Taylor Swift became the most decorated artist in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, breaking her tie with Beyonce, though Madonna took home the evening’s biggest prize, Artist of the Year.
Swift, 36, went into the ceremony level with Beyonce on 30 Moonman statuettes. She moved ahead by winning the new Artist Director Honours, created to recognise her work behind the camera on visual storytelling.
Video of the Year, dedicated to Dolly Parton
Swift also won Video of the Year, which she dedicated to the late country legend Dolly Parton. “Every single song she wrote, her storytelling was so vivid,” Swift said, adding that Parton “handled this fame with such grace and love and gratitude”.
She used the night to premiere the video for her new single, “Patient Zero”, starring actors Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson. In the song, Swift warns a woman about her partner, a man with whom the singer herself had a toxic relationship.
Swift did not have everything her own way, however. She missed out in several of the biggest categories, including Artist of the Year.
Madonna returns
That prize went to Madonna, who used her acceptance speech to recall the very first MTV awards, where she briefly mooned the audience during a performance mishap. Her manager at the time, she said, told her backstage that her career was over. She pointed out that he was no longer her manager.
Madonna, who created one of the show’s most famous moments when she kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage in 2003, opened this year’s ceremony with her first VMAs performance since that night. Wearing knee-high boots, the 68-year-old sang “Bring Your Love” with Sabrina Carpenter, before moving into a medley of “Danceteria” with Charli XCX.
Madonna and Carpenter also won Best Collaboration, and joked on stage that Madonna had sent Carpenter a direct message on social media to bring them together in the studio.
Nirvana honoured
Grunge band Nirvana received the Video Vanguard award, the show’s top honour, becoming the first group to win it in more than 20 years. Frontman Kurt Cobain died in 1994, after the band’s albums Nevermind and In Utero brought them worldwide fame.
“Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity,” bassist Krist Novoselic said after a video retrospective of the band’s work. “Something real, something uncompromising. Something that tells you it’s just okay to come as you are.”
The other winners and tributes
- Best Pop: Thai star LISA, of the girl group Blackpink, for “Dream”, featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi
- Best Collaboration: Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter
- Tributes: Kacey Musgraves led a tribute to Dolly Parton, while Teddy Swims, Sombr and Raye honoured George Michael, 40 years after the release of his landmark album Faith
As usual, most of the awards were handed out off stage, during a night better known for its performances and stunts than its prizes. Rapper Snoop Dogg hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast on CBS and MTV.
Asian stars on the global stage
LISA’s win for Best Pop is another sign of how Asian artists have become part of the mainstream in global pop. South Asian creative talent is also finding bigger international audiences, from Pakistani cinema, with Sarmad Khoosat’s Lali opening the Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle, to fashion, where Parishae Adnan closed a show at New York Fashion Week.
Why it matters
The VMAs remain one of the biggest nights in popular music, and Swift’s new record cements her place as the most successful artist in the show’s history. But with Madonna taking Artist of the Year and Nirvana honoured more than three decades after their peak, this year’s ceremony was as much a celebration of pop’s past as of its present.
This article draws on reporting published by Dawn’s Images.
Comments
Comments are reviewed by our editors before they appear. Please keep them civil and on topic. See our terms.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your view.