Wednesday night (September 11) was the 40th anniversary of MTV's VMAs. The show aired live from UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York. It was a pretty nostalgic trip with lots of old rappers showing up to both perform and present (the show was opened by Eminem and closed by LL Cool J), a tribute to Def Jam, Katy Perry's Video Vanguard performance filled with her 2010s bops, and heartfelt flashback clips from VMAs past in-between the show. (We're still not over that Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley kiss from 1994.)
It was a calmer show than usual. But that doesn't mean the artists didn't bring the fire – and yes, that includes the fiery crossbow Chappell Roan yielded during her performance of "Good Luck, Babe!" Besides your favorite artist's favorite artist, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Karol G, Benson Boone, and host Megan Thee Stallion shined brightly with their wins, performances, and even commercial appearances.
Starting with award wins: once again, the night belonged to Taylor Swift. The pop star cleaned house Wednesday, winning seven Moonperson honors, including Video of the Year for “Fortnight.” Swift, who directed the clip, said though the video may seem sad she greatly enjoyed filming it. After finishing a take, she said she “would always hear someone cheering…from across the studio where we were shooting it, and that one person was my boyfriend, Travis.”
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic, so I wanna thank him for adding that to our shoot because I’ll always remember that,” she continued.
A day after endorsing Kamala Harris, Swift also thanked her fans for voting for “Fortnight” for the night’s top prize, and then added: “And if you are over 18 please register to vote for something else that’s very important.”
@hollywoodreporter #taylorswift thanks her boyfriend #traviskelce during her 2024 #vmas acceptance speech for video of the year #vmas2024 ♬ original sound - The Hollywood Reporter
Swift also used her first speech of the night — when she won Best Collaboration with Post Malone — to honor the victims of 9/11. “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. And that is the most important thing about today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that,” she said.
Other big wins included Sabrina Carpenter for Song of the Year ("Espresso"), rising star Tyla for Best Afrobeats ("Water"), Brazilian star Annita for Best Latin ("Mil veces"), Lisa for Best K-pop ("Rockstar" - it was her second time winning the award), and Benson Boone for Best Alternative ("Beautiful Things"). But no win could compare to the catharsis of Chappell Roan snagging the award for Best New Artist.
Taking a moleskine notebook diary with her onto the stage, Chappell read her acceptance speech to the crowd; which deeply thanked the LGBTQ+ community.
“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me. And I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop all around, to the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate,” said Roan. “Thank you to the people who are fans, who listen to me, who hear me when I share my joy and my fears. Thank you for listening. 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 ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be, b—h.”
It was also a big night for Megan Thee Stallion. Not only did the Houston rapper do a great job hosting the show, she also won two awards (Best Art Direction and Best Trending Video) and served a steaming hot medley of tunes ("BOA," "HISS," "Mamushi," and more).
But that's not all: Megan also appeared in a gladiatorial Pepsi commercial which paid homage to the Beyoncé, Britney, and P!nk Superbowl classic, and channeled more Britney vibes earlier in the show when she wore the pop star's iconic 2001 "I'm a Slave 4 U" outfit (complete with a real yellow snake around her arms).
Other notable moments from the show included Flavor Flav gifting Jordan Chiles a bronze clock and Olympic prize money, Sabrina Carpenter kissing a blue alien during her medley, another big smooch between Katy Perry and husband Orlando Bloom after her Video Vanguard performance, Teddy Swims on the Doritos Extended Play Stage, and Benson Boone doing flips during his rendition of "Beautiful Things."
In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV supported the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.
See the full list of winners here and watch the full show on the VMAs' official website.
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Article Image: A photo showing four portraits of Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Megan Thee Stallion. (imagepressagency, imagepressagency, and imagepressagency via DepositPhotos, Justin Higuchi [CC by 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)
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