NEW YORK — Taylor Swift became the most-awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history Sunday after receiving the inaugural Artist Director Honors and winning Video of the Year at the 2026 VMAs.
Swift entered the ceremony tied with Beyoncé at 30 VMA wins. The new honor pushed her ahead of Beyoncé and recognized her work behind the camera in music videos and visual storytelling.
Swift said she began working on music videos about 20 years ago and has participated in roughly 60 videos, including 18 that she wrote and directed.
She also thanked her fans for supporting her work.
Swift wins Video of the Year
Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” a song from her album “The Life of a Showgirl.”
She dedicated the award to Dolly Parton, whom she called the “ultimate showgirl.”
Swift also premiered the music video for her new song “Patient Zero” during the ceremony.
She directed the video, which stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, with Swift and Johnson portraying mirror images of each other.
Madonna opens VMAs
Madonna opened the ceremony with Sabrina Carpenter, performing “Bring Your Love,” her 2026 single.
Madonna and Carpenter later won Best Collaboration for the song.
Madonna also won Artist of the Year and Best Dance during the two-hour ceremony, which aired live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Charli xcx joined Madonna during the opening performance for a reworked version of “Danceteria.”
Snoop Dogg hosted the ceremony after the show started 20 minutes late because of an NFL game.
LISA wins first award
LISA received the night’s first award, winning Best Pop for “Dream,” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
The Thai singer later returned to the stage to perform “Sawadika.”
Other performers included Raye, Bruno Mars, Shaboozey and Gunna, while Kacey Musgraves performed Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” as a tribute to the late country music star.
Orville Peck also introduced a tribute to George Michael.
Nirvana receives Video Vanguard Award
Nirvana received the 2026 Video Vanguard Award, with surviving members Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear accepting the honor.
Chuck D of Public Enemy presented the award to the band, whose frontman Kurt Cobain died in 1994.
Novoselic said the band never expected its music and aesthetic to reach such a broad audience.
He said Nirvana’s music continues to resonate with listeners who seek authenticity and an uncompromising message.
