Taylor Swift enjoyed a massive, record-setting night at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
In winning Video of the Year for “Fortnight” — her Tortured Poets Department single with Post Malone — Swift became the first artist ever to win the prize three years in a row. She also extended her own record of the most overall Video of the Year wins to five, having previously won in 2023 for “Anti-Hero,” 2022 for All Too Well: The Short Film, 2019 for “You Need to Calm Down,” and 2015 with “Bad Blood.”
“To the fans, I’m always trying to figure out a way to say thank you to you for making my life what it is, for making the Eras tour what it has become, for making the Tortured Poets Department what it has become,” Swift said in her speech. “That’s all you guys for doing that and for voting for this award. So thank you to MTV for giving me this opportunity to thank the fans, to thank you for what you’ve done.”
The pop star came into the show on the verge of hitting several milestones thanks to her 12 nominations. The evening ended with her tying Beyoncé as the most decorated VMA winner of all time, technically surpassing her count as a solo artist. Coming into the 2024 VMAs, Swift had 23 VMAs to Beyoncé’s 30, which included her work as a solo artist, with Destiny’s Child, and alongside Jay-Z as The Carters. She has 25 on her own. Swift’s seven wins tonight were enough to put her just above Beyoncé on the solo front. Beyoncé was nominated for three awards this year but didn’t add any new trophies to her collection.
Along with Video of the Year, Swift’s trophy haul included Artist of the Year, Best Pop, Best Collaboration, Best Direction, Best Editing, and Song of the Summer. She was also up for the VMAs’ new Most Iconic Performance prize for her rendition of “You Belong With Me” on the New York City subway in 2009 (a performance admittedly overshadowed by a very different incident involving Swift).
Swift’s landmark VMA night comes as the pop star gears up for the final leg of The Eras Tour. The North American run is set to start Oct. 18 and run through mid-December, with shows scheduled in Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Toronto, and Vancouver.