tour of the year vmas

MTV VMAs 2023 highlights: Taylor Swift ties record for most VMA wins in one night

MTV’s biggest music celebration wrapped late Tuesday night after nearly four hours of must-see performances, a surprise guest appearance, record-setting award wins and an epic celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. 

Shakira had a big night when she became the first South American artist to win the Video Vanguard Award, a prestigious merit celebrating an artist’s contributions and impact on music video and pop culture. Ice Spice also won big when she was named Best New Artist. 

Taylor Swift had a history-making night when she snagged nine awards including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for “Midnights.” She is now tied for most wins in one night and has the second most overall wins, according to MTV.

What you missed at the 2023 VMAs:

• Everyone went wild for a surprise appearance by *NSYNC, who hadn't been onstage together since they performed at the 2013 VMAs. The group is rumored to be creating new music for the third installment of the "Trolls" film franchise.
• Taylor Swift swept the VMAs, winning in nine categories, including video of the year and song of the year, for "Anti-Hero." She now has the second most overall wins, according to MTV.
• Shakira became the first South American artist to win the coveted Video Vanguard Award. The crowd gave her a standing ovation after she performed a 10-minute medley of her biggest hits.
• Sean “Diddy” Combs took home the Global Icon Award after he performed some of his iconic songs. He was introduced by his friend and fellow artist Mary J. Blige, as well as one of his daughters, Chance.
• Grandmaster Flash, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and LL Cool J and other artists closed the show with an epic celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

In between the awards, *NSYNC made a surprise appearance, Sean “Diddy” Combs performed some of his biggest songs and took home the Global Icon Award, and Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Doug E. Fresh closed out the show with a medley of hits to celebrate hip-hop.

2023 MTV VMAs winners: The full list

Saba Hamedy

A handful of artists took home coveted "moon person" statuettes last night. Here's the full list, including the winners who weren't televised.

• 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
• Push performance of the year: April 2023: Tomorrow X Together — “Sugar Rush Ride”
• Best collaboration: Karol G, Shakira — “TQG”
• Best pop: Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero”
• Best hip-hop: Nicki Minaj — “Super Freaky Girl”
• Best R&B: SZA — “Shirt”
• Best alternative: Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste — “Candy Necklace”
• Best rock: Måneskin — “The Loneliset”
• Best latin: Anitta — “Funk Rave”
• Best K-Pop: Stray Kids — “S-Class”
• Best Afrobeats: Rema & Selena Gomez — “Calm Down”
• Video for good: Dove Cameron — “Breakfast”
• Best direction: Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero." Directed by Taylor Swift.
• Best cinematography: Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero." Cinematography by Rina Yang.
• Best visual effects: Taylor Swift — “Anti-Hero." Visual effects by Parliament.
• Best choreography: Blackpink — “Pink Venom," Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau. 
• Best art direction: Doja Cat — “Attention." Art direction by Spencer Graves. 
• Best editing:   Olivia Rodrigo — “vampire." Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel.
• Show of the summer: Taylor Swift
• Group of the year: BLACKPINK
• Song of the summer: Jung Kook featuring Latto — “Seven”
• Album of the year: Taylor Swift— "Midnights"

Here are the 9 VMAs categories Taylor Swift won

According to a final tally of the MTV VMA winners, Taylor Swift ended up winning in nine of the 11 categories she was nominated in.

Swift is tied for most wins in one night and now the second most overall wins, according to MTV.

Here are the categories Swift won (not all of them were televised):

• Video of the year (“Anti-Hero”)
• Artist of the year
• Song of the year (“Anti-Hero”)
• Best pop (“Anti-Hero”)
• Best direction (“Anti-Hero”)
• Best cinematography (“Anti-Hero”)
• Best visual effects (“Anti-Hero”)
• Show of the summer
• Album of the year ("Midnights")

Abrupt ending leads to some confusion among viewers

Brahmjot Kaur

The night ended with Taylor Swift winning video of the year but without the awards show's announcing the winners from 13 other categories.

By midnight ET, the VMA s ' X account continued to announce some winners after the show had concluded.

Don't worry, we were just as confused as you all.

A spokesperson for the show did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Is it ... over?

Kaetlyn Liddy

We thought we had quite a few categories to go, but the VMAs appears to have abruptly ended – after almost four hours – with the video of the year category.

VMAs? More like TMAs — Taylor Swift takes video of the year

Angela Yang

Taylor Swift is clearly the hero of the night after she took home MTV’s most prestigious award: a win for “Anti-Hero” as video of the year.

The song has already won best pop, song of the year and best direction.

“This is unbelievable,” Swift said as she accepted the award. “I just want to say that the fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me. “

OK, that gave me new life

Doha Madani

I have spent the last hour complaining about being tired, but I just danced in my little office chair like an idiot and sang "Mama Said Knock You Out" with all my heart.

Nothing like LL Cool J to bring the energy, honestly.

VMAs celebrates 50 years of hip-hop

Uwa Ede-Osifo

The commemoration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary has seen much fanfare, with museum exhibits dedicated to archiving the fashion and iconography of the genre, in addition to sprawling magazine packages paying tribute to legendary musicians and forgotten innovators alike.

The celebration continued today with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performing "The Message." Other rap royalty who hit the stage included DMC, Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj.

Minaj rapped the fan favorite "Itty Bitty Piggy," which the audience had no trouble filling in the lyrics for when she turned the mic to them. Chills!

It's officially past my bedtime

My iPhone just hit me with a bedtime reminder at 11:29 p.m. ET, meaning I have officially passed my bedtime.

This isn't that different from watching the VMAs 20 years ago, I suppose.

Ice Spice wins best new artist

“I just want to thank my munchkins,” Ice Spice said in her acceptance speech, also thanking her producer and label.

Far from a one-hit wonder, she has achieved meteoric success since the release of her viral 2022 hit “Munch.” The Bronx native known for her signature ginger curls and catchy ad-libs (“Like?”) collabed with Taylor Swift this year and snagged a coveted invitation to the 2023 Met Gala. She in ha mood!

The show's just getting started on the West Coast

It’s 8:15 p.m. in Los Angeles, and West Coast viewers are just getting their first taste of tonight’s never-ending show. Looks like MTV is intent on keeping everyone watching till midnight.

'Taylor Swift directed by Taylor Swift' wins

Swift is now tied for the most best direction awards in VMAs history, winning the award for her hit single "Anti-Hero."

She won the award last year for "All Too Well: The Short Film" and once more in 2020 for "The Man." It's gotta feel good for Swift, who recently said she aspires to direct a feature film one day.

It was Swift's third win tonight.

Remember when we thought the show was supposed to end by now ...

Taylor Swift is just here to have fun

My favorite part of an awards night is when "drunk Taylor" starts to trend on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.

Now listen, we don't know what she was drinking.

But what's clear to us Swifties is she's just a girl in her 30s having a great night with friends — and her fans are loving it. The official Taylor Nation account retweeted a video of her struggling to get a drink out of her cupholder earlier with the caption " s he's swift af boi ."

Clips and screenshots of her dancing and cheering on her peers made the rounds online as fans celebrated her joy.

Fall Out Boy performs ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’

Alternative rock legends Fall Out Boy are onstage performing their updated version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire" in unusually boxy fits. The song blasts some of the most iconic moments of the last 30 years.

The 20-plus-year veterans are back on stage for the first time since 2007, when we all remember bassist Pete Wentz in his guyliner and tight jeans.

The emos (including me) can’t handle it.

Karol G and Shakira win best collaboration

Daysia Tolentino

After a big night for both artists, Karol G and Shakira snagged a Moon Man for their song "TQG."

This is Karol G's first VMAs. She got the crowd on their feet earlier in the night with her performance of "Tá OK" and "OKI DOKI."

Earlier, Shakira was honored with the Video Vanguard Award.

Please put out the fire actually

I love Fall Out Boy, but if you wanna talk about millennial triggers, this song is reminding me of AP U.S. History in the worst ways.

The VMAs are never-ending

Chloe Melas

The entire music industry is happening over the course of 12 hours ... but actually four.

Nicki Minaj wins VMA for hip-hop

Nicki Minaj won her first VMA of the evening in the best hip-hop category for "Super Freaky Girl."

If anyone was expecting Minaj to "emcee" tonight, they're probably wondering where she's been. Her emcee duties may have been light so far, but she is going home with some hardware.

'Almost halfway through'

We knew the show may go over but ... this is definitely a longer evening than we thought.

Saweetie has seen your tweets ...

And she doesn't appreciate them!

Introducing the Stray Kids' performance, Saweetie acknowledged her pre-show pink carpet slip-ups — and the internet's reactions to them.

"Y'all better stop making my last video go viral," she said. "I see what you're doing. Anyways, let's try it again."

Rema wins best Afrobeats

Nigerian artist Rema won best Afrobeats for his remixed single “Calm Down” with Selena Gomez, which also surpassed a billion streams on Spotify this weekend.

"This means so much seeing Afrobeats grow this big," Rema said. "I will not forget to shout out the people who opened the doors to me. Shout out to Fela, who started Afrobeats in the first place," he added, referring to Fela Kuti, among contemporary stars including Burna Boy, Don Jazzy and Wizkid.

Gomez also took stage, thanking Rema for allowing her to be a part of the record.

Afrobeats has had an international fan base for a while (“Africa to the World!”). The musical genre fuses sounds of dancehall, African percussion, hip-hop and other acoustic art forms. 

The VMAs added a best Afrobeats category this year after the Grammys and the American Music Awards announced similar awards in recognition of African musicians. About time!

There appear to be more than 10 categories left tonight ... and more performances on deck. But only about 30 minutes left of the show.

The fast-paced performances and quick transitions couldn't seem to save the show from probably going over.

Diddy wins global icon award

Sean "Diddy" Combs was honored with the global icon award.

“This is a dream come true,” he said while accepting the award. “I grew up watching MTV like ‘Man I wish I could be up there.’

The mogul rose to prominence in the ’90s producing for the late Notorious B.I.G. and later built a reputation as a formidable rapper with hits including “I’ll Be Missing You” (a tribute to Biggie).

"I started out as a paper boy, y’all, at 12, and then I was going to be a NFL football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers," he said in his speech. The team "didn’t know this, but I planned on being a football player; then my leg got broke."

Later in life, he said, people would see him dancing in New York City and cast him for videos.

"That’s how I fell in love with the music industry," he said, thanking industry executives, songwriters and the Bad Boy family.

Mary J. Blige introduced the accolade, crediting Diddy with launching her own career. “He is an incredible triumph. And nobody deserves to be called an icon more than this man.”

It’s a family affair.

One of Diddy's daughters, Chance, helped introduce the artist as he received his global icon award.

Diddy performs his most iconic hits

Sean "Diddy" Combs took the stage to perform hits like "I'll Be Missing You," one of his most popular hits from 1997, which is a reworking of the popular 1983 hit "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

But that was just the beginning of his epic performance.

Combs, who is being honored with the global icon award, also sang "Bad Boy for Life" and "I Need a Girl Pt 2," just to name a few. He also brought out fellow artists like Keyshia Cole to perform "Last Night."

This is bringing me back!

Selena and Taylor: Best Friends Forever

Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift posed for a sweet photo together tonight, both looking unbelievable, I have to say.

These two are proof that boyfriends may come and go but a best friend is forever. They met when they started dating Jonas brothers as teenagers and have stuck together ever since.

Also, someone give Gomez's new stylist her flowers, because she is just stunning left and right lately.

We're a little over halfway through the show

The neck-breaking speed at which the performances and presenters were moving earlier in the night seems to be slowing down to a more sustainable pace, thankfully!

The highlight of the night has been the camaraderie and love among all the stars. And of course, the musicians, as always, have had stunning dance ensembles choreographed to a T.

So far, no mind-altering moments or provocative incidents have occurred. But the night is still young! Neither *NSYNC nor the storied hip-hop pioneers have taken the stage yet, so we shall see ...

Anitta comes out on top for best Latin

Anitta, a beloved Brazilian artist, just beat out Bad Bunny, Shakira and Karol G for the best Latin award.

"I want to thank myself, because I work so hard, oh, my God," she said.

