Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Eminem and SZA were all nominated for the coveted honor
The votes are in — Taylor Swift had the video of the year!
At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, the 34-year-old pop superstar took home perhaps the most coveted Moon Person of the evening, video of the year, for “Fortnight” with Post Malone — beating out Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Eminem and SZA.
While accepting the award at UBS Arena, Swift thanked many people who worked on the music video — plus her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
“Directing this video and putting it together and writing it was the most wonderful experience, and that is because of all the people that I got to make it with — and that includes Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles who were amazing cameos, that includes my amazing cinematographer [and] Rodrigo Prieto, who goes out of his way to work with female directors,” she began. “He’s a genius and I can’t believe I got to work with him as well as Ethan Tobman, my amazing production designer, who I worked with on the Eras Tour.”
Swift continued, “Post Malone, who we all love so much. The things that this video, it seems very sad when you watch it, but it actually was like the most fun video to make, and something that I’ll always remember is when I would finish a take and I’d say ‘cut’ and we’d be done with that take, I would always just hear like someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it, and that one person was my boyfriend, Travis.”
“Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic,” she added of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34. “So, I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I’ll always remember that.”
She then turned her attention to the Swifties: “And to the fans, I’m always trying to figure out a way to say ‘thank you’ to you for making my life what it is, for making the Eras Tour what it has become, making The Tortured Poets Department what it has become. That’s all you guys, for doing that and for voting for this award, so thank you to MTV for giving me this opportunity to thank the fans. So, thank you for what you have done, and the fact that this is a fan voted award and you voted for this, I appreciate it so much.”
Finally, Swift concluded her speech by calling for fans to vote — shortly after she endorsed Kamala Harris: “And if you are over 18, please register to vote for something else that’s very important — the upcoming presidential election.”
Rounded out by her video of the year nomination, the Tortured Poets Department singer led the evening in nominations, with 12.
Along with her five other nominations, Grande, 29, was up for video of the year for one of her Eternal Sunshine visuals: “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
Inspired by the plot of the 2004 film that inspired the album name, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Christian Breslaur-directed music video portrays Grande undergoing a procedure to erase her memories of an ex-boyfriend (Evan Peters).
Doja Cat, meanwhile, was nominated for “Paint the Town Red.” Like the 28-year-old singer-rapper’s other Scarlet visuals, the video for the viral track, directed by The Idol’s Nina McNeely, features lots of demon-inspired characters and themes.
Hot off of the release of The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), Eminem was up for video of the year for his nostalgic (and star-studded!) “Houdini” music video.
The rap icon’s heavily-nominated visual, directed by Rich Lee, drew inspiration from his early works and featured cameos from Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Shane Gillis and Pete Davidson.
SZA rounded out the video of the year nominees with her “Snooze” visual, which she co-wrote with its director, Bradley J. Calder.
The dreamy, film-inspired video follows the singer, 34, through several relationships with boyfriends portrayed by Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco, Young Mazino and Woody McClain — as well as a robot.
The 2024 MTV VMAs air on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/ PT live from the UBS Arena in New York.
Source people.com
