Taylor Swift won the biggest award at the MTV Video Music Awards — the trophy for video of the year for “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone.
In her speech, she talked about her “boyfriend, Travis,” thanking him for being on the set of the music video.
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,” she said of NFL star Travis Kelce, before shifting gears to the 2024 Presidential election and instructing her fans who are over 18 to register to vote.
Swift did, however, avoid discussing Kamala Harris’ presidential bid on stage. On Tuesday night, Swift endorsed the vice president, moments after Harris’ debate with former president Donald Trump ended.
Swift and Malone also took home the first televised award of the VMAs for best collaboration, handed to them by Flavor Flav and Olympian Jordan Chiles.
Swift started that speech by giving remembrance to everyone who lost their lives and loved ones during 9/11, 23 years ago, before discussing Malone.
“There is a reason Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” she shifted her attention to him. “It has taken forever for me to get him to stop calling me ma’am.”
Chappell Roan won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist.
“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me,” she said in her speech, while wearing chain mail, reading from a written speech in her diary. “And I dedicate this to queer and trans people who run pop. ... Thank you for listening.”
Women dominated the award show, no example greater than an imaginative, medieval set from Roan.
Drag queen Sasha Colby introduced her with “your favorite drag queen’s favorite artist,” a reference to Roan’s 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 the 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, “Good Luck, Babe.”
The other voice of 2024 pop, Sabrina Carpenter, won the trophy for song of the year for “Espresso.”
“This is really special,” she said in her speech, dedicated to her fans. “And thank you to that me-espresso.”
Earlier in the night, she brought her summery-pop to the award show, powering through her hit singles “Please Please Please,” “Taste” and “Espresso” while dancing with a moon man and an alien.
Tyla won the Best Afrobeats award.
Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award, performing an eight-song medley spanning her career: “Roar,” “E.T.,” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “I Kissed a Girl,” “Firework,” and “Lifetimes.”
“I did that all on the first day of my period, can you believe it?” she joked after accepting the honor from her partner, Orlando Bloom. “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.”
She also teased a new song, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” featuring Doechii, which samples the Crystal Waters classic, “Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da).”
Previous recipients of the Video Vanguard Award include Shakira, Beyoncé, Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Missy Elliott.
An army of Slim Shady-lookalikes followed Eminem as he kicked off the VMAs, launching into a medley of his hits “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me,” featuring a broadcast feed of Jelly Roll. (The song references Jelly Roll’s massive country radio hit, “Save Me.”)
Megan Thee Stallion welcomed the crowd as a first-time host Wednesday night, who joked that the VMAs now stands for the “voluptuous Megan awards.” She later performed.
Earlier in the evening, Karol G took over, for a fiery performance of her hit, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Rauw Alejandro brought Puerto Rico to the stage, running through “Touching The Sky,” “DILUIVO” and “Déjame Entrar.”
LL COOL J celebrated 40 years of Def Jam Records with Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and Chuck D.
Halsey took it to the suburbs for her new single, “Ego,” channeling garage bands. GloRilla’s “Yeah Glo!” and “TGIF” brought style.
Blackpink’s 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, “New Woman” and “Rockstar.” Shawn Mendes made a long-awaited return, debuting a new John Mayer-esq. acoustic number, “Nobody Knows.”
Anitta performed “Paradise,” “Alegria,” and “Savage Funk,” 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 “Beautiful Things” on the VMAs stage. Lenny Kravitz proved rock isn’t dead with “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Human” and finally “Fly,” in which he was joined by Quavo.
The 40th VMAs were held at the UBS Arena on New York’s 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.
The pop star led the nominations with 12 — eight for her “Fortnight” music video, two social categories, and nods in the Best Pop and artist of the Year categories. She’s followed by her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone, who has 11. He was nominated along with Swift 10 times and earned his 11th nom for his country hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen.
She took home nine VMAs last year, bringing her total to an impressive 23. That places her just behind Beyoncé, who has 30, and just ahead of Madonna, who has 20 awards. Lady Gaga has 19.
