On Wednesday night, Taylor Swift equaled Beyoncé’s record for the most career MTV Video Music Awards by winning seven awards in a single evening. Both artists now hold 30 awards each.
The “Fortnight” singer entered the event with the highest number of nominations—12. Prior to her first win of the night for song of the summer, Swift had accumulated 23 VMAs.
Beyoncé’s 30 awards include two from her time with Destiny’s Child and two shared with her husband, as noted by the Guinness World Records. The “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer did not receive any new awards at Wednesday’s event and was also notably absent from the Country Music Association Awards earlier in the week.
Swift, who is 34, concluded the night with a win for video of the year, marking her third consecutive year receiving this accolade. During her acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude to her collaborators on the “Fortnight” video and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
“This video seems really sad when you watch it, but it really was the most fun video to make. … At the end of every take, I would always hear someone just cheering, like, ‘Woo!’ from across the studio, and that one person was my boyfriend, Travis,” Swift shared.
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun, and I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot,” she continued.
Swift also secured Moon Person statues for best pop, best artist, best director, best collaboration, and best editing.
She concluded her speech by reminding everyone to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Swift had previously endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris following Tuesday’s presidential debate. It was a highly anticipated moment given speculation about whether she would continue her political engagement.
On Instagram, Swift announced her support for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, after reviewing their policy stances.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift wrote. “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.”
Swift signed her post “Childless Cat Lady” as a nod to derogatory language used by Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, about women without children. The endorsement was accompanied by a photo of Benjamin Button, one of her three cats, who was also featured on her Time Person of the Year cover last December.
In her Instagram post, Swift urged her followers to research and be aware of early voting dates. She reiterated this message on the VMAs stage, encouraging fans to register to vote.
It was a standout night for Swift following a remarkable year. She has been on tour since March 2023, with over 100 shows across the U.S., Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
Swift will return to the stage in Miami next month, with additional performances scheduled in New Orleans and Indianapolis before wrapping up The Eras Tour in Canada.
