Taylor Swift finished the MTV Video Music Awards with a record-breaking number of wins — 30 moonmen — on Wednesday night. Swift upped her personal collection, surpassing the previous record of 25 wins set by Beyoncé, also becoming the first artist to win the Video of the Year award five times.
During her acceptance speech for the latter, Swift spoke about directing the video and credited much of the people involved, along with Post Malone and “my boyfriend Travis Kelce,” who was “cheering and woo-ing from across the studio where we were shooting [the video],” she said. “I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I will always remember that.”
She continued by acknowledging the fans, who she thanked for “making my life what it is, for making the Eras Tour for what it’s become, and for making the ‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ what it’s become,” she told the audience. “That’s all you guys.”
Before leaving the stage, Swift chose to reiterate what she wrote in the caption of an Instagram post the night before, where she encouraged people to vote in the upcoming election. “If you are 18, please register to vote,” she told the VMAs audience. “It’s an important election.”
Swift led the nominations list with 12, including some of the most coveted recognitions like artist of the year, and multiple awards for her’s and Post Malone’s “Fortnight.” It won song of the year, song of the summer and video of the year, among others. She’s the only artist to have ever won the latter award three years in a row.
Beyoncé was nominated for song of the year for her hit “Texas Hold ’Em,” the first single off of her country LP, “Cowboy Carter.” “Texas” was up against Swift’s “Fortnight,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me.”