Earlier in the evening, she joked that she was hoping to take the moon person statue back with her to Brazil, because she keeps her first VMA award in her Miami house.

Nicki Minaj ushers in a new era

In anticipation of the release of "Pink Friday 2" in November, the rapper performed her latest single off the album "Last Time I Saw You" and debuted a new song.

Billy Porter thanks Taylor Swift at VMAs

Before he introduced Nicki Minaj's performance, Billy Porter turned around to give a shoutout to Taylor Swift, who was seated behind him.

He said he owes Swift for helping him receive his very own moon man when he starred in her music video for "You Need to Calm Down" in 2019. Porter is a #swiftie just like us.

He also congratulated Shakira on her award.

Shakira takes home the Video Vanguard Award and makes history

Shakira is taking home the MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award after she performed a career-spanning medley of her greatest hits — a tradition for the award's recipients.

The award is presented "in recognition of an artist's overall achievements in music and film but is sometimes handed out as a lifetime achievement award," according to MTV.

"Thank you, MTV, for being part of my career since I was 18 years old," Shakira said in her acceptance speech. She also thanked her creative partners who helped bring her music videos to life and her kids, whom she brought to the show.

Shakira, who performed at the VMAs for the first time in 14 years, is the first South American and the second Latina to win the award.

The Colombian pop star sold 95 million records worldwide, making her the best-selling artist of all time. She also won numerous awards, including four Moon Persons, three Grammys, 12 Latin Grammys and 41 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Shakira brings down the house. But is she lip-syncing?

Shakira is putting on a 10-minute show-stopping performance featuring a medley of her greatest hits.

But viewers of the VMAs on social media began to wonder whether she is lip syncing. It's not uncommon for artists who have extreme dance routines to sing to a track.

Regardless, Shakira is a musical queen. Her hips don't lie, and we love her for it.

Commence Shakira dance party

Can you type and dance at the same time? Asking for a friend.

The VMAs has struggled to find its footing in recent years, and it's becoming very apparent as the night goes on that it is relying very heavily on our collective nostalgia for the show.

However, an overreliance of nostalgia lends to a dearth of original culture. It's no wonder the VMAs lacks those iconic cultural moments these days — it is looking s much into the past that it is unable to drive culture into the future!

We're pumped about Doja Cat's new music

If one thing can be taken away from Doja Cat's music, it's that the star is unapologetic about doing whatever she wants.

She performed the single "Attention" off her forthcoming album with lyrics alluding to the pressures of being in the public eye ("Look at me/ Look at me / You lookin'?") Her dancers were covered in red paint, a nod to the title of her album, "Scarlet."

Plus Ice Spice gave a cute shoutout to Doja Cat before she went onstage, plugging that she will be joining the pop star on her latest tour!

Nostalgic or cheugy?

The 2000s icons presenting awards is starting to feel a little forced and dare I say — a little cheugy.

(Sorry to Ashanti.)

SZA wins best R&B

SZA's "Shirt" snagged the award for best R&B, but the singer wasn't present to accept the moon statue.

French Montana announces fund for Morocco

French Montana, a Moroccan American, announced he'll be creating an emergency fund for victims of the earthquake in Morocco.

"Before we get to the nominees, I want to spread some love and light to Morocco. They’ve been hit with a big earthquake," he said. "I’m setting up our emergency fund with globalcitizen.org/morocco, and I will be donating myself."

More than 2,900 people were killed in the earthquake that hit the North African country this weekend.

Taylor Swift wins song of the year for 'Anti-Hero'

Taylor Swift wins her second VMA of the night for "Anti-Hero." For those counting, that’s 2/11.

She gave a shoutout to her producer, Jack Antonoff, and their first collaboration together, "1989," in her acceptance speech.

"We'll be making music together until 2089," she said.

Slow down, VMAs!

About 45 minutes into the show and most of the NBC team live blogging agrees: How can there be any memorable moments if the show is going so fast?

As Uwa said on Slack, "it seems like its scheduled by the second." Added Kaetlyn, "This pace is for the TikTok generation."

Stray Kids wins best K-Pop award

Stray Kids took home the best K-Pop award for its single “S-Class."

“We’ve been making music ever since the start of our career, but to receive this award just really means a lot to us,” Bang Chan said.

This is the group’s first-ever VMA win, making it a big moment for members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N.

“We really want to dedicate that award to the fans, as well,” Bang Chan said on the carpet ahead of the show.

I love that the VMAs are celebrating so many different genres of music, but these quick transitions are giving me whiplash. We moved on very quickly from Cardi B to Demi ... give her some applause!

Demi Lovato rocks out

Lovato has been returning to her pop-rock roots in recent years, and she performed rock versions of her three biggest hits at the VMAs.

The crowd went wild as she performed "Heart Attack," "Sorry Not Sorry" and "Cool for the Summer." All three songs will be in her coming album "Revamped," featuring 10 rock versions of her old songs.

We need the rerecording of "La La Land" now. Or another "Camp Rock" film.

Duo of the year: Cardi and Meg

When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are on a track together, trust that it will be a song to remember.

The pair, who previously put out the provocative hit "WAP," performed their latest collaboration, "Bongos," with a tropical dance number in suit.

Editor's note: Please excuse us in advance if the live blog goes dark at some point during the show. If and when *NSYNC performs, the team will likely have passed out.

If our bosses are reading this, we're kidding.

Taylor Swift wins best pop video

Taylor Swift won the VMA for the best pop video.

Honestly, how deserved. This was a jampacked category with some stiff competition, but this was a much-talked-about hit.

"I'm not doing well pivoting from this to this," she said while accepting the award from *NSYNC. "I had your dolls. Are you doing something? What's going to happen now? They're going to do something, and I need to know what it is. You're pop personified — to receive this from your golden pop hands is really, it's too much."

She thanked the band for giving her friendship bracelets as she got onstage.

Taylor Swift was screaming over *NSYNC; she's just like me for real.

ICYMI: Wondering if it was intentional that the camera panned to Taylor Swift applauding as soon as Nicki Minaj mentioned Olivia?

*NSYNC is back!

It might sound crazy but it ain't no lie.

All five members *NSYNC have come together for the first time since 2013, when Justin Timberlake was honored with the VMAs Vanguard Award.

Timberlake was joined onstage tonight by Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Joey Fatone.

And mine at home because they are tearin' up my little millennial heart.

It's been rumored that the men are making new music together for Universal Pictures' coming "Trolls Band Together" film.

OK, that was a choice ...

Part of the beauty of the VMAs is its unpredictability. Who would've thought a performance by Lil Wayne would be followed by Olivia Rodrigo?

Whiplash or an interesting blend of past and present stars?

Olivia Rodrigo gets us back!

Hot off the release of her sophomore album, "Guts," Rodrigo performed the lead single, "vampire," during the opening performance of the VMAs.

And those seemingly technical glitches? Not to worry — all a part of the show. Rodrigo re-created the stage issues from the "vampire" music video before she transitioned to the new fan favorite "get him back!" off "Guts."

Taylor Swift, blink and you missed her

My girl Slaylor Swift, the most nominated artist of the night, is officially in the house.

But her arrival was announced at the very end of the pre-show, so we didn't get any interview moments, but Swift did show off her look on the pink carpet.

In all black, I have to wonder whether she's re-entering her "reputation" era.

Lil Wayne kicks off the show

The legendary rapper Lil Wayne knows how to put on a show.

Tunechi had the audience on their feet, waving their hands in the air to an energetic rendition of his single "Uproar," followed by a performance of "Kat Food."

The show begins!

The VMAs are officially kicking off after a dazzling performance from Sabrina Carpenter during the pre-show.

So far, Tomorrow X Together and Dove Cameron have already taken home awards for push performance and video for good, respectively.

Sabrina Carpenter brings the 'Nonsense' to the VMAs pre-show

The singer brought her signature wit to the pre-show with a custom outro to "Nonsense" in honor of the VMAs.

"He say it bigger than a Moon Man / Guess that means I'm holding it with two hands / VMAs, I love you / I’m a huge fan,” she sang.

Real fans know she has a new outro for every occasion, and the VMAs are no different!

Dove Cameron's 'Breakfast' wins video for good

Dove Cameron's "Breakfast" took home the moon person for video for good.

“Telling meaningful messages in my music and in my videos is super important to me," Cameron said in her acceptance speech.

The video's concept, she previously told "TODAY," was a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. "It’s unfair for one gender to carry the entirety of the weight of the reproductive conversation," she said.

In the music video, she and other women harass a male employee who is later shown getting an abortion. At the end, footage from marches is played in support of reproductive rights.

Viewers can vote for best new artist on Snapchat

Viewers can choose among the top three nominees for best new artist using a Snapchat filter. The filter is called "Best New Artist Lens," and users can cast their votes by gesturing 1, 2 or 3 with their fingers.

The race for best new artist has narrowed to three contenders: Ice Spice, Reneé Rapp and Peso Pluma. Viewers can also vote on the VMAs website.

I love that the VMAs say they are "music's most iconic night." Not the most important, but definitely the most iconic.

HBD Kelsea Ballerini

Kelsea Ballerini is celebrating her birthday at the VMAs this year. The country singer said she's celebrating her 30th at the awards show.

"I’m overstimulated in every way," she said during the pre-show carpet interview. "But you know, listen, just to be able to perform on an all-genre show like this and represent country music hopefully well."

She said she's excited to be at the show with her boyfriend, Chase Stokes, and her mom.

“I feel like it’s been such a huge year in my personal life and my career, and I feel really happy to be able to just present that tonight on this show."

Artists share love for Shakira and the representation she gave us

Tonight's proving that artists are fans just like us.

During the carpet pre-show, Karol G and Anitta expressed kind words for Shakira, whose Latin representation meant so much to them.

Karol G, a fellow Colombian, is nominated with Shakira for the best Latin award, while Anitta is competing against them both.

"I think Shakira for us was a big, big influence ... to make us believe that it's possible being a Latina and getting here and showing our culture and everything," Anitta said during the pre-show.

Personally, Shakira means a lot to me, too, as the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. My parents always pointed to her half-Lebanese heritage for an example for us in mainstream media.

Shakira teases her 10-minute performance tonight

During her pre-show interview, Shakira teased her performance that will encompass her decadeslong career.

"I think it's a pretty dynamic performance. I hope it's not too long," she said.

The Colombian pop star also shared her experience envisioning and creating her larger-than-life music videos.

"Videos are a way to express whatever I couldn't finish expressing with my lyrics. Visuals are so powerful," she said.

Shakira might worry the performance will be too long, but I think we'll all love it too much to think about the duration.

Tiffany Haddish talks about her new single

Tiffany Haddish promoted her song “Till The Club Closes” (with Lil Jon & Fivio Foreign) during her VMAs carpet appearance.

"I've been taking my savings and putting into the things I love," she said. "'I've been creating all this really great music."

She joked that the last time she partied until the club closed was four days ago, when she maybe took a nap in the club. 

I'd do the same.

Even those walking the carpet seem VMAs nostalgic

Is it us, or does it feel like everyone doing interviews on the carpet seems excited to be at the VMAs because they grew up watching it?

Tomorrow X Together wins first award of the night

Tomorrow X Together is the first to receive a VMA tonight, winning Push performance of the year for its song “Sugar Rush Ride.”

It's the South Korean boy band's first ever VMA win.

“Tonight is a night we will remember forever. Thank you VMAs,” Huening Kai said.

The group will debut its new song “Back for More” with Anitta later.

Cardi B gushes over Megan Thee Stallion

During a pre-show interview, Cardi B said “hip-hop is everything" to her.

She gave a shoutout to her hometown, the Bronx, the birthplace of the genre.

Tonight, there will be a celebratory performance commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Cardi B also shared her appreciation for "Bongos" collaborator Megan Thee Stallion.

"We work so great together. She's hard-working. I'm hard-working. ... She trusts me, and I trust her," she said of their friendship.

The two rappers are also expected to perform their new single tonight. 

Is tonight going to be a nostalgia fest?

It already feels like the VMAs are leaning into (and possibly relying on?) nostalgia by previewing this hip-hop tribute and having Nelly perform alongside NLE Choppa.