Seven Swift wins would tie Beyoncé’s record, and if she wins eight, she could become the most-awarded musician in VMA history.
Throughout the night, MTV flashed back to history-making across the VMAs’ 40-year-run, including Britney Spears’ albino python and Madonna’s performance of “Like A Virgin.”
The VMAs aired on MTV and simulcast on BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick at Nite, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land, VH1, and in Spanish on Univision.
Sabrina Carpenter's VMA performance debut was literally out of this world. The "Espresso" singer performed at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, singing a medley of her singles from her No. 1 album, Short n' Sweet, including "Please Please Please," "Taste," and "Espresso." While performing her newest single, "Taste," Carpenter incorporated the space theme of the VMAs by having an alien and an astronaut go at it.
Much like the music video, Carpenter didn't end up kissing the male astronaut, but instead, the female alien. Or rather, making out with the alien. Appropriately, fans on social media went nuts, and it was just the kind of performance one would expect at the VMAs. If the newly minted Song of the Year winner wanted people to remember her performance, she definitely did just that. The performance also included dozens of dancing astronauts, which really added to the masterpiece, as did the crowd singing along.
SABRINA CARPENTER THE ICON YOU ARE WOAHHH SHE CHEWED😭😭😭 #VMAs pic.twitter.com/3BVa0hIJDR
— 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) September 12, 2024
Carpenter has had quite the year, and it's not just because she made out with an alien. After opening up for Taylor Swift on the international leg of The Eras Tour, the former Disney star performed at Coachella in April. It was at this time she released her single "Espresso," which quickly went viral on social media. In May, she made her SNL debut as a musical guest in the Season 49 finale. As if that wasn't enough, Carpenter appeared on Hot Ones in July, so it was truly the Summer of Sabrina.
Britney Spears is getting some serious love at the 2024 MTV VMAs ... with Megan Thee Stallion and Tate McRae paying homage to a couple of Britney's iconic award moments.
MTS enlisted an albino python to recreate Britney's "Slave 4 U" moment from the 2001 VMAs ... and she did her best to copy Britney's outfit too.
Megan wasn't as comfortable around the snake as Britney, though ... and she quickly called for help shedding the python from her body, and ran away.
Tate took a page from Britney's book too ... arriving in a see-through lace dress that looked an awful lot like Spears' Dolce & Gabbana outfit ... also from the 2001 VMAs.
Britney's getup was navy blue and Tate's was black ... but you get the gist, and fans online quickly picked up on the Britney nod.
Megan took the stage for a performance too ... while Tate was reserved to look like Britney from the crowd.
This year's VMAs had tons of solid performances and interesting fashion looks ... and we've got it all documented in our galleries ... so take a gander.
The MTV Video Music Awards are off to a rousing start with Chappell Roan and a photographer getting into an angry exchange ... featuring plenty of F-bombs!
The singer, who's already put overzealous fans on notice, took verbal aim at the photog as she and other celebs entered the UBS Arena just outside NYC.
Chappell was getting ready to pose for pics when you heard someone in the crowd yelling, "Shut the f*** up," and something about Chappell turning around.
She was showing off the back of her gown at the time, but clearly still heard the not-so-polite request from photographer row -- and, as we know, Chappell doesn't play. She snapped her head around and yelled, "You shut the f*** up!!!"
That seemed to shut everyone up, as she continued posing for pics without further notice.
Chappell just explained what happened with the photographer... telling Entertainment Tonight she was feeling a lot of anxiety and isn't going to let anyone yell at her without her yelling back.
That drama aside, folks like Sabrina Carpenter, Halsey, and Halle Bailey have made their way into the VMAs, flaunting their fashion as they went ... without incident.
The fun's just beginning, though, so keep checking our photo gallery for the hottest fits as the celebs file into the show.
Let's goooooo!!!
