Taylor Swift with the award. AFP
It seems 2026 is a year of successive success stories for Taylor Swift. Just months after marrying Travis Kelce, the American pop star has claimed another major record in the music world. She made history at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, early this morning (Bangladesh time). She has surpassed Beyoncé in the total number of awards won; Taylor Swift is now the artist with the most VMA wins in history.
Previously, Taylor shared the top spot with Beyoncé, both holding 30 awards. She overtook Beyoncé by securing a new honor this time: the inaugural “Artist Director Honors” for the music video of the song “The Fate of Ophelia.” This award recognizes her contributions to visual storytelling alongside her singing.
Taylor also won the “Video of the Year” award at this year’s ceremony. While accepting the award, she paid tribute to the late country music legend Dolly Parton. Taylor remarked that every song Parton wrote possessed an extraordinary storytelling ability. In her words, Parton handled fame with “great love, gratitude, and grace.”
Paying further tribute to Dolly Parton, Taylor noted that the stories in her songs came to life so vividly that listeners could easily immerse themselves in that world.
New Song, New Story
Alongside the awards presentation, the music video for the new song “Patient Zero” premiered at the event. The video features Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson.
In the song, Taylor is seen warning a woman about her partner. The lyrics also touch upon her own past relationship with that same man. However, Taylor did not walk away with every major award this time. The ‘Artist of the Year’ award went to another pop legend, Madonna.
Madonna recalls old memories
While accepting the award, Madonna reminisced about an incident from the early days of her career. She spoke of an embarrassing moment that occurred while performing on stage at the inaugural MTV VMAs. Following that incident, her manager at the time told her that her career was over. Madonna jokingly noted that the person is no longer her manager.
Madonna was a major highlight of this year’s event as well. This marked her first solo performance on the VMA stage since her much-discussed 2003 performance alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
The 68-year-old pop star took the stage wearing knee-high boots and sporting loose, platinum-blonde hair. She performed ‘Bring Your Love’ with Sabrina Carpenter and later performed ‘Dance-eteria’ with Charli XCX.
Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna also won the ‘Best Collaboration’ award for their joint performance. Upon accepting the award, both revealed that Madonna had initiated the collaboration by sending a direct message on social media, leading them to work together in the studio.
Nirvana honored after two decades
Grunge band Nirvana received the ‘Video Vanguard’ honor at this year’s VMAs. It has been over two decades since a band last received this award. The band’s late frontman, Kurt Cobain, died by suicide in 1994. However, the impact Nirvana made in the 1990s through albums like Nevermind and In Utero remains profound in the music world. Bassist Krist Novoselic spoke after a special video featuring the band’s music videos was shown. He remarked that Nirvana’s music remains relevant to people because they are still searching for something “authentic and uncompromising.”
Spectacular performances alongside the awards
This year’s VMA ceremony garnered attention not only for the awards but also for several special performances. Kacey Musgraves took part in a special tribute to the late country music legend Dolly Parton.
Meanwhile, Teddy Swims, Sombra, and Raye delivered a special performance in memory of George Michael. This tribute marked the 40th anniversary of the release of George Michael’s iconic album, Faith.
Thai musician and Blackpink member Lisa also received an award. She won in the ‘Best Pop’ category for the song “Dream,” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
Rapper Snoop Dogg hosted this year’s event. Broadcast on CBS and MTV, the ceremony—as always—offered audiences a major draw beyond the awards themselves: the star-studded performances, stage surprises, and buzzworthy moments.