The inspo behind Saweetie's outfit

Saweetie says her pink look, featuring a bone (?), is “fresh off the runway.” The inspiration is “caveman days” or “fashion when it first started.”

She kind of looks like the yassification of "The Flintstones," and we're here for it.

Nelly performs at pre-show

Not us gasping at Nelly performing "Hot In Herre." This millennial is feeling nostalgic.

Megan Thee Stallion stuns ahead of her VMAs performance

Megan Thee Stallion is bringing hot girl energy in a custom Brandon Blackwood corset dress at the VMAs red carpet.

The rapper will be performing her new single "Bongos," featuring Cardi B, later tonight.

MTV's pre-show has kicked off

The pre-show has officially begun!

Hosted by Saweetie, the pre-show will actually reveal the night’s first big winners in addition to interviews as stars begin to arrive on the pink carpet.

*NSYNC reunion? It's all we've ever wanted.

Beloved boy band *NSYNC is rumored to be reuniting at the VMAs.

Fans are convinced that the group is dropping a new song for the third installment of the "Trolls" franchise and could be headed to the MTV awards show to promote it.

Justin Timberlake, the band's front-runner, has voiced Branch in the films. The film's trailer teased a storyline about a boy band called “Brozone" getting back together.

(“Trolls Band Together” is distributed by Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. NBC News and Universal Pictures are both owned by NBCUniversal).

We hope they don't tear up our hearts and that this rumor is true.

Karol G is sporting the cozy chic look

Karol G showed up at the pink carpet with pink hair and an outfit I'm extremely jealous of.

Karol, who is nominated for the best Latin category tonight, showed up with a sheer gown and a matching coat that honestly looks really comfortable. The Colombian superstar just absolutely kills in this look.

Although she's competing against Bad Bunny and her collaborator Shakira, Karol G is a real contender tonight. Earlier this summer she broke a "TODAY" record by drawing more than 15,000 people to the plaza for the Citi Concert Series.

Olivia Rodrigo sparkles on the VMAs carpet

Olivia Rodrigo turned heads on the pink carpet with her sparkly outfit.

The pop star has made a lot of headlines lately with the release of her sophomore album, "Guts," and fan speculation surrounding who lyrics from some of the songs are about.

Many online continue to speculate that the "Driver's License" singer has a feud with Taylor Swift. The prolific female artists are up in several of the same categories this year — at a time when fans of both artists are relentlessly fanning the speculative flames.

In 2021, Rodrigo raved about meeting Swift in person. Swift also sent Rodrigo a special gift . But after the release of her first album, “Sour,” fans sensed a vibe shift. Rodrigo ended up giving Swift and Jack Antonoff co-writing credits on her songs “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu,” for which Rodrigo said she took inspiration from Swift’s “New Year’s Day” and “Cruel Summer,” respectively.

Since that first album’s release, Rodrigo has appeared to express less public adoration for Swift in social media posts.

In June, Rodrigo’s single “Vampire” prompted some to theorize that the song was inspired by Swift and the music industry. Asked about it by The Guardian , Rodrigo said she was “surprised” people thought it was about Swift.

In an interview with Rolling Stone   published today, Rodrigo finally addressed the rumors directly. “I don’t have beef with anyone. I’m very chill. I keep to myself.”

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is being honored with Global Icon Award

It's a big year for Combs at the VMAs.

The artist will receive the third-ever Global Icon Award, which MTV says "celebrates an artist or band whose unparalleled career and continued influence have achieved a unique level of global success in music and beyond."

Past recipients are Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Combs, who is also nominated for four other awards, will also perform.

Are the VMAs irrelevant now?

Yesterday, the New York Post published this hot take: " Why the MTV VMAs — once the hottest awards show around — don’t matter anymore ." We, the NBC News team live blogging tonight, had some thoughts .

Doha: The VMAs are a casualty of a larger issue of awards shows slowly losing social relevance, either because they’re too polished or because social media makes celebrities less reliant on traditional platforms to make news. Even still, the VMAs are the most enjoyable show in the genre and the show most focused on fans.

Kaetlyn: It’s true that the VMAs might not “matter” as much as other awards shows, but that is exactly what makes them fun to watch. The VMAs don’t have the gravity of the Oscars or the Grammys. It’s not the biggest night in any industry, but that sets the celebs free in a way.

Brahmjot: I think the awards and categories themselves are unmemorable, but the VMAs have always been a pop culture gold mine for viewers to ogle, reminisce about and cringe at.

Angela: As MTV grows ever further removed from the way we consume music, I hope artists will take the VMAs as an opportunity to experiment more with live appearances even in the age of streaming.

Daysia: Once considered  the  night for iconic pop cultural moments, the VMAs are kind of in their flop era. When was the last time that the show truly delivered a provocative, dominating cultural moment? While it continues to provide solid live performances and has spawned a couple of memes in recent years, the awards show is losing touch with the culture. The issue could be that we’ve seen it all.

A decade ago, Miley Cyrus raised eyebrows with 'Blurred Lines'

We can’t talk about jaw-dropping VMA moments without recounting Miley Cyrus’ 2013 performance of “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke.

Cyrus was in only a pair of latex underwear at one point during the song, thrusting against a foam finger between her legs and later twerking against Thicke’s crotch.

The scene was quite a scandal, and it was discussed in interviews for years. Cyrus was only two years out from the end of her Disney Channel show, “Hannah Montana,” and people seemed to take some issue with her dramatic change in image.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres , Cyrus argued that no one seemed to take issue with Thicke even though he was well aware of the performance.

“I’ve just always been a very open person ... so I’ve tried to wrap my head around what a normal person thinks of the performance, and I can’t really understand where the shock comes from,” Cyrus said. “I know that sounds crazy, but ... I don’t see anything more than what any other artist did that night.”

Thicke told Oprah Winfrey that things can sometimes appear different during rehearsal and that the performance seemed more silly than sexual to him at the time.

“I guess I’m just not as normal as I thought I was,” he said. “I wasn’t offended by it personally, because I think some see that and they go, ‘This is so sexual.’ And to me, I’m sitting there going: ‘This is whacky. This is funny to me.’”

Remember Rage Against the Machine's VMAs moment in 2000?

Awards shows are best remembered for their unscripted moments, including the 2000 VMAs, where a rockstar got arrested. Rage Against the Machine was nominated for best rock video but ultimately lost to Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff.”

As Limp Bizkit tried to accept the award, Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford climbed the scaffolding and sat on top of a large sculpture onstage. No one had any clue what was going on, though members of Limp Bizkit encouraged him to jump off the sculpture.

Toni Braxton and 98 Degrees stood dumbfounded as they went on to present the next award, and security was trying to get Commerford down.

Eventually Commerford was gotten down and arrested. Bandmate Tom Morello told Rolling Stone at the time that he felt police overreacted but that he believes Commerford was mistaken for a crazed fan.

In reality, he just didn’t like Limp Bizkit. Commerford told Rolling Stone in 2015 that he had only one regret.

“I wish I would’ve swung on that thing and brought it to the ground and just destroyed it,” he said. “If I could do it all over again, I would’ve ripped that thing to the ground and shredded it.”

This 2003 onstage kiss is ingrained in pop culture history

There’s absolutely no argument that the most memorable VMA moment in history is the kiss heard ’round the world.

At the 2003 awards show, Madonna performed a mashup of her songs “Like A Virgin” and “Hollywood” with pop sensations Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. At the very end, Madonna turned to Spears and kissed her before she turned to lay her lips on Aguilera, as well. 

Many people forget that Aguilera was also a part of the kiss, maybe because Spears got the shock value of being first. Either way, this is one image seared into pop culture history. 

Lady Gaga's meat dress from 2010 lives rent-free in our heads

Lady Gaga, she’s got the meat.

Lady Gaga offered the world one of the most bizarre red carpet looks in fashion history at the 2010 VMAs. Gaga arrived in a dress covered in meat.

Yes, actual raw meat.

Gaga recounted the look in an interview with British Vogue in 2021, explaining that the dress was actually a corset that had meat sewn into it. The outfit was a protest of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a military policy that discriminated against queer service members and was ultimately repealed in 2011.

“We decided to do the meat dress because I thought to myself if you’re willing to die for your country, what does it matter how you identify?” Gaga said.

Onstage, Gaga announced the name of her coming album, “Born This Way,” and sang a snippet from the title track.

“How beautiful in my way, because God makes no mistakes. I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way,” she sang in the dress.

Swifties will never forget this VMAs moment

The VMAs may only be an elder millennial, but the awards ceremony has some iconic pop culture moments that we won't forget. As NBC News' chief Swiftie, I can tell you all about one uncomfortable September night in 2009 with great detail, but I'll spare you every detail.

Taylor Swift had just won best female video for "You Belong With Me," her first VMA win, when Ye jumped onstage. Ye, the artist formally known as Kanye West, grabbed the mic from Swift as she was giving her thank you speech.

"Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you," he said. "Imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time."

People booed. Beyoncé looked visibly uncomfortable. And Swift was devastated. Beyoncé went on to win the video of the year award and offered her time to Swift, who returned to a standing ovation. Beyoncé and Swift never appeared to have any bad blood between them following the incident, though the same can't be said for Swift and Ye.

The moment unwittingly opened a series of events that included a presidential dis, two “SNL” monologues, a naked wax figure of Swift, an edited phone call clip, an online fan war and an album dedicated to Swift's reputation (which she'll be re-recording soon). But I'm not going to talk about that in my blog post! La la la la la!

Who is performing at the VMAs this year?

• Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will perform “Bongos”
• Lil Wayne will perform his new song, “Kat Food,” for the first time.
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Demi Lovato
• Kelsea Ballerini
• Tomorrow X Together
• Fall Out Boy
• Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five will also take the stage for a finale celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.

Read more about the star-studded list of performers and nominations on Today.com .

'She Wolf' Shakira is ready for her award

Shakira is being honored with the Video Vanguard Award . She will also perform at the awards show for the first time since 2006.

We expect, per usual, that her hips won't lie. But looks like she's got a lot more in store, per an Instagram post from last week in which she shared: "POV when you’re trying to cram an entire career into one  #VMAs  Vanguard performance."

Check out the song of the year nominees

• “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
• “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo
• “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez
• “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras
• “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy
• “Kill Bill” by SZA
• “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is leading the most nominated artist this year

Here are the 11 categories the Eras Tour queen is nominated for:

• Video of the year, for “Anti-Hero" (She's won this category three times in 2015, 2019 and 2022.)
• Song of the year
• Best direction
• Best cinematography
• Best visual effects
• Best editing
• Song of summer
• Album of the year

Who is the VMAs host this year?

Technically, no one is "hosting" the VMAs this year. But Nicki Minaj is emceeing, as she did last year.

“Minaj will announce the show’s star-studded lineup of performers, presenters and winners," MTV said in a news release.

If that sounds like a hosting gig, that's because it kind of is, without the title.

According to a source at MTV familiar with the awards show, no one can labeled as a "host" because of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Where and when to watch the 2023 VMAs

The ceremony will air live at 8 p.m. ET on MTV in  more than 150 million countries .

For those of you who can't get enough of the celebs, the pre-show starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, and our live blog kicks off at 4 p.m.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

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Taylor Swift Reflects on Art of Songwriting as She Wins Song of the Year at 2023 VMAs: 'Maybe We All Have the Same Issues'

The singer-songwriter earned the award for her No. 1 smash "Anti-Hero"

Kevin Mazur/Getty 

It's certainly not exhausting rooting for Taylor Swift at the VMAs!

The pop icon, 33, scored big at the 2023 MTV VMA when she took home the award for song of the year for her Midnights smash "Anti-Hero" Tuesday night. 

After being presented with the trophy by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland — who himself bowed down to the singer-songwriter — Swift gave hugs to all in her row, including Eras Tour opener Sabrina Carpenter .

"I'm sorry, I'm just very millennial-triggered by my choices of presenters tonight," Swift said while receiving the award, shortly after already scooping the trophy for best pop from *NSYNC . "You guys are gonna do something right? Oh my God."

