Taylor Swift ties Beyoncé record at MTV awards

Taylor Swift holds award at MTV Video Music Awards

Swift did not mention Kamala Harris, whom she endorsed after Tuesday night's debate

(Image credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images for MTV)

published 12 September 2024

What happened

Taylor Swift won video of the year and six other awards at last night's MTV Video Music Awards, leaving her with 30 total VMA trophies, tied with Beyoncé's as MTV's most-awarded artist. Sabrina Carpenter won song of the year for "Espresso," Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award and Chappell Roan was named best new artist.

Swift used her first acceptance speech to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying honoring "everyone that we lost" is "the most important thing about today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that." She also thanked her fans for voting for her and called on those 18 and older to "please register to vote for something else that's very important," the 2024 presidential election.

Swift did not mention Kamala Harris, whom she endorsed after Tuesday night's debate. But "in a political landscape with countless celebrity endorsements that do little to prompt would-be voters into action," The New York Times said, Swift's support "stands out as among the most meaningful." Donald Trump told Fox News yesterday morning he "was not a Taylor Swift fan" and "she'll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace" for endorsing his rival.

The U.S. General Services Administration said that by Wednesday afternoon, Vote.gov had received 337,826 visitors "referred from the custom URL created and shared by Ms. Swift" in her Instagram message endorsing Harris. The nonprofit voter-registration site Vote.org told CNN that its traffic had jumped 585% during the debate and in the hours afterward. "Taylor Swift's impact on voter engagement is undeniable," said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.