceptance speech, Diddy said, ‘This is so surreal. I appreciate you all coming in just giving me my flowers and celebrating me’
The iconic artist was seen posed backstage upholding his moon man statue
Rema & Selena Gomez collected the award for Best Afrobeats Winner for their track Calm Down
Rema, 23, said in accepting the honors, ‘This meant so much, being here on this stage presenting Afrobeats here tonight, I’m so happy’
Video of the Year
Doja Cat – ‘Attention’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’
Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)
Taylor Swift won Video Of The Year for her song Anti-Hero, which she directed
Artist of the Year:
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
KAROL G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Song of the Year:
Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’
Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’
Steve Lacy – ‘Bad Habit’
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)
Best New Artist:
GloRilla
Ice Spice (WINNER)
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Push Performance of the Year:
August 2022: Saucy Santana – ‘Booty’
September 2022: Stephen Sanchez – ‘Until I Found You’
October 2022: JVKE – ‘golden hour’
November 2022: Flo Milli – ‘Conceited’
December 2022: Reneé Rapp – ‘Colorado’
January 2023: Sam Ryder – ‘All The Way Over’
February 2023: Armani White – ‘GOATED’
March 2023: FLETCHER – ‘Becky’s So Hot’
April 2023: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – ‘Sugar Rush Ride’ (WINNER)
May 2023: Ice Spice – ‘Princess Diana’
June 2023: FLO – ‘Losing You’
July 2023: Lauren Spencer Smith – ‘That Part’
Best Collaboration:
David Guetta + Bebe Rexha – ‘I’m Good (Blue)’
Post Malone, Doja Cat – ‘I Like You (A Happier Song)’
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – ‘Gotta Move On’
KAROL G, Shakira – ‘TQG’ (WINNER)
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’
Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’
Shakira and Karol G took home ‘Best Collaboration’ for their hit ‘TQG’
Best Pop:
Demi Lovato – ‘Swine’
Dua Lipa – ‘Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Eyes Closed’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’
P!NK – ‘TRUSTFALL’
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ (WINNER)
Best Hip-Hop:
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – ‘Gotta Move On’
DJ Khaled ft. Drake + Lil Baby – ‘STAYING ALIVE’
GloRilla + Cardi B – ‘Tomorrow 2’
Lil Uzi Vert – ‘Just Wanna Rock’
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz + DMX – ‘Kant Nobody’
Metro Boomin ft Future – ‘Superhero (Heroes and Villains)’
Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’ (WINNER)
Nicki Minaj won the ‘Best Hip-Hip’ gong for her ‘Super Freaky Girl’ music video
Best R+B:
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – ‘Stay’
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – ‘How Does It Feel’
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – ‘Creepin’ (Remix)’
SZA – ‘Shirt’
Toosii – ‘Favorite Song’
Yung Bleu + Nicki Minaj – ‘Love In The Way’
Best Alternative:
blink-182 – ‘EDGING’
boygenius – ‘the film’
Fall Out Boy – ‘Hold Me Like A Grudge’
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – ‘Candy Necklace’ (WINNER)
Paramore – ‘This Is Why’
Thirty Seconds To Mars – ‘Stuck’
Best Rock:
Foo Fighters – ‘The Teacher’
Linkin Park – ‘Lost (Original Version)’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Tippa My Tongue’
Måneskin – ‘THE LONELIEST’ (WINNER)
Metallica – ‘Lux Æterna’
Muse – ‘You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween’
Best Latin:
Anitta – ‘Funk Rave’ (WINNER)
Bad Bunny – ‘WHERE SHE GOES’
Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – ‘Ella Baila Sola’
KAROL G, Shakira – ‘TQG’
ROSALÍA – ‘DESPECHÁ’
Shakira – ‘Acróstico’
Anitta took home the Best Latin award for ‘Funk Rave’
Group of the Year:
Blackpink – (WINNER)
Fifty Fifty
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Måneskin
NewJeans
Seventeen
Tomorrow x Together
Album of the Year:
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS
Taylor Swift – Midnights (WINNER)
Shakira was this year’s Video Vanguard Award recipient
Best K-Pop:
aespa – ‘Girls’
BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’
FIFTY FIFTY – ‘Cupid’
SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’
Stray Kids – ‘S-Class’ (WINNER)
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – ‘Sugar Rush Ride’
Best Afrobeats:
Ayra Starr – ‘Rush’
Burna Boy – ‘It’s Plenty’
Davido ft. Musa Keys – ‘UNAVAILABLE’
Fireboy DML + Asake – ‘Bandana’
Libianca – ‘People’
Rema + Selena Gomez – ‘Calm Down’ (WINNER)
Wizkid ft Ayra Starr– ‘2 Sugar’
Rema and Selena Gomez won Best Afrobeats video for their collaborative track ‘Calm Down’
Video for Good:
Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)
Bad Bunny – ‘El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente’