Swift then took a moment to express that she's "really really lucky" to create music alongside collaborator Jack Antonoff , who she called "one of my best friends in the world."

"He's so talented it's incomprehensible. And I'm so lucky I've been making music with him since we worked on an album called 1898. We'll continue working together til' 2089."

"I am so so happy because this is validating my favorite part of what I get to do," she later added of her latest Moon Person. "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 healing in that moment. But then when I go out on tour and I've got a stadium singing words back to me, it brings me to this very relaxing feeling of, 'Maybe we all have the same issues.' Thank you so much to the fans. I love you so much, this means the world to me."

Check out PEOPLE's full MTV VMAs coverage to get the latest news on music’s big night.

Jason Kempin/Getty

Swift once again became everybody’s hero (and shattered records) when she announced last month that a concert film of her Eras Tour would be coming to theaters across the country starting in October. 

Taylor Swift The Eras Tour concert film broke an all-time record for single-day AMC advance ticket sales with $26 million and became Fandango's best first-day ticket seller of the year so far.

"The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon 😆," Swift wrote on Instagram. 

The global icon’s next big milestone is set to come shortly thereafter, as she’ll release 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Oct. 27. 

The 2023 MTV VMAs are airing live from The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Tuesday, Sept. 12 on CBS and BET, BET Her, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon and Paramount Network. Viewers can also catch the show through an MTV.com live stream or on Paramount+.

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MTV VMAs 2023: Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Karol G & More Set to Perform

By Sara Delgado and Kaitlyn McNab

Summer is coming to an end, but there’s no need to be sad — this means the MTV VMAs 2023 are just around the corner. Marking the end of the season, the famed awards consistently delivers  memorable moments  and  red carpet looks that go down in history , all on top of unforgettable performances . Of course, the 2023 edition of the event will be no different.

Earlier this month, MTV announced the complete list of 2023 VMAs nominees . Taylor Swift leads the pack this year with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year. SZA follows her closely with six nods of her own; other notable nominees include Doja Cat, BLACKPINK, Olivia Rodrigo , and Sam Smith.

Judging by the nominees alone, we can already expect a dazzling night, but the newly announced performers are the cherry on top of this year's star-studded cake. MTV is announcing the roster of “global performers” for the VMAs 2023 in waves, and we are truly in for a treat. If you are a STAY, you might want to consider the trek to Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center because Stray Kids are set to take the VMAs stage for the very first time.

On top of the incredible performers listed below, Video Vanguard recipient Shakira and Global Icon Award honoree P. Diddy will both take the VMAs stage with extra-special performances. Keep scrolling to check out the full list of acts performing live at the MTV VMAs 2023 on Tuesday, September 12.

Doja Cat 's highly-anticipated fourth studio album Scarlet is set to arrive a week after the VMAs 2023, which means it's the perfect occasion for the musician to tease her new music. Doja is a four-time VMA winner, and previously hosted the awards in 2021. She's nominated for 5 awards at this year's show, including the major categories Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo will make her grand return to the MTV stage on VMAs night, just two years after her debut performance at the awards show. In 2021, Rodrigo took home three Moon Persons — this year, she's up for a total of six, with nods in major categories like Video of the Year. Rodrigo's sophomore album GUTS dropped on September 8 , only a few days before the 2023 VMAs, so it's likely she'll perform a track or two from her new record live for the first time ever.

K-Pop superstars Stray Kids are headed back to the Prudential Center, the exact same venue where they performed during their  MANIAC  tour — but this time as MTV VMAs performers. The South Korean octet will be having their VMAs debut this year and are set to perform “S-CLASS,” marking the U.S. broadcast premiere of the  5-STAR  song . The occasion is a double celebration since they could also take home their first MTV Moon Person Award for Best K-Pop.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion

By Kara Nesvig

By Ashleigh Carter

By Sara Delgado

Fresh off the release of their new collab “Bongos,” the dynamic duo that is Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will take the VMAs stage to perform the track live for the first time. Their last collab, the record-breaking “WAP,” was nominated for 5 VMAs back in 2021. This year, Megan is up for three awards for her house-inspired record “Her”; Cardi is nominated in the Best Hip Hop category, the same category she won in 2019.

Latin music enthusiasts rejoice because, for the very first time, Colombian sensation Karol G is set to take the stage during the 2023 VMAs. Karol G is currently on the road with her first-ever stadium tour but will take a break from the shows for the event. She’s also nominated for Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Latin, so it looks like it’ll be an eventful night for La Bichota.

Nicki Minaj

Last year, Nicki Minaj was named the 2022 Video Vanguard and performed an iconic medley of her biggest hits. This year, the star will make a grand return to the VMAs stage with a world premiere performance of her new single “Last Time I Saw You” off of the long-awaited forthcoming Pink Friday 2 . Minaj is nominated for a total of six awards at this year's ceremony, and will serve once more as the show emcee to announce the VMAs performers, presenters, and winners.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato will grace the VMAs stage as a performer for the first time in six years during the VMAs 2023. Lovato, who’s nominated for Best Pop and Video for Good, is keeping her songs of choice for the night under wraps. However, their highly anticipated new album REVAMPED , featuring rock versions of her biggest hits, releases just days after — so we ought to get ready for some head-banging.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter is going from opening Taylor Swift's Eras Tour to the MTV VMAs stage! The singer-songwriter will perform during the 90-minute live Pre-Show, which will be hosted by rap darling Saweetie and media personalities Nessa, Dometi Pongo, and Kevan Kenney.

Rap icon and Hip-Hop legend Lil Wayne is returning to the VMAs stage after more than a decade, and with new music! Weezy's latest single, “Kat Food,” will be performed live for the first time at this year's show. He's nominated for the Best Hip-Hop Moon Person this year, the award he first won back in 2008.

Tomorrow X Together (TXT)

Tomorrow X Together is making their MTV stage debut at the 2023 VMAs, and making history while doing it. TXT will not only premiere a brand new single, but will also be the first K-pop group to deliver an international, cross-genre performance with Brazil's very own Anitta. TXT is nominated this year in the Best K-Pop and Push Performance of the Year categories.

Not only is Kaliii MTV's August 2023 PUSH Artist, she's also a first-time nominee for a Moon Person and a first-time performer at the VMAs. The budding rap star, who is up for this year's Best New Artist, will perform on the Extended Play Stage presented by Doritos.

Alongside Kaliii, former Sex Lives of College Girls star Reneé Rapp is also nominated for Best New Artist this year, and will also take the VMAs Extended Play stage during the main ceremony. Rapp just dropped her highly-anticipated LP Snow Angel on August 18.

Anitta made history at last year's VMAs when she became the first artist from Brazil to win a Moon Person. The global superstar is nominated in the same category, Best Latin, this year, and will be performing a medley of hits from her latest EP, Funk Generation: A Favela Love Story.

Peso Pluma is having a phenomenal year, and it's not over yet. The Mexican singer will make his MTV stage debut at this year's VMAs and is also a first-time nominee with three nominations in the esteemed categories Best New Artist, Best Latin, and Song of the Summer.

Metro Boomin with Future, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee, and NAV

Superstar artist-producer Metro Boomin will take the VMAs stage for the first time ever this year, marking the live television debut of his two hit singles “Superhero (Heroes & Villains) featuring Future and ”Calling" with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee, and NAV. The last time Metro rounded up so many artists, it was for his critically-acclaimed set at Coachella 2023. Though it's Metro's first time being nominated at the VMAs, he's a contender in a whopping four categories, including Album of the Year.

Fall Out Boy

The first time Fall Out Boy ever played the VMAs, it was back in 2005 with their now-classic track “Sugar, We're Goin' Down.” Now, following the release of their eighth studio album So Much (For) Stardust earlier this year, the band is set to take the stage and compete in categories like Best Alternative and Vest Visual Effects.

Kelsea Ballerini

Country star and critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini is making her MTV stage debut at this year's VMAs. The multi-platinum artist is set to deliver the world premiere performance of a record from her recently released deluxe EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good) . Fun fact: Ballerini will turn 30 years old at the VMAs — her birthday is September 12!

Hip Hop 50 Tribute: Doug E. Fresh, DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj

Hip Hop turned 50 years old this year, and the VMAs is celebrating with a special tribute performance from Hip Hop legends Doug E. Fresh, DMC (of Run DMC), Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, and Young Money's very own Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. This is a tribute you will not want to miss.

Memphis rap star NLE Choppa will perform during the VMAs Pre-Show special, a triumphant follow-up to his recently released and highly-anticipated album Cottonwood 2 .

Italian band Måneskin had their VMAs debut last year, and they are keeping the streak going this year as they join the show as performers once more. Måneskin, who are also nominated for Best Rock this year, will debut their forthcoming single, “Honey (Are You Coming?),” live for the first time during the MTV VMAs 2023 following the song’s official release on September 1.

The Warning

Mexican rock band The Warning — made up of three sisters Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal Vélez — will make their American television debut on the VMAs Extended Play stage. The Warning has previously opened for rock icons like Guns N' Roses and Foo Fighters.

We will keep updating this story as news about the 2023 MTV VMAs breaks.

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Taylor Swift wins the most awards at 2023 VMAs including Video of the Year

Another music award show, another handful of trophies for Taylor Swift .

The pop superstar was the biggest winner at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. She went into the night with the most nominations, and left with nine wins including artist of the year, best pop, song of the year and video of the year.

Tuesday's wins made her the second-most awarded artist in the show's history. She's also tied for the most wins in one night.

It was the second year in a row she took home the night's top prize, having won Video of the Year for “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version). 

“This is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,” Swift said in her acceptance speech. “It's really felt like the adventure of a lifetime this past year. I cannot believe that it was a year ago at the VMAs that I announced the 'Midnights' album. All I have to say tonight is thank you."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The pop star earned her 15th Moon Person trophy after winning the best pop award early in the broadcast. NSYNC  presented the award making Swift visibly excited as she accepted.

"I had your dolls," Swift told the former members of the five-man group. "You’re pop personified."

The singer later won the song of the year award nominated alongside SZA's "Kill Bill" and Miley Cyrus' "Flowers." Marking her 16th win, she thanked longtime producer and close friend Jack Antonoff for their first collaboration together "1989." Swift is set to release the rerecorded version of the album on Oct. 27, exactly nine years since the original reached fans.

'You’re pop personified': NSYNC reunites at VMAs, gives Taylor Swift award

"We'll be making music together until 2089," Swift said.

She won her third award of the night in the "Best Direction" category for "Anti-Hero," her 17th total win. This is her third victory the category after winning last year for "All Too Well: The Short Film" and in 2020 for "The Man."

MTV VMAs 2023: Taylor Swift and Shakira are the big award winners

• Published 13 September 2023
• MTV Video Music Awards

Shakira thanked her fans in Latin America while accepting the Vanguard Award

Shakira crowd-surfed her way to a lifetime achievement prize at the MTV Video Music Awards, as she performed a career-spanning medley of hits.

The Colombian star put on a spectacular show that saw her dance with knives, writhe in a fake cave and play a fiery guitar solo during Objection (Tango).

Presenting her award, Wyclef Jean said: "Latin music would not be the global force that it is without Shakira."

Taylor Swift was the night's other big winner, earning nine Moon Man trophies.

Taylor Swift with one of her Moon Man trophies

The star won in all but two of the categories where she was nominated, including the night's biggest award - video of the year - in recognition of the self-directed promo for Anti-Hero.

She is the first artist to win video of the year twice in a row, and extended her record for the most wins in that category to four - after previously winning for Bad Blood, You Need to Calm Down and All Too Well: The Short Film.

Taylor Swift launches Eras tour with 44-song set

Shakira: 'I doubted I'd ever sing again'

The star, who is in the middle of the first $1bn stadium tour in history, also took home prizes for song of the year, best pop, best direction, best cinematography and best visual effects, all for Anti-Hero,

She was also awarded album of the year for Midnights, plus artist of the year and show of the summer.

South Korean boy band Stray Kids won best K-Pop act

The 33-year-old dedicated her wins to the art of songwriting.

"I love making pop music, I love making pop music videos, I also love making country," she told a star-studded crowd at New Jersey's Prudential Center.

