LOS ANGELES - Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards for her 鈥淎nti-Hero鈥 music video on a night full of surprises.
鈥淭his is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,鈥 Swift said in her acceptance speech. 鈥淚 can't believe it was a year ago that I announced the 鈥楳idnights鈥 album.鈥
The show, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, was Swift's from nearly the beginning. The night's first presenters were none other than NSYNC, who reunited to hand the best pop video award to Swift.
In coordinating suits, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez shared the stage with Swift. Bass handed her a friendship bracelet, at the superstar鈥檚 shows. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e pop personified,鈥 she told the group.
The night鈥檚 top nominee later returned to the stage to pick up the song of the year trophy for 鈥淎nti-Hero鈥 and also the best direction award.
Swift took home nine of the 11 awards she was up for, including artist of the year in a category made up entirely of women nominees for the first time in VMA history.
Her 鈥淜arma (Remix)鈥 collaborator, Ice Spice, won best new artist. 鈥淥h my God, this is so cool,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 just want to thank my munchkins.鈥
New music was abundant throughout the show. Host Nicki Minaj performed her latest single, the dreamy 鈥淟ast Time I Saw You鈥 before jumping into a brand-new tease of a fiery new trap cut from her highly-anticipated 鈥淧ink Friday 2鈥 album.
鈥淚 ain鈥檛 nothing like you,鈥 she raps, 鈥淚鈥檓 on a whole other level.鈥
As much as Swift dominated, the VMAs centered on music's global power. K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together and Brazilian superstar Anitta premiered their new collaboration, the glossy retro-pop of 鈥淏ack for More.鈥
Another K-pop group, Stray Kids, brought 鈥淪-Class" to the stage, regional Mexicana star Peso Pluma performed 鈥淟ady Gaga鈥 and reggaetonera Karol G delivered 鈥淥ki Doki鈥 and 鈥淭谩 OK (remix),"
Comedian Tiffany Haddish presented the award for 鈥淏est Afrobeats鈥 in the category鈥檚 inaugural year, given to Rema and Selena Gomez for their
鈥淎frica in the house!鈥 Rema started his acceptance speech. 鈥淪hout out to Fela (Kuti) who started Afrobeats in the first place鈥nd I want to give a big shout out to the next generation of Afrobeats.鈥
Gomez stood a few feet from the microphone but jumped in when Rema asked her to, telling the crowd: 鈥淚 want to send all of my love to Nigeria, thank you."
Colombian icon Shakira received the and performed an incredible bilingual medley of her decades of hits 鈥 鈥淪he Wolf,鈥 her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro 鈥淭e Felicito,鈥 the viral, record-breaking 鈥淪hakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53鈥 with Bizarrap among them 鈥 in a set introduced by her 鈥淗ips Don鈥檛 Lie鈥 collaborator Wyclef Jean.
鈥淢TV, thank you for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old,鈥 Shakira said, also thanking her parents and her children, who she brought to the show.
鈥淭his is for you my people, my Latin American people, inside and outside this country,鈥 she said, switching to Spanish. "Thank you for inspiring me and for injecting me with so much strength and so much desire to move forward, I love you so much.鈥
She also took home the award for best collaboration for 鈥淭QG,鈥 her song with Karol G. The duo gave their acceptance speech entirely in Spanish. 鈥淚f collaborating with the legendary Shakira had been impressive, having an award with her is something from another planet," Karol G exclaimed.
Diddy received the Global Icon Award from Mary J. Blige and his daughter Chance Combs. He is third recipient of the award, following the and the Foo Fighters in 2021.
The legendary rapper also performed at the VMAs for the first time since 2005. It was an incredible collection of some of his biggest hits like 鈥淏ad Boy for Life鈥 and 鈥淢o Money Mo Problems,鈥 joined by some of his greatest collaborators: Yung Miami, Keyshia Cole, and sweetest of all, his son, King Combs.
鈥淟ove wins, y'all, love wins,鈥 he started his speech. 鈥淚 started out as a paper boy, I didn't know I was going to be here.鈥 He then led the audience with a chant of 鈥渂ad boy.鈥
鈥淭his is for 30 years,鈥 he continued. 鈥淚 pray to God that you get to do what you love for 30 years.鈥
Lil Wayne opened the show with a performance of his new single 鈥淜at Food.鈥 Immediately afterward, brought her 鈥淰ampire鈥 music video set to the stage, before launching into her cheeky pop-punk single 鈥淕et Him Back!鈥
Between the two tracks, snippets of her sold singles played aloud 鈥 at the same moment, she was rushed from the staged in a pre-planned 鈥渕alfunction,鈥 further mirroring the 鈥淰ampire鈥 video and symbolizing a
The live sets were many: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion brought 鈥淏ongos鈥 to life with big choreography; Demi Lovato played a rock 鈥榥鈥 roll medley of her biggest hits: 鈥淗eart Attack,鈥 into 鈥淪orry Not Sorry,鈥 鈥淐ool for the Summer鈥 before the best K-pop award was given to Stray Kids.
Later, Anitta would win the 鈥渂est Latin鈥 award for the second year in a row, delivering one of the more endearing acceptance speeches of the night 鈥 鈥淚 wanna thank myself,鈥 she laughed. "Because I work so hard!鈥
French Montana used his position as best R&B presenter alongside Ashanti to draw attention to , spotlighting a relief fund that he said he would personally donate to. Montana .
Near the end of the show, the MTV Video Music Awards celebrated with a star-studded finale performance. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five started with 鈥淭he Message," which led to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's 鈥淭he Show." Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and DMC of Run-DMC closed it out 鈥 an energetic celebration of a multigenerational culture.
