Taylor Swift has come a long way, from a country singer to one of the biggest pop stars. The MTV Video Music Awards have been key to her success, with many important moments in her career. Though Kanye West’s interruption got the most attention, Taylor has had other unforgettable moments at the VMAs. Years after her debut, she surprised the audience with a performance and won awards like Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Pop Video.
Keep reading to see past appearances of Taylor Swift at VMAs and explore the best moments from her amazing year so far, along with all the times she and her friends gave you.
Taylor Swift’s Epic VMAs Journey: Top Performances, Shady Speeches, and Kanye Moments!
In 2008, 18-Year-Old Taylor Swift Made Her Epic VMAs Debut
Even though this wasn’t Taylor Swift’s most famous VMAs moment, it was her very first one. At 18, she was nominated for Best New Artist, competing against newcomers Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus, but Tokio Hotel won the award.
Taylor was also photographed with Joe Jonas, who was her rumored boyfriend at the time and is now dating her friend Gigi Hadid. Plus, she had the chance to hang out with Britney Spears, what a cool combination!
2009: Taylor Swift’s Cinderella Moment and the Kanye West Drama
Taylor Swift made a fairy-tale entrance in a carriage at the 2009 VMAs, showing up like a real princess. That year, she won Best Female Video for You Belong With Me, beating Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). Kanye West, upset by this, stormed the stage and interrupted her speech, saying:
“Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”
Later, Beyoncé won Video of the Year and invited Taylor back onstage to finish her speech. Taylor jokingly said, “Maybe we can try this again,” and thanked her fans. Backstage, she told reporters she didn’t know Kanye and didn’t want to start anything.
Despite Kanye’s apology on his blog, the “I’mma let you finish” moment sparked a long-running story between him that Taylor couldn’t escape.
2010: Taylor Swift’s Powerful ‘Innocent’ Performance Takes Over the Crowd!
In 2010, Taylor Swift performed “Innocent” at the VMAs, reflecting on the Kanye West incident from the previous year. She started her performance by showing footage of the stage crash, singing lines like, “I guess you did it this time” while playing her guitar.
Kanye West closed the show with his song “Runaway,” which had some strong lyrics like,
“Let’s have a toast for the douchebags.”
Taylor was also nominated for Best Female Video for “Fifteen,” but she lost the award to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” so we never heard Kanye’s thoughts on her video.
2013 VMAs: Taylor Swift Wins Best Female Video, Hangs with Selena Gomez, and Shades Her Ex!
Taylor Swift’s 2013 VMA appearance is known for its drama. When she won Best Female Video for “I Knew You Were Trouble,” she took a subtle jab at her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles, by thanking.
The person who inspired this song, who knows exactly who he is.
Later, while One Direction was onstage, Taylor seemed to say “Shut the f**k up” in the audience. Throughout the show, she sat with her best friend, Selena Gomez, and they were seen whispering and dancing together.
2014 VMAs: Taylor Swift Stuns on the Red Carpet, Rocks ‘Shake It Off,’ and Snaps Selfies with Demi Lovato
The VMAs were the perfect place for Taylor Swift to fully embrace her pop star persona in 2014. First, she rocked the red carpet in stylish hot pants instead of regular pants. Next, she performed her new hit, “Shake It Off,” live for the first time.
During her performance, Taylor joked about not jumping off the stage, referring to a recent incident where Nicki Minaj’s dancer was bitten by a boa constrictor during rehearsals.
Taylor also kept up her tradition of dancing in her seat to every performance, whether it was Beyoncé or Justin Timberlake. And, she snapped adorable selfies with her longtime friend, Demi Lovato.
2015 VMAs: Taylor Swift’s Surprise Performance with Nicki Minaj and Big Moment Presenting to Kanye West
The 2015 VMAs were all about fixing old issues for Taylor Swift. During her performance of “Bad Blood,” she made up with Nicki Minaj after a social media argument. Nicki had criticized MTV for not nominating her video, and Taylor had responded by saying it was unlike Nicki to pit women against each other. Taylor later apologized, and Nicki invited her to join the performance to playfully resolve their feud.
The night continued with Taylor introducing Kanye West for the Video Vanguard Award. After the famous mic-grabbing incident years earlier, Taylor honored Kanye by saying,
To all the other winners tonight, I’m really happy for you, and I’ma let you finish, but Kanye West has had one of the greatest careers of all time.
Taylor Swift’s 2017 MTV VMAs Highlights
In 2017, Taylor Swift was missing from the VMAs, which was expected since Katy Perry was hosting. However, Taylor made a big impact by debuting her “Look What You Made Me Do” music video, filled with snakes. Even though Katy Perry later made a comment that some fans thought was a dig at Taylor, ending up getting a good laugh from the audience on benefit of doubt!
Taylor won Best Collaboration for her duet with Zayn Malik, “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” beating Katy Perry and her ex, Calvin Harris. Since Zayn wasn’t there, the award was accepted by the song’s co-writers, Jack Antonoff and Sam Dew.