"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 also had words for boy band 'NSync, who reunited to present her with the best pop trophy.

"I had your dolls!" she laughed as she addressed the quintet,

"You guys are pop personified so to receive this from your golden pop hands is really, it's too much," she told the group.

'Nysnc were back... er, in sync: (L-R) Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick

Other winners on the night included rapper Ice Spice, who took home best new artist, and K-pop group Blackpink, who became the first girl band to pick up best group since TLC 24 years ago.

It's the fifth time in a row that a South Korean band has won the prize, with Blackpink taking the place of boy band BTS, who are currently on hiatus.

Blackpink make history with K-pop festival set

Olivia Rodrigo: ‘I’ve got a few heartbreaks left in me’

However, BTS's youngest member Jungkook picked up song of the summer for his solo hit Seven, featuring US rapper Latto. This was one of the only categories where Swift was defeated, the other being best video editing, which went to Olivia Rodrigo's Vampire.

The night's only dedicated K-Pop award went to eight-piece boy band Stray Kids for their single S-Class, which they also performed.

Shakira's career spans 33 years

Shakira won the Vanguard Award 33 years after she released her first album, Magia, at the age of 13.

Since then, she has scored several multi-platinum hits including Whenever, Wherever, Hips Don't Lie, Beautiful Liar, Waka Waka and this year's viral hit Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol 53.

In a short speech, she thanked her family and fans, before concluding in Spanish: "This is for my people. The Latin American people inside and outside of this country, thank you for inspiring me and injecting me with so much power and will to keep going. I love you."

Karol G won best collaboration with Shakira for their hit TQG

The star picked up a second prize with fellow Colombian star Karol G, for best collaboration on the track TQG.

Karol G, who recently appeared on the Barbie soundtrack, also gave a breathtaking performance of her anthems Oki Doki and Tá Ok.

Olivia Rodrigo appeared to have a stage malfunction during her performance

OIivia Rodrigo gave fans a scare with her performance of Vampire - when the stage appeared to malfunction, with pyrotechnics misfiring and parts of the set falling to the ground.

As Rodrigo was led off stage, cameras cut to a shocked Selena Gomez in the audience, apparently worried over the singer's safety.

But the elaborate prank was a reference to the Vampire music video, which features a similar storyline, and the star soon returned to perform Get Him Back, from her new album Guts.

Selena Gomez and Rema in the audience at the VMAs

Gomez was also a winner, sharing the trophy for best Afrobeats song with Nigerian star Rema.

The duo's single, Calm Down, has been a fixture in the US charts for 53 weeks, with no signs of slowing down. It is currently at number 10.

Demi Lovato gave one of the night's loudest performances

Elsewhere, Demi Lovoato gave a rock revamp to her classic single Cool For The Summer - which had Taylor Swift dancing and singing along.

But the best rock prize went to Italian Eurovision winners Maneskin, for their relatively sedate ballad The Loneliest.

Diddy accepted the global icon award

Sean "Diddy" Combs was named MTV's Global Icon, giving a hit-filled performance that included I'll Be Missing You, Bad Boy For Life and All About The Benjamins. The medley even included an as-yet-unreleased collaboration with The Weeknd.

Presenting him with the Icon Award, Mary J Blige said: "Puff's impact on pop culture is immeasurable. His iconic music videos redefined the form. his global influence is forever felt across the entire music industry."

The rapper and music mogul said the award was "a dream come true" for him.

"I grew up watching MTV like, 'Man I wish one day I could be up there'," he told the audience.

LL Cool J and Daryl McDaniels of Run-DMC paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop

The ceremony lasted almost four hours, a large portion of which was spent celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, from an opening performance by Lil Wayne to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion giving the debut performance of their new single, Bongos.

It ended with an all-star megamix of hip-hop classics, opening with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's The Message, and ending on a rendition of Run-DMC's Walk This Way.

Full list of winners

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

Push performance of the year: April 2023: Tomorrow X Together - Sugar Rush Ride

Best collaboration: Karol G, Shakira - TQG

Best pop: Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Best hip-hop: Nicki Minaj - Super Freaky Girl

Best R&B: SZA - Shirt

Best alternative: Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste - Candy Necklace

Best rock: Måneskin - The Loneliset

Best latin: Anitta - Funk Rave

Best K-Pop: Stray Kids - S-Class

Best Afrobeats: Rema & Selena Gomez - Calm Down

Video for good: Dove Cameron - Breakfast

Best direction: Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero, directed by Taylor Swift

Best cinematography: Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero, cinematography by Rina Yang

Best visual effects: Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero, visual effects by Parliament

Best choreography: Blackpink - Pink Venom, choreography by Kiel Tutin and Sienna Lalau

Best art direction: Doja Cat - Attention, art direction by Spencer Graves

Best editing: Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire, edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel

Show of the summer: Taylor Swift

Group of the year: Blackpink

Song of the summer: Jung Kook featuring Latto - Seven

Album of the year: Taylor Swift - Midnights

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• Taylor Swift

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• Published 18 March 2023

• Published 10 June 2018

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Taylor Swift sweeps VMAs 2023, makes history with most Video of the Year wins

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Taylor Swift swept the MTV VMAs 2023 Tuesday night, taking home nine of the coveted Moon Person awards , including Video, Song and Artist of the Year.

The superstar, 33, took the stage at New Jersey’s Prudential Center throughout the night to claim her awards for the hit song “Anti-Hero.”

Along with the three top awards, she won Best Pop and Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Show of the Summer and Album of the Year for “Midnights.”

She was nominated for 11 total awards, losing out on Best Editing and Song of the Summer.

She thanked her team multiple times, bringing them onstage with her to share the spotlight. She also gave a shoutout to her longtime writing partner Jack Antonoff, who was not in attendance.

The “Karma” singer even made history as the first person to win Video of the Year four times, previously winning for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Bad Blood” and “You Need to Calm Down.”

Swift’s VMAs appearance comes weeks after she referenced Kanye West’s infamous 2009 interruption of her acceptance speech for Best Female Video trophy for “You Belong With Me.”

The “Cruel Summer” singer took aim at the rapper , 46, during the “Evermore” set of her fourth Eras Tour show at Mexico City’s Foro Sol stadium on Aug. 27. 

“It’s the best way to be interrupted, by the way, just people chanting your name,” Swift told the crowd after her voice was temporarily drowned out by thunderous applause and ear-shattering screams. 

Follow the 2023 VMAs with our up-to-the-minute coverage:

• See all the looks from the red carpet
• VMAs 2023 winners: Complete list with nominees
• VMAs 2023 live updates: See the full list of winners so far

“It’s really the only way to be interrupted,” she added. “And I would know.”

During the infamous moment back in 2009, West grabbed the mic from Swift’s hands to declare that Beyoncé should have won the award instead.

“Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish. But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” West said at the time of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” clip. 

When Beyoncé won later on in the evening, she invited Swift onstage to “have her moment.” 

Swift has had many VMAs moments — and wins — since. She has a whopping 14 Moon Person statuettes to her name, trailing only behind Madonna, who has 20. 

Swift could beat the Queen of Pop if she wins at least six of her eight categories during tonight’s ceremony. 

This year, Swift is nominated for Artist of the Year , Video of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, Best Visual Effects and Best Editing, all for her 2022 single “Anti-Hero.” 

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The Best, Worst, and Most Dramatic Moments of the 2023 MTV VMAs

Y ou can never know what to expect at the MTV Video Music Awards . There’s always a shocking moment, and this year’s VMAs were no exception. There were many firsts—Peso Pluma, Metro Boomin, and Kelsea Ballerini were among the performers who took the VMAs stage for the first time; Shakira became the first South American artist to take home the Video Vanguard Award and took the stage for the first time since 2006; and K-pop group Stray Kids got their first ever Moon Person for their hit “S-Class.”

The awards ceremony took place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey and was essentially one long (very, very long) concert with a handful of awards given out in between songs. Big winners included Ice Spice for Best New Artist and Taylor Swift, whose "Anti-Hero" won four awards including Video of the Year, the singer-songwriter's record-setting fourth time winning that award. Swift truly dominated the night; in addition to her awards, the producers frequently panned to her dancing or reacting to performances in her seat, never leaving her off camera for long.

The most surprising moment took place offstage when a viral clip seemed to show performer Megan Thee Stallion exchanging words with presenter Justin Timberlake backstage, though Variety reported that there was no fight to speak of.

More From TIME

Here are the best, worst, and most dramatic moments from the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.

Read more: Shakira’s 15 Best Music Videos, Ranked

Most Censored Performance: Lil Wayne

Rapper Lil Wayne is known for many things, and one of them is his profane lyrics. Still, he was chosen as the performer to cold-open the show as part of a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. If you’re not a Wayne fan, you might have lost track of what he was saying after a while as he performed songs old and new including “Uproar” and “Kat Food.”

Most Timely Reminder to Listen to the New Album: Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo released her highly-anticipated sophomore album, GUTS , last week on Sept. 8, and she took the VMAs stage for her first award show performance for this album rollout. Rodrigo sang the lead single, “vampire,” against a backdrop of pyrotechnics that momentarily seemed to be malfunctioning but ultimately seemed to all be a part of the plan—or so we think. She returned with a legion of Olivias to do the fan-favorite track “get him back!” which she also released the official music video for today. When host Nicki Minaj shouted out Rodrigo, the cameras immediately cut to Swift enjoying the show with rapper Ice Spice, likely not a coincidence given much online speculation as to the state of the two singer-songwriters' friendship.

Most Anticipated Win(s): Taylor Swift

Swifties have been following Taylor Swift around the country (and now beyond) for her record-setting Eras Tour , which recently wrapped its first U.S. leg. Her presence at the VMAs is always hoped for, but given that she recently performed dozens of three-hour-plus arena shows, we would have understood if she’d sat this one out. That she would win tons of awards, though: never in question. Fans were excited to see Swift seated next to Ice Spice as she won the first Moon Person of the night for Best Pop for “ Anti-Hero .” She went on to win Song of the Year, Best Direction, and Video of the Year for the same video. (Swift also had a millennial fan-girl moment, receiving the first award, and a friendship bracelet, from a reunited *NSYNC.)

Most Exhilarating (Bongo) Performance: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have both receded from the spotlight recently, but they made their return together with an electric performance of their new collaboration, “Bongos,” the video for which dropped last week. The two previously teamed up on the provocative “WAP,” which they performed at the 2021 Grammy Awards, racking up over 1,000 FCC complaints , some of which alleged “pornographic content.”

Yeah... Cardi & Meg ate #BONGOS at the #VMAs Video Credit: @CardiBDailyCom pic.twitter.com/xWPfesKGIX — Tye the TYRANT (@immabottomSTILL) September 13, 2023

Most Intriguing Offstage Drama That Allegedly Wasn’t Anything: Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake

Megan Thee Stallion exited the stage after performing her hit “Bongos” with Cardi B and backstage cameras caught a glimpse of an interaction between the rap superstar and Justin Timberlake, who made an appearance with his *NSYNC bandmates to present the night’s first award. The clip shows Megan exchanging some words with Timberlake as the group crossed paths. It’s unclear what was said, but fans surmised that the TRAUMAZINE rapper seemed upset. According to Variety , an unnamed source who was backstage said that there was “zero fight.” The source told the publication, “He said, ‘It’s so nice to meet you,’ and she said ‘No, no this don’t count, this don’t count. We gotta meet proper.’” Nevertheless, the Internet ran with it.

Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake appear to be arguing backstage at the 2023 #VMAs . pic.twitter.com/aqIfIjssxl — Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) September 13, 2023

Best Rock Performance: Demi Lovato’s Revamped Hits

Though the night was light on rock—save for a legitimately pretty fun Fall Out Boy rendition of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” whose updated lyrics included Cambridge Analytica and Tiger King —Lovato gave her fans a taste of what to expect from her REVAMPED album, coming out Sept. 15. The former Disney Channel star demolished her set as she performed the rock reimaginings of her songs “Heart Attack,” “Sorry Not Sorry,” and “Cool For The Summer.” Her powerhouse vocals brought down the house down as she infused new energy into her well-known tracks.

