Taylor Swift makes VMAs history, encourages fans to vote

The 34-year-old pop megastar left the ceremony with 30 Moon Men trophies, surpassing Beyonce’s previous record of 25 wins.

Taylor Swift encouraged fans to ‘register to vote for something else: the presidential election’. Picture: Getty Images

Fifteen years after Kanye West infamously bum-rushed the MTV Video Music Awards stage to interrupt Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for You Belong With Me, delivering the immortalised line, “I’m going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time,” Swift has set a new record at the VMAs.

The 34-year-old pop megastar wrapped up the VMAS with a record-breaking 30 Moon Men trophies, surpassing Beyonce’s previous record of 25 wins. Swift also made history as the first artist to claim the Video of the Year award five times.

During her acceptance speech, Swift — who was dressed head-to-to in a yellow plaid Dior look — reflected on her journey as a director, and expressed gratitude to her collaborators, rapper Post Malone and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce.

She recalled how Kelce, “cheering and like woo-ing from across the studio where we were shooting”.

Swift has amassed 30 VMA statuettes. Picture: Getty Images

“I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I will always remember that,” Swift said. Turning her focus to her fanbase, she added, “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.”

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 of Kamala Harris. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader, and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” she wrote in a widely shared Instagram post.

On the red carpet, the new guard of pop stars paid sartorial tribute to their icons, with Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, Addison Rae, and GloRilla each recreating archival looks.

Madonna performing at the Academy Awards in 1991.

Sabrina Carpenter. Picture: AFP

There were two unmistakable nods to Madonna. Carpenter, whose unstoppable hit Espresso crowned her as a pop heavyweight and earned her Song of the Year, donned the exact Bob Mackie gown Madonna wore to the 1991 Oscars while accompanied by Michael Jackson.

Addison Rae. Picture: Getty Images

Madonna at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. Picture: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Rae, in a bold bikini and tulle ensemble, evoked the provocative spirit of Madonna’s Like a Virgin look from the inaugural VMAs.

Elsewhere, GloRilla honoured Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes of TLC by reviving the iconic outfit from the No Scrubs music video, while Tate McRae paid homage to Britney Spears, mirroring her 2001 VMAs red carpet appearance in a black lace turtleneck mini-dress. Later in the evening, host Megan Thee Stallion recreated slithering, skin-baring ensemble from her 2001 VMAs performance of I’m a Slave 4 U — snake and all.