2022 VMAs: Taylor Swift’s Surprise Appearance and Album Announcement
In 2022, Taylor Swift surprised everyone at the VMAs, where she was nominated for five awards, including Video of the Year for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” She dazzled in a sparkly Oscar de la Renta dress.
By the end of the show, Taylor made history as the first artist to win Video of the Year three times, having previously won for “Bad Blood” in 2015 and “You Need to Calm Down” in 2019.
During her acceptance speech, Taylor shocked fans again by announcing her new album, Midnights.
Taylor Swift at the 2023 VMAs: Taylor Swift’s Show-Stopping Moments and Historic Wins
Once again, Taylor Swift surprised fans at the MTV VMAs in a bold Versace halter-neck gown that reminded every one of her Reputation era.
During the show, she had a fun moment when she freaked out over *NSYNC’s surprise reunion on stage. The beloved ’90s boy band then awarded her Best Pop Video and even traded friendship bracelets with her!
You’re pop personified, so receiving this from your golden pop hands is really … it’s too much, Thank you for the friendship bracelets.
Swift said to the band in her speech.
Swift ended the night by making history. She won Video of the Year for “Anti-Hero,” becoming the first person to win the award four times. With a total of nine wins that night, she became the second most-awarded artist in VMAs history, right behind Beyoncé, who has 26 wins.
Taylor Swift’s 2024 MTV VMAs: Complete Recap of Her Wins and Highlights
The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards were packed with amazing performances and history-making wins. Taylor Swift took home the top prize for Video of the Year for her song “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone. Here are a few highlights from her big night at the event.
Taylor Swift Breaks MTV VMA Record, Surpasses Beyoncé in Wins
Taylor Swift is making history again!
At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11, she became the most-awarded artist in VMA history. She won seven awards, bringing her total to a record 30 trophies. This is five more than Beyoncé, who had held the previous record with 25 wins.
Swift also became the first artist ever to win Video of the Year five times.
Taylor Swift Thanks Boyfriend Travis Kelce During 2024 MTV VMA Best Video of the Year Speech
Taylor Swift has done it again! She won the Video of the Year award for the fifth time at the MTV Video Music Awards, this time for her song “Fortnight” with Post Malone.
During her acceptance speech, Swift gave a heartfelt shout-out to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, saying he brought joy to the set and made it “the most fun video to make.”
“After every take, I’d hear someone cheering from across the studio. That person was my boyfriend, Travis.”
Swift shared a memory from filming, saying,
“Everything Travis touches brings happiness, fun, and magic. I’m thankful he brought that to our shoot because it’s something I’ll always remember.”
She added
Taylor Swift Pays Tribute to 9/11 Victims During VMA Win for Best Collaboration with Post Malone
Taylor Swift and Post Malone won the first award of the night on Sept. 11 for Best Collaboration on their video “Fortnight.”
Before thanking her team, Swift took a moment to honor the 2,996 lives lost in the 9/11 attacks. She said,
“Waking up in New York today, I thought about what happened 23 years ago and those we lost. That’s the most important thing about today.”
Swift then thanked Malone, calling him talented, versatile, and incredibly polite. Malone responded, calling Swift one of the kindest, most talented people he’s ever worked with, praising her dedication during the video shoot.
Taylor Swift’s Style Evolution: Iconic Outfits at the VMAs
Fashion is a big deal at the VMAs, and Taylor Swift has always made bold style choices that show how she’s changed over the years. Here’s a look at some of her standout outfits:
- 2008: Taylor wore a gold dress that highlighted her country music roots.
- 2014: She turned heads in a two-piece Oscar de la Renta outfit, marking her shift to a pop star.
- 2019: Taylor made a statement in a dramatic purple Versace gown, reflecting her fearless style.
How Many MTV Awards Has Taylor Swift Won?
Taylor Swift has won 23 VMAs out of 47 nominations, showing her big impact on the music world. Some of her major wins include:
- Best Female Video for “You Belong with Me” (2009)
- Video of the Year for “Bad Blood” (2015)
- Best Music Video for “You Need to Calm Down” (2019)
- Best Pop Video for “Lover” (2020)
Who Is Performing at VMAs 2024?
This year’s VMAs will feature performances from Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, Rauw Alejandro, Camila Cabello, Benson Boone, GloRilla, and Lisa from Blackpink. Shawn Mendes, Karol G, LL Cool J, and Anitta are also set to appear.
When And Where Can I Watch the 2024 VMAs?
The 2024 MTV VMAs will be live on Wednesday, September 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. You can watch it on MTV, MTV2, and BET. If you don’t have cable, you can also stream it on Paramount+.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Taylor Swift’s journey at the VMAs shows how much she has grown as an artist and a person. From memorable performances to touching speeches, Taylor Swift at the VMAs highlights her strong impact on music and pop culture.
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