Scariest, Blood-Soaked Back-Up Dancers: Doja Cat’s

As a callback to the cover art for her comeback single, “Attention,” Doja Cat rocked the VMAs stage with a mob of back-up dancers who seemed as though they had just jumped out of a fresh blood bath. They assisted the 27-year-old rapper as she performed “Paint the Town Red” and “Demons,” all of the singles for her upcoming album, Scarlet , due out later this month.

‼️ @dojacat ’s #VMAs performance deserves allll your attention and MORE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Io16uz2V9L — Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 13, 2023

Most Hit-Filled Medley, Latin Pop Edition: Shakira

Shakira took the stage to prove why she is receiving this year’s Video Vanguard Award. Throughout her decade-spanning performance, she sang hits across her diverse musical catalog including early 2000 songs “Ojos Así,” “Objection (Tango),” and “Whenever, Wherever.” She was able to seamlessly transition into her new songs like her collaboration Rauw Alejandro “Te Felicito” and her Karol G feature, “TQG,” which went on to win a Moon Man. The Colombian superstar rocked the stage and ended on a high note, literally, as she ascended above the crowd during a stirring performance of the scathing “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53.” Hearts were warmed as she accepted the award from her “Hips Don’t Lie” collaborator, Wyclef Jean.

We are NOT worthy 👏👑 Congratulations to our 2023 Video Vanguard recipient, @Shakira 🔥 #VMAs pic.twitter.com/be9ybTZwHC — MTV (@MTV) September 13, 2023

Best Tease of New Music: Nicki Minaj

Minaj, who was also the night’s emcee, started by performing her new single, “Last Time I Saw You,” a sparse ballad that showcases her singing abilities. Once the song was finished, she disrobed to reveal a lacy catsuit and strobe lights flooded the stage as she debuted a new unnamed, more rap-oriented song. The performance comes in the run-up to her forthcoming album Pink Friday 2 , her first album in five years, due in November.

Nicki Minaj previews a new song from ‘Pink Friday 2’ at the #VMAs . pic.twitter.com/MWFsVmeX0i — Pop Base (@PopBase) September 13, 2023

Most Surprising Win: Anitta

Anitta took home the Moon Person for Best Latin, going up against some of the most popular artists in the genre including the biggest artist in the world: Bad Bunny . She beat out the likes of Rosalía, Mexican rising star Peso Pluma, and Karol G. The Brazilian superstar delivered a stellar performance of her singles, “Used to Be,” “Funk Rave,” and “Grip” and later joined K-pop group TOMORROW X TOGETHER on stage.

Most Hit-Filled Medley, Rap Edition : Diddy

Before accepting the Global Icon Award, Diddy took the stage to remind the audience of all the hits he’s had a hand in—from his emotional 1997 hit, “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans and 112 to his collaboration with Keyshia Cole, “Last Night,” who joined him on stage. He also brought out his son Christian Combs, his rumored girlfriend Young Miami for her verse on the “Gotta Move On” remix, and his twin daughters, while longtime friend and collaborator Mary J. Blige presented Diddy the award with his eldest daughter, Chance.

PUFF DADDY. P. DIDDY. LOVE. A TRUE ICON #VMAs pic.twitter.com/TBEu6j3O6I — Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) September 13, 2023

Most Interesting Collab: TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Anitta

The K-Pop boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Anitta debuted their collaboration, “Back For More” beautifully blending their sound with that of Brazilian funk. The artists delivered a lively performance with killer dance moves on both their parts. The Latin singer had a successful night overall, with two performances and a win for the Best Latin award for her song “Funk Rave.”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Anitta perform at the 2023 #VMAs pic.twitter.com/msMtMOp5js — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 13, 2023

Least Authentic Vibes: Lip-Syncing Allegations

The night was filled with performers who executed some serious dance moves while singing vocally strenuous songs. As the artists took the stage, there was chatter among social media users that some of the musicians were lip-syncing. It's perhaps a losing battle—sing live and risk a pitchy note that listeners criticize, lip sync and get flak of a different variety.

Oh the lip syncing is strong 😭 — Bobby Foster (@_bobbyfoster) September 13, 2023

Happiest Anniversary Celebration: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Medley

Every major music awards ceremony this year has given space for pioneers of hip-hop to honor the genre's birthday. At this year’s VMAs, the stage was graced by acts like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Doug E. Fresh, the night’s emcee Nicki Minaj who performed “Itty Bitty Piggy” for the first time in years, and contributions from Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, and Run DMC who closed the show as all the performers came out for a final bow with the audience, by this point, all on their feet.

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Renaissance vs. Eras: Beyoncé and Taylor Swift to duke it out over Show of the Summer at MTV VMAs

EW is exclusively revealing the nominees in four digital/social categories for this year's VMAs, including Song of the Summer and Album of the Year.

Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly , where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives , and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext , Queerty , Rolling Stone , and The New Yorker . He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once.

It's been one hell of a summer for tours with some of the biggest names in music criss-crossing the globe, with both Beyoncé 's Renaissance World Tour and Taylor Swift 's Eras Tour vying for highest grossing tour of the year.

But MTV wants to know which superstar had your favorite tour.

On Sept. 12, the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards will see who's put on the Show of the Summer, as well as who had the Album of the Year, Song of the Summer, and Group of the Year, as determined by votes from fans like you. EW is exclusively revealing the nominees for the four digital/social categories below.

Show of the Summer

Voting launches Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story (1 Round, tap to vote). Voting closes Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. ET.

Beyoncé BLACKPINK Drake Ed Sheeran Karol G Taylor Swift

Group of the Year

Voting launches Sept. 4 @ 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story (2 Rounds bracket-style face-off, final round tap to vote). Voting closes Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. ET.

BLACKPINK FIFTY FIFTY FLO Jonas Brothers Måneskin NewJeans SEVENTEEN TOMORROW x TOGETHER

Song of the Summer

Presented by M&Ms, voting launches Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story (3 Rounds bracket-style face-off, final round tap to vote). Voting closes Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. ET.

Beyoncé – "Cuff It" Billie Eilish – "What Was I Made For? (From The Motion Picture Barbie )" Doja Cat – "Paint the Town Red" Doechii ft. Kodak Black – "What It Is (Block Boy)" Dua Lipa – "Dance the Night (From the Barbie Album) " FIFTY FIFTY – "Cupid" Gunna – "fukumean" Jung Kook ft. Latto – "Seven" Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice– "Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album ]" Olivia Rodrigo – "vampire" SZA – "Kill Bill" Taylor Swift ft. 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)"

Album of the Year

Voting launches Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. ET on @MTV Instagram Story (1 Round, tap to vote). Voting closes Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. ET.

Beyoncé – Renaissance Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation SZA – SOS Taylor Swift – Midnights

The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards airs Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey. See the full list of previously revealed nominees .

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Shakira to receive MTV's Video Vanguard Award at the 2023 VMAs
• Your guide to 2023's biggest tours
• Taylor Swift seemingly pokes fun at Kanye West VMAs interruption during Eras Tour

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2023 MTV VMAs: Watch Taylor Swift accept the Video of the Year Award

Swift took home the top honor for her “anti-hero” visuals..

Taylor Swift made history at the 2023 VMAs, tying for most wins in one night (with 9) and now second-most overall wins (only Beyoncé has more). She also became the first artist to win Video of the Year for a fourth time and became the first artist to receive the award two years in a row, too.

There was some confusion over whether or not Swift had won the top prize, which she took for Midnights song "Anti-Hero" but her speech was eventually shared online after the ceremony had finished broadcasting on TV. She was joined by Chancler Haynes and Rina Yang, both of whom worked on the "Anti-Hero" video alongside Swift.

Read Next: New poll shows 1 in 5 Americans believe Taylor Swift PSYOP theory

After Haynes and Yang spoke, Swift took her time to thank the Swifties for helping her sweep the board at the VMAs. "This is unbelievable," she said. "I just 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 is the most joyful and exhilarating experience, and we’re not even halfway done with it. It’s really felt like the adventure of a lifetime this past year. I cannot believe that it was a year ago at the VMAs that I announced the Midnights album, and all I have to say tonight is thank you. I’m blown away. Thank you so much to the fans. I love you so much."

In addition to winning Video of the Year, Swift also took the VMAs for Song of the Year (for "Anti-Hero") and Artist of the Year .

The biggest award of the night goes to... @taylorswift13 !! 🚀 Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift is your #VMA VIDEO OF THE YEAR 🚀 pic.twitter.com/wDSIQvUUSx — Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 13, 2023

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Taylor Swift now has more VMAs than Madonna. Only Beyoncé has more.

Taylor Swift won big at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home a total of nine awards — surpassing Madonna to become the second-most awarded artist in the history of the show.

Beyoncé still reportedly holds the crown for the largest total of career VMAs, with 30 , including wins with Destiny’s Child and as part of The Carters with husband Jay-Z.

It was “Anti-Hero,” the lead single off Swift’s 2022 album, “Midnights,” that helped propel the 33-year-old singer’s grand total from 14 VMAs to 23 . Madonna’s tally stands at 20.

“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” go the lyrics of the song, which Swift says is one of her favorites because it is “really honest” and provides listeners with a “real guided tour throughout all the things I tend to hate about myself.”

Here’s a list of the Moon Man trophies bagged by Swift on Tuesday:

• Video of the Year, for her self-directed song, “Anti-Hero.”
• Artist of the Year.
• Album of the Year for “Midnights,” which was released in October 2022 and is the singer’s 10th album.
• Song of the Year for “Anti-Hero.”
• Best Pop, for “Anti-Hero.”
• Best Direction for “Anti-Hero.”
• Best Cinematography for “Anti Hero.”
• Best Visual Effects for “Anti Hero.”
• Show of the summer. Fans voted Swift’s “The Eras Tour” as the winner, despite the star being up against Beyoncé's “Renaissance Tour.”

On Tuesday, Swift called the ongoing world tour, which is due to end in November 2024, “joyful and exhilarating,” before adding: “And we’re not even halfway done.”

Why Taylor Swift’s self-loathing ‘Anti-Hero’ already hit a nerve with fans

Swift also heaped praise on her fans during the ceremony.

“This is unbelievable,” Swift said as she accepted the prize for Video of the Year. “I just want to say the fact this is a fan-voted award means so much to me.”

“All I have to say tonight is thank you, I am blown away,” she said on stage at New Jersey’s Prudential Center.

One of Swift’s wins, best pop song, was presented by legendary boyband 'N Sync who reunited — much to the delight of fans — to reveal the winner of the award.

6 highlights from MTV’s VMAs: Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ sweep to Latin pop

“I had your dolls,” the stunned star told the boyband, describing them as “pop personified.”

Sharp. Witty. Thoughtful. Sign up for the Style Memo newsletter.

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Who had the best tour of the year? New VMAs category gets fans riled up

W ho had the show of the summer? Beyoncé and Taylor Swift fans have their answer — and the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards just gave its take.

On Sept. 12, the VMAs pitted the two artists' major ongoing world tours against each other. Also up for the award were BLACKPINK (“Born Pink World Tour”), Ed Sheeran “Mathematics Tour”), Drake (“It’s All A Blur Tour”) and Karol G (“Manana Sera Bonito Tour”).

In the end, Swift walked away with the show of the summer title — and eight other awards.

The show of the summer category was fan-voted.

The summer of 2023 has arguably redefined what it means to have a “record-breaking” world tour. Beyonce’s “Renaissance Tour” and Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” both permeated culture in a way that has now gone far beyond the stage. 

Cities underwent temporary name changes, people have gone into labor, and seismic activity was detected when these shows came into town.

Since the "Eras" tour kicked off in March, Taylor Swift has done 53 shows across North America, and Beyonce has done 45 since her " Renaissance" world tour started in May.

Both have had record-shattering revenue reports. The concert data tracker Pollstar estimates that Taylor Swift’s show will rake in over $1 billion in sales. Beyonce’s is expected to go even further, Forbes reports .

Both tours have been viral internet sensations, with people showing off their elaborate outfits on TikTok , exchanging friendship bracelets and participating in viral challenges .

But how do you define which was the show of the summer?