Brutally honest reviews of every VMA performer, including Chappell Roan and Katy PerrySabrina Carpenter performing ”Please Please Please”, “Taste” and “Espresso” at the #VMAs ! 🎤 pic.twitter.com/CE2eWRKZ0C
— Sabrina Times (@SabrinaTimes) September 12, 2024
The MTV VMAs have officially hit middle age, but that didn't translate to a lack of alluring performances.
The 40th incarnation of the show Wednesday demonstrated why pop supernova Chappell Roan was willing to implode her tour schedule to take the stage at UBS Arena in New York, and why veterans including show opener Eminem, show closer LL Cool J, and Video Vanguard honoree Katy Perry still find value in the spectacle.
It's a night dedicated to showmanship, with little attention given to those going home with a Moon Person statue.
The elaborate set spotlighted a 62-foot inflatable Moon Person, a noteworthy playground for host Megan Thee Stallion if only she were seen more frequently throughout the three-hour show. But fans were delivered a heap of pop idols including Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Blackpink breakout Lisa, and the recently resurfaced Shawn Mendes.
Here's a look at all of the performances, ranked from best to worst.
1. Chappell Roan, ‘Good Luck, Babe’
It’s fitting that the pop supernova chose a dark medieval theme for her performance, considering she sounds like a less-ponderous Kate Bush, a woman who is no stranger to a gothic backdrop.
After setting fire to the castle behind her with a flaming crossbow (just go with it), Chappell Roan, in faux armor, her crimson hair braided behind her, slayed what is likely the best song of the year.
Both dramatic and subtle – her well-timed touch of a sword paired perfectly with her “sexually explicit kind of love affair” lyric – the presentation from Roan was surpassed only by her mighty vocals.
The vigor expressed in her voice when she hit the last “I hate to say, I told you so” indicated that she’s going to be singing “Good Luck, Babe” for the next few decades. At least we hope.
2. Eminem, 'Houdini,' 'Somebody Save Me'
With a giant “E” appearing to light up the sky outside the arena like his personal Bat-Signal, Eminem entered the arena trailed by a pack of Slim Shady doppelgangers while he rapped his Steve Miller-sampling hit, “Houdini.”
His blond wig looked more like a pelt than hair, but looking ridiculous didn’t repress Eminems’ enthusiasm as he strolled the stage full of look-a-likes and performed the end of the song next to a Dorian Gray version of himself.
Eminem paired his bouncy hit with the most poignant song on his 12th album, “The Death of Slim Shady,” the ballad “Somebody Save Me.”
While the heart-searing song about Eminem’s failures as a father includes the chorus of Jelly Roll’s “Save Me,” the big man was only there in spirit and on video to croon the hook. Stripped of his wig, Eminem leaned into the lyrics, ending the performance with a pensive expression as he sat in a tattered armchair, watching home videos of his kids and seemingly pondering his return to a VMAs stage.
3. Benson Boone, ‘Beautiful Things’
Keeping things classic, Benson Boone sat behind a piano in his blue sequined jumpsuit, an outfit at odds with the old-school construction of the song which made it all the more appealing.
His voice was clear, his words visceral, Boone commanded the stage by simply singing. But then he performed a flip from atop a piece of staging and his entire team started rifling through his insurance policy.
4. Lenny Kravitz featuring Quavo, ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way,’ ‘Human,’ ‘Fly’
Maybe he could be a grandfather to half of the people in the crowd, but when Lenny Kravitz arrives in a halo of light with his Flying V guitar and his bared chest draped in a giant feather boa, no one is checking his driver’s license.
First pounding the crowd with the unvarnished “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” Kravitz also offered the slinky soul-funk of “Human,” one of his most accessible songs in years that also possesses a mega-chorus of positivity.
Kravitz rounded out his performance with “Fly,” featuring Quavo, of Migos renown, who popped out to lay some rhymes on the song – exactly the kind of organic mishmash Kravitz craves.
5. Katy Perry, career-spanning medley
This year’s Video Vanguard honoree received an introduction from a movie star, which most recipients can’t claim.