Demi Lovato – ‘Swine’
Dove Cameron – ‘Breakfast’ (WINNER)
Imagine Dragons – ‘Crushed’
Maluma – ‘La Reina’
Best Direction:
Doja Cat – ‘Attention’ – – Directed by Tanu Muiño
Drake – ‘Falling Back’ – Director X (Julien Christian Lutz)
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Count Me Out’ – Directed by Dave Free + Kendrick Lamar
Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’ – Directed by Colin Tilley
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Directed by Floria Sigismondi
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’ – Directed by Christian Breslauer
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Directed by Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Taylor Swift won Best Direction for her song ‘Anti-Hero’
Best Cinematography:
Adele – ‘I Drink Wine’ – Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Ed Sheeran – ‘Eyes Closed’ – Cinematography by Natasha Baier
Janelle Monae – ‘Lipstick Lover’ – Cinematography by Allison Anderson
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Count Me Out’ – Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra
Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’ – Cinematography by Marcell Rev
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ – Cinematography by Russ Fraser
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Cinematography by Rina Yang (WINNER)
Best Visual Effects:
Fall Out Boy – ‘Love From The Other Side’ – Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner
Harry Styles – ‘Music For A Sushi Restaurant’ – Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios
Melanie Martinez – ‘VOID’ – Visual Effects by Carbon
Nicki Minaj – ‘Super Freaky Girl’ – Visual Effects by Max Colt and Sergio Mashevskyi
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Visual Effects by Parliament (WINNER)
Best Choreography:
BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’ – Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX) (WINNER)
Dua Lipa – ‘Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)’ – Choreography by Charm LaDonna
Jonas Brothers – ‘Waffle House’ – Choreography by Jerry Reece
Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’ –- Choreography by Sean Bankhead
Panic! At The Disco – ‘Middle Of A Breakup’ – Choreography by Monika Felice Smith
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – ‘Unholy’ – Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel
Best Art Direction:
boygenius – ‘the film’ – Art Direction by Jen Dunlap
BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom – Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Doja Cat – ‘Attention’ – Art Direction by Spencer Graves (WINNER)
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – ‘Candy Necklace’ – Art Direction by Brandon Mendez
Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Her’ – Art Direction by Niko Philipides
SZA – ‘Shirt’ – Art Direction by Kate Bunch
Best Editing:
BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’ – Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT)
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Rich Spirit’ – Edited by Grason Caldwell
Miley Cyrus – ‘River’ – Edited by Brandan Walter
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘vampire’ – Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel (WINNER)
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’ – Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert
Taylor Swift – ‘Anti-Hero’ – Edited by Chancler Haynes
The music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s hit ‘Vampire’ took home the Best Editing award
Song of the Summer:
Beyoncé – ‘Cuff It’
Billie Eilish – ‘What Was I Made For?’ (From The Motion Picture Barbie)
Doja Cat – ‘Paint the Town Red’
Doechii featuring Kodak Black – ‘What It Is (Block Boy)’
Dua Lipa – ‘Dance the Night’ (From the Barbie Album)
Fifty Fifty – ‘Cupid’
Gunna – ‘Fukumean’
Jung Kook featuring Latto – ‘Seven’ (WINNER)
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – ‘Barbie World’ (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Vampire’
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’
Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice – ‘Karma’
Tomorrow X Together and Jonas Brothers – ‘Do It Like That’
Luke Combs – ‘Fast Car’
Troye Sivan – ‘Rush’
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – ‘La Bebe’ (Remix)
Show of the Summer:
Beyoncé
Blackpink
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Karol G
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Global Icon Award: Diddy (WINNER)
Diddy received the Global Icon Award
Gomez, 31, thanked Rema for choosing for her ‘to be part of such an incredible song that’s been able to break records’
Selena Gomez rocks out in the car on her way to the 2023 VMAs
Rema & Selena Gomez collected the award for Best Afrobeats Winner for their track Calm Down.
