By taking home 9 moon man trophies on Tuesday night (9.12,) Taylor Swift swept the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
Winning nine of the eleven categories she was nominated for, the now 33-year-old pop star tied the record for the most wins in one night, and according to MTV, the superstar singer/songwriter now has the second-most overall wins with 23, just shy of Beyoncé’s record of 26.
About winning the coveted Video of the Year award for ‘Anti-Hero,’ Swift said, “This is unbelievable. I just want to say that the fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me. Based on the memories that we’ve made recently – I’ve just been on a tour that has been the most exhilarating experience and we’re not even halfway done… All I have to say tonight is thank you.”
In addition to wining Video of the Year for the second time (after accepting the trophy in 2022 for ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)’ Swift snagged the biggest categories, including Album of the Year for ‘Midnights,’ Artist of Year, Song of the Year for ‘Anti-Hero’ and Best Pop, among others.
Other big award winners of the night included Shakira for the Video Vanguard Award and Best Collaboration alongside Karol G for ‘TQG.’ Brazilian songstress Anitta took home Best Latin for ‘Funk Rave,’ Ice Spice won Best New Artist, while Nicki Minaj won the Best Hip-Hop trophy for ‘Super Freaky Girl’ that samples the Rick James classic.
After performing several of his biggest hits, Sean Combs accepted the Global Icon Award, along with other notable performances from Olivia Rodrigo, Nicki Minaj, Fall Out Boy, and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, who debuted their new ‘Bongos’ collaboration.
The viewing audience was taken aback when all five members of NSYNC – including lead singer Justin Timberlake – made a surprise reunion to present the award for Best Pop to Taylor Swift. And toward the end of the show, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Nicki, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, and DMC celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a collection of timeless classics.
Held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the main list of winners of the 2023 MTV VMAs include:
Video of the Year: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Song of the Year: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Album of the Year: Taylor Swift – Midnights
Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Group of the Year: BLACKPINK
Best New Artist: Ice Spice
Best Collaboration: TQG – Karol G and Shakira
Best Pop: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best Hip-Hop: Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl
Best R&B: SZA – Shirt
Best Alternative: Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – Candy Necklace
Best Rock: Maneskin – The Loneliest
Best Latin: Anitta – Funk Rave
Best K-Pop: Stray Kids – S-Class
Best Afrobeats: Rema & Selena Gomez – Calm Down
Show of the Summer: Taylor Swift
Song of the Summer: Jung Kook ft. Latto – Seven
Video for Good: Dove Cameron – Breakfast
Best Direction: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best Art Direction: Doja Cat – Attention
Best Cinematography: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best Visual Effects: Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best Choreography: BLACKPINK – Black Venom
Best Editing: Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Video Vanguard: Shakira
Global Icon: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Steve Jurvetson