But Perry’s partner is Orlando Bloom, who sweetly told the crowd that he fell in love not with the international pop star Katy Perry, but with Katheryn Hudson from California. That led to Perry suspended in midair, floating like a superhero coming down to earth for “Dark Horse,” one of several of her classics shorn and stitched for this 10-minute medley.
Synthesizer whooshes pushed “E.T.” as Perry, clad in a castoff from the set of “Mad Max,” moved across a row of muscled dancers before joining rapper Doechii for some sexy sliding around a platform during the new “I’m His, He’s Mine.”
The theme switched to mirrorball fun as Perry, in a beige breastplate and thigh-high boots, dove into the delectable fun that is “California Gurls.” Bloom watched from the audience with an expression of both admiration and puzzlement as the relentless beat rolled into “Teenage Dream,” her most pillowy hit with an unshakable chorus.
The intriguing squealing guitar line that introduced Perry’s winking 2008 breakthrough was quickly countered with the appearance of her inflatable wings, a bizarre sight that momentarily overshadowed the song. But only briefly, because this rectified version was so appealing, Perry should rerelease it. It’s not as if she has anything to lose.
6. Shawn Mendes, ‘Nobody Knows’
As Shawn Mendes prepares his comeback, the thoughtful singer-songwriter unveiled “Nobody Knows” for its first live showing. It was a brave decision to follow a vacuous pop display (Lisa) with a simple song grounded in acoustic guitar.
Standing on an arrangement of floor rugs surrounded by fake candles, his shirt casually unbuttoned to his belt, Mendes belted the soulful song on a darkened stage. Stripped of any glossy trappings, the ballad escalated into a potent roots rocker, with Mendes uncorking his voice into a wail and quickly de-escalating to a near-whisper.
The bro hug shared by him and his two bandmates as they exited the stage wins for the sweetest moment of the show.
7. Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Please Please Please,’ ‘Taste,’ ‘Espresso’
Beaming in from the rafters on a silver-gilded swing, Sabrina Carpenter basked in a Glinda-the-Good-Witch moment as she cooed “Please Please Please.”
But quickly – cramming three songs into a performance slot is an unenviable challenge – Carpenter segued into “Taste,” now joined by an astronaut and alien who groped each other as she sang. It’s possible Carpenter was giving a nod to the iconic MTV VMA Moon Person with the space theme, but it didn’t quite work.
More astronauts joined her stroll down the catwalk, a pair of red lips apparent on her inner thigh, while Carpenter flipped her flaxen mane, coquettish as ever while offering her catchy smash, “Espresso.”
8. Halsey, ‘Ego’
As she headed into a garage papered with old posters of herself to, literally, play with a garage band, Halsey looked ready to rock. She strapped on a guitar and plunged into the fizzy pop-rocker, “Ego.”
The song, which Avril Lavigne surely wishes she had written, is the latest single from Halsey’s “The Great Impersonator” album, out Oct. 25. Her voice is still honeyed, but also coated with enough heft to handle this brawnier output.
9. Camila Cabello, ‘Godspeed’
Cocooned in a Plexiglas cage and surrounded by weapons-wielding psychological demons, Cabello gave her upper register a workout on the vulnerable ballad of self-discovery.
She’s maturing in front of us, and also trying to shed some of her past, evidenced both by her destruction of a laptop playing a clip of her younger self-performing and lyrics such as, “I wish you well, but far away from me.” Might be a little awkward if former beau Shawn Mendes was still in the building.
10. Karol G, ‘Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido’
Addressing the crowd in Spanish, the Colombian hitmaker slithered her hips and (mostly) bare torso as she unspooled “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” which translates to “If I Had Met You Before.”
Karol G scampered around a festive stage decorated with a makeshift bar and visuals of a beach before heading down to the arena floor for the TikTok-making moments. She paused in front of Taylor Swift, who engaged in her best slinky pout, and then found Camila Cabello, who also gamely jumped into the groove.
The song isn’t particularly memorable, but Karol G’s crowd interaction, effervescence, and dancers masked its shortcomings.