Rema, 23, said in accepting the honors, ‘Selena, I want to say I love you from the bottom of my heart. This meant so much, being here on this stage presenting Afrobeats here tonight, I’m so happy.’
Gomez, 31, said in her speech, ‘Thank you so much, Rema for believing me, thank you for choosing for me to be part of such an incredible song that’s been able to break records.
‘Thank you to all of you for listening, for streaming. I could not be more honored, and I want to send all my love to Nigeria.’
Nicki Minaj claimed the honors for Best Hip-Hop for her track Super Freaky Girl.
The 40-year-old artist said that she ‘had this really strong sense of gratitude’ when she woke up Tuesday, and thanked her fan base.
Said Minaj, ‘I just want to thank you guys, the people who go out and support, the people who never skip a beat on the Internet, holding us down.’
She continued: ‘Should I be mean right now or should I be nice? Mean? Nice? It’s Barbie, b****!’
Shakira and KAROL G’s TQG took home the honors for Best Collaboration.
Ice Spice was named winner of the Best New Artist award, saying, ‘I just want to thank my munchkins! I love you guys so much!’
The singer, 23, thanked her manager and shouted out her fellow nominees.
‘I want to thank my label for always supporting me,’ she said. ‘And of course God. Without God, none of this would be possible.’
Minaj, Swift, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Karol G and Shakira were contenders for the night’s Artist of the Year prize.
Nicki Minaj claimed the honors for Best Hip-Hop for her track Super Freaky Girl
The 40-year-old artist said that she ‘had this really strong sense of gratitude’ when she woke up Tuesday, and thanked her fan base
Said Minaj, ‘I just want to thank you guys, the people who go out and support, the people who never skip a beat on the Internet, holding us down’
Ice Spice was named winner of the Best New Artist award, saying, ‘I just want to thank my munchkins! I love you guys so much!’
The singer, 23, thanked her manager and shouted out her fellow nominees
She added: ‘I want to thank my label for always supporting me. And of course God. Without God, none of this would be possible’
The band Stray Kids won in the category of Best K-Pop for their track S-Class
Dove Cameron won the category of Video for Good for Breakfast
The 27-year-old artist was seen posing backstage with her moon man statue
The band Stray Kids won in the category of Best K-Pop for their track S-Class.
SZA was named the Best R&B Winner for her song “Shirt; she was not able to appear at Tuesday’s event.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER won the honors for PUSH Performance of the Year for Sugar Rush Ride, while Dove Cameron won the category of Video for Good for Breakfast.
The VMAs, which were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey – just outside of New York City – were hosted by Minaj. Last year, she emceed alongside Lil Wayne and Jack Harlow; this year, she’s solo.
The show celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a star-studded, multi-generational finale performance featuring DMC of Run-DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J and Minaj.
Swift had increased her number of nominations to 11 – including seven for her Anti-Hero music video – after MTV announced four additional social categories earlier this month.
This year featured a record number of first-time nominees at 35: including Kim Petras, who has five noms, Metro Boomin´ with four and Rema with three. Aespa, Burna Boy, Davido, Eslabon Armado, FIFTY FIFTY, PinkPantheress, Saucy Santana, Stephen Sanchez and Toosii were also nominated for the first time.
