2024 MTV VMAs recap: Taylor Swift dominates the night, full winners list
Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, taking home seven moon person trophies out of her 12 nominations, including the coveted video of the year and artist of the year awards.
These wins, added to Swift's previous 23 wins, gives her 30 VMAs total, making her the most-awarded solo artist in VMAs history and tying her with Beyoncé for most overall VMA wins. (The latter's wins span her time in Destiny's Child and The Carters, plus her time as solo artist.)
During Swift's first televised acceptance speech for best collaboration, an award she shared with Post Malone, she acknowledged that the ceremony was taking place in New York City on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
"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 about today -- and everything that happens tonight falls behind that," she said.
During her video of the year acceptance speech, Swift talked about how much fun she had making "Fortnight," mentioning that every time she finished a take, she heard cheering from across the set from "my boyfriend, Travis [Kelce]."
"Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic. I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot, because I'll always remember that," she added, before urging her fans to register to vote for the upcoming election.
The rest of the show was heavily focused on musical performances rather than awards, but it also acknowledged the fact that 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the event. It even began with a callback to one of the show's most memorable moments: Eminem and dozens of lookalikes assembled outside the UBS Arena, marching together into the venue, down the aisles and onto the stage, just as he did in 2000.
Clips of other memorable moments from past VMAs were also shown, and at one point, host Megan Thee Stallion even dressed like Britney Spears during her iconic "I'm a Slave 4 U" performance, complete with a real albino python draped over her. Upping the nostalgia factor, Cyndi Lauper, who was a winner at the very first VMAs, served as a presenter, as did "TRL" host Carson Daly.
The performances had something for everyone: pop from Halsey, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, Benson Boone, Shawn Mendes and Chappell Roan; rock from Lenny Kravitz; K-pop from LISA; Latin from Karol G, Anitta and Rauw Alejandro; and rap from Eminem, Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla and LL Cool J.
Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award -- presented to her by her partner Orlando Bloom -- and performed a mega-medley of her hits, including "Dark Horse," "E.T.," "I'm His, He's Mine" (feat. Doechii), "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "I Kissed a Girl," "Firework" and "Lifetimes."
Best new artist winner Chappell Roan performed her hit song "Good Luck, Babe!" dressed as Joan of Arc in a suit of armor and a sword. In a touching acceptance speech, she dedicated the best new artist award to "all the drag artists who inspire me," "queer and trans people that fuel pop," "the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate" and "the people who are fans, who listen to me, who hear me when I share my joy and my fears."
Roan concluded, "And for all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you, because I'm one of you. And don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't be exactly who you want to be, b----!"
See a full list of winners from the 2024 MTV VMAs below:
Video of the year
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight"
Artist of the year
Taylor Swift
Song of the year
Sabrina Carpenter – "Espresso"
Best new artist
Chappell Roan
Best collaboration
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight"
Best pop
Taylor Swift
Best hip-hop
Eminem – "Houdini"
Best R&B
SZA – "Snooze"
Best alternative
Benson Boone – "Beautiful Things"
Best rock
Lenny Kravitz – "Human"
Best Latin
Anitta – "Mil Veces"
Best Afrobeats
Tyla – "Water"
Best K-pop
Lisa – "Rockstar"
Video for good
Billie Eilish – "What Was I Made For (From The Motion Picture 'Barbie')"
Best direction
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight"
Best cinematography
Ariana Grande – "we can't be friends (wait for your love)"
Best editing
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight"
Best choreography
Dua Lipa – "Houdini"
Best visual effects
Eminem – "Houdini"
Best art direction
Megan Thee Stallion – "BOA"
Best trending video
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Yuki Chiba – "Mamushi"
Best group
Seventeen
Song of the summer
Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone – "Fortnight"
VMAs most iconic performance (+ Video Vanguard Award winner)
Katy Perry – "Roar"
MTV push performance of the year
June 2024: Le Sserafim – "Easy"
