Female artists dominated the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) last night, with Taylor Swift leading the way by taking home seven awards. This brought her career total to a remarkable 30 VMA wins, surpassing Beyoncé’s previous record of 29. Swift’s big win included the coveted Video of the Year award for the third consecutive year, this time for her song “Fortnight.”
During her first acceptance speech, Swift took a moment to reflect on the anniversary of 9/11, stating: “Waking up this morning in New York on September 11th, I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago. Everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost, that is the most important thing today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
The night was filled with other unforgettable performances. Katy Perry, who received the Video Vanguard Award—MTV’s equivalent of a lifetime achievement award—performed a breathtaking 10-minute medley of her greatest hits. Her performance featured her flying through the air on a high wire and dancing on a large tilted platform, leaving the audience in awe.
Another standout moment came from breakout star Chappell Roan, who wowed viewers with a medieval-themed performance of “Good Luck Babe.” Dressed in a suit of armor, Roan fired an arrow into a castle that then burst into flames, creating a dramatic spectacle. She went on to win the Best New Artist award, dedicating it to “all the drag artists who inspire me and queer and trans people that fuel pop.”
Sabrina Carpenter, another notable newcomer, captivated the audience with a medley of her three Number One hits on a moon-shaped set, accompanied by a team of spacemen and even an alien, adding a touch of cosmic flair to the show.
Megan Thee Stallion delivered a memorable, if slightly chaotic, performance in an attempt to recreate Britney Spears’ iconic 2001 VMA moment with a live python. However, her nerves got the better of her, as she humorously admitted, “I don’t know this snake, this snake don’t know me,” before letting out a scream as it was unfurled around her.
It wasn’t just about the female artists, though. Eminem took home the award for Best Hip Hop Video for “Houdini” and performed the track along with “Somebody Save Me,” flanked by a small army of lookalikes—a nod to his similar performance at the 2000 VMAs. Lenny Kravitz won Best Rock Video and rocked the stage with a three-song medley, while LL Cool J and Public Enemy collaborated on a short set of old-school hip hop hits to honor the legacy of their former label, Def Jam.
The 2024 MTV VMAs were a celebration of music, culture, and history, with unforgettable moments that will be talked about for years to come.