11. LL Cool J, Flavor Flav and Chuck D, 'Headsprung,' 'The G.O.A.T,' 'Bring the Noise,' 'Going Back to Cali,' 'Proclivities'
The VMAs didn’t miss the opportunity to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of Def Jam Records, spotlighting the guy who released the first album on the label: LL Cool J.
“Headsprung” seemed an appropriate place to start, with LL rapping, “They call me Big L'why, Big Silly, Big Money, Big Billy.” He weaved through a crowd bobbing signs with a photo of a goat (for “The G.O.A.T.,” naturally) before joining Public Enemy onstage for a few seconds of “Bring the Noise.”
The New York staging – subway signs, construction gates, hot dog carts – infused the performance with some authenticity, as did the DJ with an actual turntable instead of a laptop whom LL directed most of “Going Back to Cali” toward.
Though LL relied too much on the rote “put your hands to the sky” while singing “Proclivities” and Public Enemy’s appearance was thoroughly underutilized, the bigger problem was the placement of the performance.
With the biggest award of the night still to come – video of the year, congratulations Taylor Swift – the hip-hop gathering felt shoehorned rather than celebrated.
12. Lisa, ‘New Woman,’ ‘Rockstar’
The Blackpink member made her VMAs debut as a solo artist in a red fringe top and mini skirt, straddling a chair aligned with her six female dancers for “New Woman.” Lisa strutted like a supermodel to the top of a raised platform with a moving catwalk as she semi-sang the saccharine pop song.
Her segue into “Rockstar” was welcomed.
Now on the main stage, Lisa and her male dancers engaged in sharply choreographed moves in front of a star engulfed by flames (was there a metaphor there that we missed?). Her lithe figure got a bit lost among the crew as the song evolved into a frenzy of pyro and air guitar moves, ending with Lisa brandishing the rock ‘n’ roll devil horns that apparently cross generations.
13. Rauw Alejandro, ‘Touching The Sky,’ ‘DILUVIO,’ ‘Dejame Entrar’
From the “Smooth Criminal” attire during “Touching the Sky” to the bared biceps and hip swivels during “Dejame Entrar,” the Puerto Rican singer-rapper was stylish and seductive.
The main stage set looked like the rooftop of a theater and allowed Rauw Alejandro a patch of space to scamper and showcase his graceful footwork. As he sang, he clenched his eyes and patted his chest, universal indicators of Taking Lyrics Very Seriously.
14. GloRilla, ‘Yeah Glo!’ ‘TGIF’
The Memphis-born hip-hop star offered a cloaked vision of herself and her dancers for her first song, “Yeah Glo!,” but within seconds, she stripped to a black-and-sliver striped bikini for “TGIF.”
She and her similarly clad dancers gyrated across a long desk in front of cubicles in a display that would probably get more people to return to the office.
15. Megan Thee Stallion featuring Yuki Chiba, medley
The night’s fabulous but little-seen host, Megan Thee Stallion zipped through a medley including “BOA” and B.A.S.,” bouncing in her yellow outfit that covered a few body parts while primarily dancing and injecting snippets of raps.
She roamed the crowd during “Hiss” and welcomed Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba for her current hit, “Mamushi.” Chiba showcased his unique flow while leaving Megan on her side of the stage to shake her thighs.
16. Anitta with DJ Khaled, Fat Joe, Tiago PZK, ‘Paradise,’ ‘Alegria,’ ‘Savage Funk’
Returning to the VMA stage after a spicy performance last year, the Brazilian beauty was joined by the always useless DJ Khaled, as well as utility player Fat Joe, for “Paradise.”
We’re pretty certain Anitta and her wingwomen could handle the performance without Khaled incessantly yelling “Put your hands up!” At least Anitta vibed with Fat Joe to shift between her singing and his rapping over a clip-clopping beat.
Anitta replaced Khaled and Joe with Tiago PZK for “Alegria,” moving between a couple of red-shaded stages to gyrate and bounce.
The beguiling visuals likely distracted people from noticing that Anitta’s vocals ended a few seconds before she took her final stance on the stage. Oops.