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Unfortunately, the time has come for us to return to Earth.
Thank you for joining us on the intergalactic voyage that was this year’s MTV VMAs. We hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did. To relive all the highs and lows, read Robert Moran’s debrief of the event here.
Here’s a little round-up in case you missed the actual awards between the many, many performances. Very strangely, artist of the year and best pop didn’t even make the broadcast. Too much Taylor Swift, maybe?
Swift officially took home seven awards tonight, making her the most awarded solo artist in VMAs history. The previous record-holder was Beyonce, who was nominated for just one award (song of the year) tonight.
Well, that’s it for another year at the VMAs. Pack away the Moon Men trophies, send the snake from the Slave 4 U clip back into its box and prepare to wait another 12 months to see that clip of Madonna kissing Britney and Christina.
What to make of this year’s ceremony? Depending on who you believe, it was one of the more boring years, weighed down by a confusing schedule and too many performances.
Thankfully, there were still some moments worth revisiting; let’s unpack.
Sabrina Carpenter kissed an alien (and she liked it)
Sabrina Carpenter’s performance of Espresso featured a dancing crew of astronauts and aliens culminated in a steamy smooch between the pop star and a saucy extraterrestrial dancer.
Katy Perry dodges Woman’s World drama
You have to feel for Katy Perry. It’s a bit awkward to accept a lifetime achievement award for your body of work when your most recent (and very high profile) single was a spectacular flop. Rather than pretend Woman’s World was a good song, Perry did the next best thing, pretended it didn’t exist. Perry performed a 10-minute medley spanning more than fifteen years of her back catalogue, but there was no room for Woman’s World.
Taylor Swift broke a record (again)
Another day, another record for Taylor Swift. After winning seven awards, including the night’s top prize of video of the year, Swift became the solo artist with the most career VMA wins, and the artist with the most video of the year wins.
Swift’s first win, way back in 2009, for best female video for You Belong with Me, was infamously marred by Kanye West’s interruption, who insisted that Beyoncé deserved the award instead.
Taylor Swift won seven awards, including the coveted video of the year.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
The awards were a bit confusing and rushed
Half of them were given off-air and then most were squeezed together between long breaks. The VMAs are always performance-focused, but this year, it felt like everything was rushed, like a TikTok version of an awards ceremony. Thirty seconds of something and onto the next thing.
Chappell Roan has arrived
If it wasn’t already clear by the perma-hype that surrounds her, Chappell Roan will be our next great pop star. Roan stole the show from the moment she arrived looking like Heath Ledger from A Knight’s Tale, and she continued her form all the way up onto stage.
While accepting the award for best new artist, Roan took a moment to honour the LGBTQ+ community in her speech. The singer told the crowd, “I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me, who inspire me, and I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop.” She also gave a shout-out to queer kids in the Midwest, saying, “I see you, I understand you, because I’m one of you.”
She’s done it! Was it ever in doubt? Winner of every award in existence Taylor Swift has won the final moon man of the night, video of the year. The win is for Fortnight, her collaboration with Post Malone – which, personally I think looks like a Tumblr post from 2011, but hey I’m glad other people are having fun!
In her speech, Swift thanked the team behind the clip as well as her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
“When I’d finish a take, I would always just hear someone cheering and woo-ing from across the studio,” she said. “That one person was my boyfriend, Travis. Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic so I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot.”
After thanking her fans for “making [her] life what it is”, she then encouraged “anyone over 18″ to “register to vote for something else: the presidential election”.
The call to vote comes one day after Swift’s endorsement for Kamala Harris, but the singer didn’t mention either candidate.
Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what impact it has! Megan Thee Stallion confirmed that this awards ceremony had the biggest global audience of any VMAs to date.
Something for the old heads, as Busta Rhymes comes up to introduce LL Cool J for a celebration of Def Jam’s 40th anniversary.
Beyond a quick cameo from Public Enemy, it’s more a celebration of LL – he opens with his Timbaland-era fave Headsprung, before diving back into Rock the Bells, Around the Way Girl and Going Back to Cali. There’s a slight detour into his new album The Force, entirely produced by Q-Tip, before he closes with his classic sex jam Doin’ It.
LL Cool J proves he’s still got it.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Always annoying when MTV doesn’t cut to Taylor Swift dancing when you want it most, but I’m certain she was grinding to Doin’ It.
MTV has spent years trying to make Anitta a thing and they’re not stopping. She wins for best Latin over stars including Shakira and Bad Bunny.
Anitta performs during the MTV Video Music Awards.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
“What an amazing year for the Latin culture,” she said, calling out her fellow nominee Karol G. “Being here every year being the only representative of my country is really special to me.”
All is right in the realm. Chappell Roan has won the popularly voted award for best new artist, slaying (because medieval) the runners up: Gracie Abrams and Tyla.
Roan has had a meteoric rise over the past few months as the world caught up with the greatness of her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and became obsessed with new single Good Luck, Babe.
Roan accepted the award in a sequined, chain mail gown and read her speech from a paper diary.
Chappell Roan performing Good Luck, Babe during the ceremony.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspired me,” she said. “And I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop. To the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate. And thank you to the people who are fans, who listen to me when I share my joys and my fears.”
The singer recently called out “predatory behaviour” she and her family have been receiving including stalking and online harassment, provoking some debate about how fans should treat pop stars.
“For all the queer kids in the midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you. Because I’m one of you. And don’t let anyone tell you you can’t be exactly who you want to be, bitches.”
It’s quite a rise for an artist who, just four years ago, was dropped by her label and had to move back to Missouri to work the drive-through. Good job, babe!
A lot of people clowned Camilla Cabello’s grunge-y, drug-fuelled transformation on her latest album, C, XOXO. I was not one of them – deeply personal and very Miami, the album’s a sleeper, and includes a woozy sample from Pitbull’s Hotel Room Service, which is just beautiful.
But I don’t know about this performance. Instead of something fun, like, I Luv It or Chanel No. 5, she’s gone for the strained ballad Godspeed.
Camila Cabello performs during the MTV VMAs. Credit: AP
It’s probably about her ex Shawn Mendes who is right there in the crowd, but MTV completely fails to cut to him in the audience.
Performing in perspex box, she ends it by smashing a laptop on the ground, which I guess is the 2024 equivalent of Nirvana trashing their set.
The VMAs are famously really fun and weird; remember when Sabrina Carpenter made out with an alien like an hour ago?
Anyway, while we encourage chaos, it would also be nice if the award-giving occasionally made sense. Tonight has been pretty all over the shop, with hours passing between awards and then a bunch being handed out with little notice.
Which brings us to Taylor Swift, who, just won a bunch more VMAs, including best pop, best direction, best editing and artist of the year.
Four awards in the space of a minute. If anyone can do it, it’s Taylor Swift.
Lisa, of iconic girl group Blackpink, has taken out the award for best k-pop, beating Jung Kook (of BTS) among others.
“Rockstar was a meaningful comeback for me after Lalisa, so this is very, very special to me,” she said.
Lisa won this same award back in 2022 for Lalisa, becoming the first solo K-pop artist to win a video music award so she’s building a real legacy!