Swift makes MTV history while Katy Perry sparkles
Katy Perry and Chappell Roan proved their pop star credentials at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, while Taylor Swift became the most-awarded artist in the ceremony’s history.
Perry picked up the Video Vanguard award – MTV’s equivalent of a lifetime achievement prize – after performing a career-spanning medley, including hits I Kissed A Girl, Dark Horse and Firework.
Roan, who was playing to audiences of 200 people this time last year, took home best new artist, dedicating her prize to “all the drag queens who inspired me”.
And Swift picked up seven prizes, including the top two awards: artist and video of the year. She now has 30 MTV trophies, overtaking Beyoncé as the event’s biggest winner.
Beyoncé has won 27 of the Moonman trophies, including two as a member of Destiny’s Child. However, the star was absent from the podium this year, having also been shut out of this week’s CMA Awards nominations.
Swift used her acceptance speech to encourage fans to vote in the US Presidential election next month, a day after she endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
She also paid tribute to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, who joined her on set while she directed her award-winning video for Fortnight.
“Whenever I said ‘cut’, I would always just hear someone like cheering from across the studio and that one person was my boyfriend Travis,” she said.
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.”
It is the third year in a row that Swift has picked up video of the year – after winning in 2023 for Anti-Hero and 2022 for All Too Well (10 minute version).
The trophies were distributed at New York City’s UBS Arena, 40 years after the first MTV Awards took place at the city Radio City Hall.
Cyndi Lauper, who won best female video for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at the inaugural ceremony, returned to introduce Sabrina Carpenter – whose song Espresso was named song of the year.
And there were performances from rock star Lenny Kravitz, singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, K-pop artist Lisa and rap icon Eminem, amongst others.
Here are some of the stand-out moments from the three-hour show.
Katy Perry gave the night’s best performance
Katy Perry has had a rough summer.
The first two singles from her comeback album 143 have bombed, critically and commercially – so she really needed to pull something out of the bag for her MTV performance.
In the end, her bag contained more surprises than Mary Poppins’.
Her 10-minute greatest hits set was an absolute barnstormer. She zipped through the air on high wires, danced (in heels) on a giant tilted platform and contorted into alien shapes with hip-hop artist Doechii – all while delivering flawless live vocals.
“I did that all on the first day of my period, too,” she told the audience after catching her breath.
Orlando Bloom got all mushy
Perry’s performance was in honour of her Video Vanguard Award – the MTV equivalent of a lifetime achievement prize.
She was presented with the trophy by her partner, the actor Orlando Bloom, who gave a sweetly lovestruck speech.
“She loves with her whole heart and it’s kind of irresistible,” he said. “I see it reflected everywhere; in our home, in her love for her work, but especially in her love for her fans.”
“Congratulations on this honour, baby,” said Bloom. “I’m so proud of you.”
As he handed over the Moonman award, Perry quipped: “I thought you were at home looking after our daughter?”
Chappell Roan went medieval
After 10 years on the sidelines, Chappell Roan has become the break-out star of 2024.
She channelled Joan Of Arc in a show-stopping rendition of Good Luck, Babe – the summer smash that’s propelled her into the mainstream.
Holding a sword and dressed in a full suit of armour, she opened the performance by shooting a fiery arrow into a medieval castle, which then burst in flames.
As the battlements burned, soldiers turned on each other, while the singer belted out her tale of unrequited love.
Roan controversially cancelled two European shows to play the awards. Her team will be hoping the publicity boost of this (superb) performance will offset any bad-will from her fans.
Chappell later won best new artist, reading a speech from the pages of her diary.
The singer dedicated her prize to “all the drag artists who inspire me” and offered words of support to “queer kids in the Midwest”, where she was born and raised.
“I see you, I understand you – because I’m one of you,” she said.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”
Taylor Swift paid tribute to the victims of 9/11
Taylor Swift’s first televised award of the night was best collaboration, for her duet with Post Malone, Fortnight.
Taking to the stage, she paused to remember the victims of the 2001 US terror attacks.
“Waking up this morning in New York on September 11, I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago, everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost,” Swift said.
“And that is the most important thing about today.
“Everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
Megan Thee Stallion squirmed
To mark the 40th anniversary of the MTV Awards, host Megan Thee Stallion attempted to recreate one of the ceremony’s most iconic moments: Britney Spears dancing with a live python while performing I’m A Slave 4 U in 2001.
As you can see above, Megan didn’t quite have the same level of poise.
“I don’t know this snake, this snake don’t know me,” she declared, then screamed as someone tried to remove the serpent from her body.
Benson Boone broke out a backflip
Benson Boone won the best alternative prize, later treating the audience to a performance of his break-out hit, Beautiful Things.
Dressed in a spangly blue jumpsuit, he built the song from its acoustic opening verse to an impassioned screaming conclusion – punctuating the climax by performing a backflip off a piano.
Sabrina Carpenter’s reaction in the audience was priceless.
There was a full pack of Eminems
Thirteeen-time MTV Award winner Eminem opened the ceremony by performing his two latest singles, Houdini and Somebody Save Me.
Sporting an (intentionally?) unconvincing blonde wig, he was joined on stage by dozens of lookalikes – a nod to his performance of The Real Slim Shady at the 2000 VMAs, where he entered the ceremony with hundreds of extras dressed exactly like him.
The rapper also took home the prizes for best hip-hop video and best visual effects for Houdini.
Tyla took MTV to task
South African star Tyla won best Afrobeats song for her irresistible break-out hit Water – but she used her speech to make a important point about categorisation.
“This is so special, but also bittersweet because there is a tendency to group all artists under Afrobeats,” said the star, whose music is more closely related to Amapiano.
“Even though Afrobeats has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats.”
“I come from South Africa, I represent my culture,” she concluded.
Sabrina Carpenter wore Madonna’s dress
Sabrina Carpenter’s MTV performance was quite literally out of this world.
The star played all three of her UK number one singles (Taste, Espresso and Please Please Please) on a moon-shaped set, dancing with a squad of astronauts and kissing an alien.
She later won song of the year for Espresso, dedicating the prize to “my cats and dogs at home watching”.
To collect the award, Carpenter stepped onto the stage wearing Madonna’s 1991 vintage Oscars gown.
Made by Bob Mackie, the shimmering bead-embroidered dress is best known for being worn by Madonna at the coveted awards ceremony and in the renowned photograph of her and Michael Jackson.
Lisa lit up the stage
K-pop singer Lisa had some of the night’s best choreography, as she raced through a punchy medley of her hit singles Rockstar and New Woman.
The 27-year-old Thai singer and rapper, whose real name is Lalisa Manobal, also picked up the best K-pop prize for Rockstar.
The win capped off her first solo appearance at the ceremony. She had previously appeared as a member of the South Korean girl group, Blackpink.
Lenny Kravitz paid tribute to his late mother
To the audience at New York’s UBS Arena, Lenny Kravitz is probably better known as Cinna from The Hunger Games than Lenny Kravitz from singing and playing the guitar.
Nonetheless, he picked up the best rock video prize for his recent single Human; and took to the MTV stage for the first time since his 1998 performance with Madonna.
He still possesses an indecent amount of charisma, racing through a medley of Are You Gonna Go My Way, Human, and the 1998 classic Fly Away – which was recently sampled by hip-hop artist Quavo (who joined him for the climax).
Speaking on stage, Kravitz touchingly dedicated his Moonman trophy to his late mother, who died in 1995.
“31 years ago, my mother was with me,” he said. “The last time she was with me at an award show was at the VMAs and so I dedicate this to her.”
And Rauw Alejandro brought Puerto Rico to NYC
Before the ceremony, Latin superstar Rauw Alejandro told reporters he wanted to honour his Puerto Rican culture on stage.
That meant bringing a splash of West Side Story to the ceremony, with the singer dancing on rooftops and fire escapes with dancers dressed in 1950s-style fedoras.
The performance also included a troupe traditional bomba and plena dancers and musicians, playing a stripped-back rendition of Diluvio from his 2023 album, Playa Saturno.
“Mi gente Latina, esta es cosa nuestra,” he declared (“My Latin people, this is our thing”) as the audience rose to their feet.
