Taylor Swift breaks record for most MTV VMAs as Madonna also wins

On Sunday night, Taylor Swift secured the prestigious Video of the Year award at the MTV VMAs, cementing her status as the most accomplished artist in the award show's history. Previously tied with Beyoncé at 30 wins, Swift went on to claim the top accolade for visuals from her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl. The original Queen of Pop, Madonna, claimed the titles of Artist of the Year, Best Dance, and Best Collaboration alongside Sabrina Carpenter for their hit single Bring Your Love, taken from Madonna's 2026 album Confessions II.

In addition to her own victory, Swift also received the inaugural award for Artist Director, having penned and directed the captivating music video for The Fate of Ophelia. The 36-year-old artist paid tribute to the "ultimate showgirl," Dolly Parton, stating: "I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time."

During the Los Angeles ceremony, co-hosted by rapper Snoop Dogg, Swift debuted the music video for her latest single, Patient Zero, featuring actors Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson. This marks Swift's first music video since her marriage to NFL player Travis Kelce. The song is part of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, a collection of four new tracks released the previous week.

Female artists dominated the evening, with Madonna entering the night with the highest number of nominations – 13. Her team also took home awards for Best Cinematography and Choreography for Confessions II. Madonna, now 68, reflected on her early days at the VMAs, recounting an embarrassing incident where she exposed her backside during a performance 43 years ago.

She also acknowledged her personal growth, stating: "I spent the last year and a half finding myself, believing in myself and really making the music that I wanted to make."

Madonna's performance, her first at the VMAs since her controversial onstage kiss with Britney Spears in 2003, featured a duet with Carpenter and a surprise appearance from British Brat star Charli XCX. When accepting the award for Best Collaboration, Madonna praised Carpenter's team for eventually responding to her request, despite an initial delay of five days. Carpenter, acknowledging the delay, noted that her team usually does respond, but directly messaging Madonna was the fastest way to get in touch.

Other notable winners included Lisa from K-pop group Blackpink, the first Asian solo artist to win Best Pop for her song Dream, and BTS, who secured Best Group and Song of the Year for their track Swim. Olivia Rodrigo's The Cure won Best Alternative, while Nirvana was honored with the Video Vanguard Award.