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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

To continue reading this article...

Create a free account

Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.

Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.

Cancel or pause at any time.

Already a subscriber to The Week?

Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.

Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

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.