While there might not be a definitive answer to such a subjective question, the VMAs were determined to ask it regardless during their 2023 awards — pitting both iconic shows against each other in the "show of the summer" category.

This is not the only category that the two musical icons were up against each other in. Beyonce and Taylor Swift were also both nominated for artist of the year, album of the year, and song of the summer.

In the end, Swift came out on top, taking home a total of nine awards on Tuesday evening: video of the year (“Anti-Hero”), artist of the year, song of the year (“Anti-Hero”), best pop (“Anti-Hero”), best direction (“Anti-Hero”), best cinematography (“Anti-Hero”), best visual effects (“Anti-Hero”), show of the summer and album of the year (“Midnights”).

Swift tied the record for the most wins in one night and now second-most overall wins, MTV confirmed in a press release.

Over the past decade, Beyoncé and Swift have often competed during awards season. The most famous instance of this, of course, was the moment when Kanye West jumped on stage during Swift’s 2009 VMA acceptance speech saying the line that would live on in infamy: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish,” he said. “But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

VMAs Performers to Include Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and More

The event will take place September 12 live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are the latest artists to be announced as performers for MTV’s 2023 Video Music Awards . The duo is set to perform thier new single “Bongos” on stage.

They will be performing alongside previously announced standalone performers Olivia Rodrigo and Nicki Minaj as well as stars Fall Out Boy, Metro Boomin, Peso Pluma, Lil Wayne, Anitta, Doja Cat, Kelsea Ballerini, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Demi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin and Stray Kids.

For the second year in a row, Minaj will serve as the emcee of the awards show. She will also take the stage for the world premiere performance of her newest single, “Last Time I Saw You.” As for Rodrigo, she first made her VMAs debut in 2021 with her performance of “good 4 u.”

This awards show will also mark the first time Lil Wayne has returned to the VMAs stage in more than a decade. He is set to perform his new single “Kat Food,” which will drop on Friday. Demi Lovato, Måneskin, Stray Kids, Anitta and Doja Cat have all appeared on the MTV stage before. In fact, Måneskin took home Best Alternative last year, and Stray Kids were nominated for Best K-Pop. Last year also saw Anitta make history, becoming the only Brazilian to ever take home an MTV Moon Person. Doja Cat is also an alum on this stage. In 2021, she hosted the VMAs and took home two awards. 

As for Karol G, Kelsea Ballerini TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Metro Boomin and Peso Pluma this will mark their first-ever appearances on the stage.

This year, Taylor Swift is leading the nominations pack with a total of eight nods, including Video of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. She’s followed closely by SZA with six nominations, which include both Video of the Year and Song of the Year. Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith all have five nominations each.

The 2023 VMAs will air live from New Jersey’s Prudential Center on September 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Fans can vote on the awards’ show categories by visiting  vote.mtv.com  through September 1st. Voting for Best New Artist will remain active into the show on September 12. Nominations for social categories including Group of the Year and Song of Summer will be announced at a later date.

Check out the full list of VMAs performers below:

Demi Lovato

With 14 “VMA” nominations under her belt, Lovato is an established alum of this awards show. However, this performance will mark her first “VMAs” performance in six years. Scheduled days before the release of her new album, “Revamped,” this time around Lovato has been nominated for two categories: Best Pop and Video for Good.

The Colombian global recording artist holds the record for being the first woman to ever debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart with a Spanish-language album. She will break from her first-ever stadium tour to compete for her three “VMAs” nominations, which include the coveted Artist of the Year. This will mark Karol G’s first “VMAs” performance.

Last year, Måneskin took home the award for Best Alternative. The Italian rock band is set to perform the world premiere of their upcoming single, “HONEY (ARE YOU COMING?),” which will release September 1. Måneskin has already made “VMAs” history. The four-time nominated group is up for Best Rock this year, marking the first time an Italian act has been nominated two consecutive years in a row for a main category.

Though Stray Kids did not win their “VMAs” nomination for Best K-Pop in 2022, they will be returning in September for their first-ever “VMAs” performance. This will mark the U.S. premiere of “S-Class,” which comes from their No. 1 album, “5-Star.” They have been nominated once again in the same category.

This will mark Lil Wayne’s first VMAs appearance in more than a decade. The five-time Grammy-winning rapper is set to preform his new single, “Kat Food,” live for the very first time. Over the course of his career, Lil Wayne has sold over 120 million records worldwide, securing his legacy as one of the best-selling artists in history. The 14-time VMA nominee will once again compete in the Best Hip-Hop category for the Moon Person, an award he first won in 2008.

The global sensation is set to performa a medley of hits from her latest release “Funk Generation: A Favela Love Story.” Last year marked her VMAs debut, where Anitta made history as the only Brazilian to ever take home an MTV Moon Person. She is nominated in the Best Latin category this year.

In 2021, Doja Cat took the VMAs by storm, winning two awards and hosting the show. This year the Grammy-winning artist will return to perform ahead of her five nominations, including Best Video of the Year and Artist of the Year. She will kick off her first-ever North American tour Ice Spice and Doechii later this year.

Kelsea Ballerini

This year will mark a debut VMAs performance for the multi-platinum country star. Ballerini will perform off her critically-acclaimed EP “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (For Good).” Ballerini’s performance will also coincide with her 30th birthday.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

The former MTV PUSH artists will premiere a brand new single during their VMAs debut. Their appearance will also make history as they are the first K-Pop band to cross-genre for an international performance (TOMORROW X TOGETHER will be performing with the Brazilian Anitta). The four-time nominated group has been nominated for Best K-Pop and Push Performance of the Year.

Olivia Rodrigo

Rodrigo first debuted on the VMAs stage in 2021 when she performed her hit “good 4 u.” This time around, she will be performing ahead of the release for her anticipated second album, “GUTS.” The singer-songwriter is up for six VMA Awards including “Video of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for “Vampire” as well as Best Pop and Song of Summer.

Nicki Minaj

For the second year in a row Nicki Minaj will be serving as the emcee of the VMAs. When she isn’t hosting the show, the pop and hip-hop icon will be debuting the world premiere performance of her latest single, “Last Time I Saw You.” Last year, the six-time VMAs winner took home Best Hip Hop and the coveted Video Vanguard Award. This year she’s up for six more awards, including Best Hip Hop, Video of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Fall Out Boy

The first time the rock group appeared on the MTV stage was 2005 with their performance of “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” The multi-platinum and three time winners of VMAs have been nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Alternative for their eighth studio album. They’re currently on their So Much For (Tour) Dust headline tour, which has been expanded to run through February 2024.

Metro Boomin ft. Future , A Boogie Wit da Hoodie , Swae Lee and NAV

The diamond-certified artist and producer will make his VMAs performance debut this year with two singles: “Superhero (Heroes and Villains)” with Future and “Calling” with A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Swae Lee and NAV. They will appear on stage for the first time ever. The first time nominee is up for four awards this year, including Album of the Year and Best Hip Hop.

This year will mark the inaugural performance for the “Ella Baila Sola” singer. Pluma currently boasts the biggest música Mexicana album of all time with “Genesis.” He will compete in three categories during this year’s VMAs, including Best New Artist, Best Latin and Song of the Summer.

Called one of the most influential female rappers of all time by Forbes, Cardi B has been nominated for 29 VMAs so far. She was first nominated in 2018 where she made headlines for faking out the audience and her husband by pretending she was holding her baby daughter (she was actually holding a Moon Man statue). This time around, the four time-winning VMA winner is up for Best Hip Hop and will be preforming “Bongos” with Megan Thee Stallion.

Megan Thee Stallion

When Megan Thee Stallion took the MTV stage in 2019, she made waves. During her first year of being nominated, she performed “Hot Girl Summer” and took home the award for Best Power Anthem. This time around, Stallion is returning to perform “Bongos” alongside fellow rapper Cardi B. With 19 total nominations and two wins to date, she’s up for Best Choreography and Best Art Direction this year.

Bad Bunny becomes first non-English-language act to win VMA for artist of the year

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Bad Bunny made history Sunday at the Video Music Awards, becoming the first non-English-language performer to win the prize for artist of the year.

The Puerto Rican reggaeton sensation was nominated for the honor alongside Drake, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X and Lizzo. The actor and vocalist was also in the running for song of the summer (“Me Porto Bonito”); best Latin (“Tití Me Preguntó”); and album of the year (“Un Verano Sin Ti”).

“I have been saying it and I always believed from the beginning that I could become great,” Bad Bunny said in his acceptance speech, which the Associated Press translated from Spanish.

“That I could become one of the biggest stars in the world without having to change my culture, my language, my jargon. I am Benito Antonio Martínez from Puerto Rico to the whole world. Thank you!”

During the MTV telecast, Bad Bunny performed live from Yankee Stadium in New York as part of his World’s Hottest Tour. Other acts in the VMA performance lineup this year included Harlow, Nicki Minaj, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blackpink, Panic! at the Disco, Anitta, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Lizzo.

In the middle of his electrifying performance of “Tití Me Preguntó,” Bad Bunny thrilled his L GBTQ fans by locking lips with both female and male backup dancers. The “Ojitos Lindos” hitmaker’s Yankee Stadium moment marked the first VMA performance broadcast from the iconic venue.

For global phenomenon Bad Bunny, Puerto Rico remains his playground, battleground and muse

At a moment in his career when the American music industry and Hollywood are fighting for a piece of Bad Bunny, he’s fighting for his identity too.

May 13, 2022

In May, Bad Bunny released his fourth studio album , “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which was the second all-Spanish-language record to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, according to MTV. When it came out, the 28-year-old musician’s latest LP was also Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2022.

Bad Bunny wasn’t the only artist breaking barriers Sunday night. Blackpink also became the first female K-pop group to win the award for group of the year, according to Teen Vogue. In its U.S. awards show debut, the quartet performed its new single , “Pink Venom,” during the VMA ceremony on live TV for the first time.

Additionally, Taylor Swift became the first artist to collect three VMAs for video of the year and the only one to win for a video they directed, according to the Hollywood Reporter .

The 2022 VMAs are tonight. Here’s everything you need to know

Jack Harlow, LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj are hosting the 2022 Video Music Awards from New Jersey. See who’s nominated and who’s performing.

Aug. 28, 2022

More to Read

The 2024 Grammys winners list

Feb. 4, 2024

Mexican American singer Xavi makes history, tops Spotify global charts

Jan. 3, 2024

No wedding bells for Bad Bunny in 2024

Jan. 2, 2024

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Christi Carras reports on the entertainment industry for the Los Angeles Times. She previously covered entertainment news for The Times after graduating from UCLA and working at Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and CNN Newsource.

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The 2023 VMAs is making history! What to know about the artist of the year nominees

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The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards is going to be one for the books.

For the first time ever, the VMAs is featuring an all-female lineup for its highly-coveted artist of the year category. The six nominated artists are Taylor Swift , Beyoncé , Doja Cat , Nicki Minaj, Karol G and Shakira .

Each one of these artists has hit amazing milestones in their career. Earlier this year, Swift kicked off her bestselling "Eras Tour ," while Beyoncé has been performing at sold-out arenas across the world for the " Renaissance World Tour ."

Then, in February, Karol G made history when she became the first female artist to have an all-Spanish-language album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 200 albums chart . Last year, Minaj's song “Super Freaky Girl” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart .

But out of all the nominees, Shakira probably has the most to look forward to this year. At the Sept. 12 ceremony, which will air live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the "Whenever, Wherever" singer will be honored with the Video Vanguard Award after Minaj received the honor in 2022.

Read on to learn more about the nominees and how many awards they're up for at the 2023 VMAs.

This summer, Beyoncé has been performing her "Renaissance World Tour," starting viral trends like the mute challenge and inspiring futuristic silver outfits with her elaborate costumes. Fittingly, in addition to artist of the year, she's nominated for show of the summer.

Beyoncé seems to be going head-to-head with Swift and her "Eras Tour" in that category. According to Forbes , both artists could clear $1 billion from the money they earned at their concerts.

Beyoncé is up for several awards this year, all thanks to her album "Renaissance," including:

Artist of the year

Show of the summer

Song of summer

Album of the year

On Sept. 22, Doja Cat will release her fourth studio album, "Scarlet."

