MTV Video Music Awards | Taylor Swift (again) big winner

One of pop music’s biggest nights, MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), celebrated its 40th anniversary.^e birthday in style, allowing the stars of the day (including Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift) to take the stage to receive a hug or perform. Here’s a look back at Wednesday’s evening in five parts.

Taylor Swift joins Beyoncé

Continuing the trend from last year, Taylor Swift (who already had 23 career trophies) was the artist up for the most VMAs on Wednesday, with 12 nods. She needed eight wins to overtake Beyoncé for the most Moon People (the VMAs’ shorthand for the trophies) in her career, who already has 30 on her shelves. Swift took home seven awards on Wednesday, more than any other artist on the night, tying Beyoncé’s record. She won artist of the year and top pop artist, and she took home the night’s top honor, music video of the year (thanks to Fortnightwith Post Malone, which she directed).

Megan Thee Stallion and Sabrina Carpenter stand out

The task of hosting this long (more than three hours of ceremony) and frenetic evening fell to the rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who was excellent (and very funny). At the beginning of the evening, Cindy Lauper, who was at the first VMA awards in 1984, introduced the one who has just ranked her album Short n’Sweet at number one on the Billboard charts, Sabrina Carpenter. The new princess of pop, who received her first VMA award for best song of the year (Espresso), began on a swing before singing accompanied by a courting astronaut and an alien, whom she ended up kissing. The setting was… strange, but Carpenter was impeccable, performing her summer hits, Please Please Please and, precisely, Espresso.

Captivating Chappell Roan

During this evening, which is much more of a show than an awards ceremony, the American artist Chappell Roan, the phenomenon of the year 2024, gave one of the best performances of the evening, during which she delivered her gigahit Good Luck, Babe!. Roan later received the prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year award, thanking the drag artists who inspire her and the queer people who listen to her. Another newcomer, Benson Boone, also impressed when he sang the pretty Beautiful Things (Won Best Alternative Song). Shawn Mendes sang his latest ballad Nobody Knowsanother confirmation that the pop world has begun a shift towards country. Latin music is not left out and was often in the spotlight on Wednesday, notably with the presence of Anitta (best Latin artist of the year), Rauw Alejandro and Karol G.

An avalanche of prices

Nominated no less than nine times this year, Post Malone was after Taylor Swift the most cited artist on Wednesday evening. The one who has just released a new album where country is king, F-1 Trillionfirst won the award for best collaboration with Taylor Swift. “The kindest and most polite person” in the industry, according to Swift herself, also received two other awards with her for Fortnight. Waterby Tyla, was crowned Best Afrobeat Song. Lenny Kravitz, who provided an entertaining musical moment during the evening, was named Best Rock Artist for his track HumanThe Viral Music Video of the Year award went to Megan Thee Stallion and Yuki Chiba, for Mamushi, while the award for best choreography went to Dua Lipa (Houdini) and that of the best cinematography to Ariana Grande (we can’t be friends (wait for your love)).

Katy Perry Honored

Katy Perry was also the big winner of the ceremony, during which 21 Moon People were awarded, and she received the Video Vanguard Award, which honors artists considered icons and whose music videos have made a mark. The actress, whose career was launched 15 years ago, was introduced by her husband, actor Orlando Bloom, before going on stage for a long medley of her greatest hits, including California Gurls, Teenage Dream And I Kissed a Girl. The VMA Awards celebrated their 40th anniversary with a staging befitting the anniversary (five stages were erected in the UBS Arena on Long Island, overlooked by a 62-foot inflatable Moon Person). A good portion of the budget seems to have been devoted to Katy Perry’s performance, which was completely outrageous… in the best sense of the word.