In the weeks leading up to the drop, Doja has released a few new singles that show off her rap skills, including "Attention," which has garnered her several nominations this year.

The "Say So" rapper has already won four VMAs throughout her career.

At the 2023 VMAs, Doja has been nominated for:

Video of the year

Best collaboration

Best direction

Best art direction

This year, the “Amargura” singer released her fourth studio album, Mañana Será Bonito, performed on TODAY for the Citi Concert Series — and she’ll be making her debut this year on the VMAs stage.

It’s hard to believe that in 2012, Karol G gave up on music entirely. In a July interview with TODAY’s 3rd Hour hosts , Karol G said she felt like it was time to leave her dreams behind after she wasn’t finding the type of success that she wanted in the music industry.

“It takes a lot out of you, your soul and everything,” she said.

But luckily, while riding a train in New York, she saw an ad for a music business conference in Boston. After seeing the same ad a few more times, Karol G decided to attend the conference and give her dream of becoming a superstar one last try.

“I realized that this, what I love and what I feel passion to do, can be my business, too. So I went back to Colombia,” she said.

Now, Karol G is nominated at the VMAs for:

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is no stranger to the VMAs. She’s set to host and perform at the show Sept. 12 for a second consecutive time.

In 2022, she performed a set of her biggest hits right before she received the Video Vanguard Award.

In her speech , she thanked everyone who helped her become a successful artist, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Drake and her dedicated fanbase known as the “Barbz.”

At the 2023 VMAs, Minaj has been nominated for:

Best hip-hop

Best R&B

Best visual effects

At the 2023 VMAs, Shakira will receive MTV’s highly-coveted Video Vanguard Award.

“Shakira is a true global force who continues to inspire & influence the masses with her unique, musical prowess. She’s a trailblazer for women around the world & one of the first artists to lead the globalization of Latin music,” Paramount executive Bruce Gilmer said in a press statement, according to NBC News .

“Her massive impact across the musical landscape will be long-lasting as she continues to create and entertain at the highest level.”

Like Minaj, Shakira will also perform onstage in honor of receiving the award.

Other than artist of the year, Shakira has been nominated for:

Best Latin (with two nominations — one for her and Karol G’s song “TQG” and another for her hit single “Acróstico.”)

Taylor Swift

The “Midnights” singer is up for 11 VMAs this year, making her the most nominated artist on the roster. Trailing behind her is SZA with eight nominations.

In addition to artist of the year, Swift has also been nominated for video of the year for “Anti-Hero.”

Swift is the only artist in history who has won this category three times. In 2015, she first took home this award for her song “Bad Blood,” then in 2019 for “You Need To Calm Down” and again in 2022 for “All Too Well: The Short Film.”

If Swift wins in this category again, she’ll be beating her own record.

Swift’s other nominations include:

Song of the year

Best cinematography

Best editing

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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‘De Puerto Rico, Para el Mundo Entero:’ Bad Bunny Named VMA Artist of the Year After Performing at Yankee Stadium

By Tomás Mier

The VMAs are taking it to the World’s Hottest Tour . Bad Bunny made an appearance at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards , live from Yankees Stadium, to perform “Tití Me Preguntó” and accept the award for artist of the year from none other than LA Lakers’ Carmelo Anthony.

“I don’t have the words to describe what I’m feeling. The pride I’m feeling to be at Yankee Stadium accepting this award,” said Bad Bunny, completely in Spanish. “I always knew from the start that I could become the biggest stars without having to change my culture or my language.”

He ended, “Yo soy Benito Antonio Martínez, de Puerto Rico para el mundo entero.” (In English: “I’m Benito Antonio Martinez. From Puerto Rico to the entire world.”)

His performance of “Tití Me Preguntó” opened with the Puerto Rican heartthrob carrying out a to-be bride before singing lyrics about having “muchas novias” as clips of the massive audience flashed onscreen.

Before his performance aired on MTV, videos of Bad Bunny accepting the trophy for artist of the year circulated on Twitter. He was seen holding up the trophy before thanking his audience in New York. (Nicki Minaj presented him with the award, showing off her Spanish and dance moves. “Ay Dios mío!” said Minaj.)

#BadBunny accepts the award for Artist of the Year #VMAs pic.twitter.com/kZWjMAG8ZO — David Suarez (@DavidSuarez) August 29, 2022

“Not only are his hits well-constructed, veritable bangers that have marked an era in a short amount of time, the soft heart of every song is filled with a kind of nostalgia and emotion only Bad Bunny knows how to deliver,” read a Rolling Stone review of his first of two New York shows.

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His song “Tití Me Preguntó” was up for best Latin, and “Me Portó Bonito” was up for song of the summer.

“Once my albums come out, I sometimes listen to them once and I don’t tune in again,” he told Rolling Stone about his album Un Verano Sin Ti , which is up for album of the year. “This one, I’ve just kept listening.” (His songs currently on replay? “ Moscow Mule ” and “ Otro Atardecer ” with the Marías.)

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The VMAs have a long history of featuring remote performances, including massive tours. Michael Jackson did so in 1992, performing “Black and White,” while Katy Perry hit the stage for “Roar” from Fulton Ferry Park in 2013.

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MTV VMAs 2022: All of the Performances

By Eric Torres and Matthew Ismael Ruiz

The 2022 MTV Video Music Awards aired Sunday night (August 28) in front of a live audience at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center . Among the slew of performers at the 2022 show were co-hosts Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow , Lizzo , Måneskin, J Balvin , Anitta , Bad Bunny , Blackpink , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Flo Milli, and many more. Check out the full list of performers for the pre-show and main ceremony below.

Toward the end of the ceremony, Taylor Swift won her fifth award of the night for “ All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) .” During her Video of the Year acceptance speech, she announced a new album, Midnights . See all the full list of this year’s VMA winners .

Follow all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards .

The first-ever Brazilian VMAs winner performed her Best Latin–winning song “Envolver” from her 2022 album Versions of Me .

El Conejo Malo beamed in from the Bronx, where he was performing his second sold-out show at Yankee Stadium, for a rendition of his Un Verano Sin Ti cut “Titi Me Pregunto.” He was also awarded Artist of the Year after he performed.

In their first U.S. awards show performance, the K-Pop superstars—including Best K-Pop winner Lisa—performed their latest single “Pink Venom” from their forthcoming LP Born Pink . They also won Best Metaverse Performance for their in-game concert in the video game PUBG: Battlegrounds .

The friend-of-Rodrigo brought two tracks from his latest LP Superache to the Extended Play Stage presented by Doritos.

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Dove Cameron

For the pre-show, Disney alumna Dove Cameron did a medley of her hits “Boyfriend” and “Breakfast,” channeling Madonna and rocking a set of shoulder pads worthy of the gridiron; she was later presented with the Best New Artist award by former winner Avril Lavigne.

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Slim Shady and the Doggfather transported themselves to the metaverse via telephone pole-sized doobie and managed to plug their Bored Apes in the process.

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Jack Harlow Featuring Fergie

When accepting his award for Song of Summer, co-host Harlow admitted that Fergie’s “Glamorous”—which he sampled for his winning track “First Class”—had a significant influence on him as an artist. The former Black Eyed Pea joined him for a medley that included both songs.

The Spillage Village MC performed two tracks from his 2022 LP The Forever Story outside Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center, but featured artists Kenny Mason, 21 Savage, and Baby Tate did not make the trip.

The Auto-Tuned post-country rocker starred in this Toyota-sponsored set in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Lauren Spencer Smith

The 18-year-old American Idol alumna Lauren Spencer Smith performed two of her most recent singles outside the venue decked out in leopard urban camouflage.

After gracing the stage with her hits “About Damn Time” and “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready),” Lizzo later stunted on her haters in her victory speech after winning Video for Good.

The racy rockers brought the Eurovision energy—and near-nudity—to the VMAs stage with their hit “Supermodel.”

Marshmello and Khalid

Nicki minaj.

The co-host and 2022 Video Vanguard Award recipient did a career-spanning medley including “Super Bass,” “Anaconda,” and her latest hit “Super Freaky Girl.”

Panic! at the Disco

The alt boy band did a black-and-white version of “Don’t Let the Light Go Out,” the single from their new album Viva las Vengeance .

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Gen X funk-rockers were named Global Icons at this year’s ceremony, and were introduced by original stoner duo Cheech & Chong.

Saucy Santana

Saucy brought arguably “Too Much” “Booty” to the VMAs pre-show, perhaps explaining J Balvin’s attempt to keep up with the augmented reality antics that would follow indoors.

The singer and rapper cosplayed Barry Gibb for his performance of the Rick Astley–sampling “Betty.”

This article was originally published on Sunday, August 28, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. It was last updated on Monday, September 11, 2023, at 12:17 p.m. Eastern.

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Bad Bunny Makes History With Artist of the Year Win at the MTV VMAs

Bad Bunny took home the award for artist of the year at this year's MTV VMAs. The 28-year-old global superstar was up against major contenders including Ed Sheeran , Drake , Harry Styles , Jack Harlow , Lil Nas X , and Lizzo .

To celebrate his win, Bad Bunny performed "Tití Me Preguntó," though it was telecast from his tour stop at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in New York. After the performance, Carmelo Anthony presented him with the award. Bad Bunny is now the first non-English-language artist to win in the category.

Bad Bunny joins past artist of the year winners including Justin Bieber , Lady Gaga , and Ariana Grande . At this year's MTV VMAs, which saw performances from artists like Lizzo and Blackpink, Nicki Minaj was also honored with the 2022 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award .

Check out full list of 2022 VMAs winners here .

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SAN ANTONIO -- After teammate-led chants of "Wemby! Wemby!" a smiling Victor Wembanyama entered the theater at the Scobee Planetarium to a rousing ovation from the 50 or so children in attendance.

This wasn't your normal Rookie of the Year award presentation -- fitting for someone who has been dubbed an alien.

Wembanyama walked in and took his seat in the front row of the 100-seat theater with kids from local Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brother/Big Sister programs and students from a nearby elementary school sitting amongst several of Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs teammates and staffers.

Before he walked in, Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan got the kids riled up and chanting as the Rookie of the Year entered the room.

Wembanyama and company watched a video about his rookie season -- featuring clips from Wembanyama as young as seven years old -- before Spurs general manager Brian Wright presented him with his trophy.

"This is one of the representations of our progress throughout the year and all the efforts we made on the court," Wembanyama said. "I think receiving this trophy here with fans, with kids and everyone being happy to be here, it's also a good feeling for me and a good representation of the love that we felt throughout the year. To me, this is the right way to receive [the trophy]."

On Monday, Wembanyama was named the unanimous winner of the Rookie of the Year award, becoming the sixth player to do so in the last 40 seasons and the first since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016 with the Minnesota Timberwolves .

Despite that, Wembanyama said he never felt that the race was over because he was focused on other things.

"I had other things to think about," Wembanyama said. "I had a responsibility towards my team and the challenge of staying dominant and helpful for the team and also staying healthy. I had many things on my mind the whole season. It was no bigger than that."

Wembanyama said he got goosebumps watching a video the Spurs prepared for him that featured clips of him playing basketball as young as 7 years old.

But after that played, Wembanyama accepted his trophy from Wright and then had his own video in which he thanked those who came before him with the Spurs, coach Gregg Popovich, his teammates, coaches, staff members, his family and eventually the fans, finishing the video with: "The future is going to be fun."

"I'm realistic, I know there's going to be videos of myself on the internet and they're going to talk about winning the award, but there's so much more to this," Wembanyama said. "To me, it's so much more to recognize each other's greatness and value.

"I mean, this is not enough. This is barely something. I want to keep the momentum going and let everybody know they are a part of the family and a part of the story. I believe in the fans, my teammates, the staff. I believe in them as much as I think they believe in me."

Next up for Wembanyama are the Summer Olympics in Paris, where he'll get to represent his home country of France on the international stage.

"This summer is special because it's pretty busy," Wembanyama said. "But yeah, I'm still going to have time to, I've had time to relax already in France a little bit with my family, and now I'm going to have time to practice and I'm going to have just a little bit of time after the Olympics, hopefully to work out before the season."