LOS ANGELES – Taylor Swift took house the highest prize on the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards for her “Anti-Hero” music video on an evening stuffed with surprises.
“This is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me,” Swift mentioned in her acceptance speech. “I can’t believe it was a year ago that I announced the ‘Midnights’ album.”
The present, held on the Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey, was Swift’s from practically the start. The evening’s first presenters have been none apart from NSYNC, who reunited at hand the most effective pop video award to Swift.
In coordinating fits, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez shared the stage with Swift. Bass handed her a friendship bracelet, simply as followers do on the famous person’s exhibits. “You’re pop personified,” she instructed the group.
The evening’s prime nominee later returned to the stage to select up the tune of the 12 months trophy for “Anti-Hero” and likewise the most effective path award.
Swift took house 9 of the 11 awards she was up for, together with artist of the 12 months in a class made up fully of ladies nominees for the primary time in VMA historical past.
Her “Karma (Remix)” collaborator, Ice Spice, gained greatest new artist. “Oh my God, this is so cool,” she mentioned. “I just want to thank my munchkins.”
New music was plentiful all through the present. Host Nicki Minaj carried out her newest single, the dreamy “Last Time I Saw You” earlier than leaping right into a brand-new tease of a fiery new lure lower from her highly-anticipated “Pink Friday 2” album.
“I ain’t nothing like you,” she raps, “I’m on a whole other level.”
As a lot as Swift dominated, the VMAs centered on music’s international energy. Ok-pop boy band Tomorrow X Collectively and Brazilian famous person Anitta premiered their new collaboration, the shiny retro-pop of “Back for More.”
One other Ok-pop group, Stray Youngsters, introduced “S-Class” to the stage, regional Mexicana star Peso Pluma performed “Lady Gaga” and reggaetonera Karol G delivered “Oki Doki” and “Tá OK (remix),”
Comedian Tiffany Haddish presented the award for “Best Afrobeats” within the class’s inaugural 12 months, given to Rema and Selena Gomez for his or her large hit “Calm Down.”
“Africa in the house!” Rema began his acceptance speech. “Shout out to Fela (Kuti) who started Afrobeats in the first place…and I want to give a big shout out to the next generation of Afrobeats.”
Gomez stood a couple of ft from the microphone however jumped in when Rema requested her to, telling the gang: “I wish to ship all of my like to Nigeria, thanks.”
Colombian icon Shakira received the Video Vanguard Award and performed an incredible bilingual medley of her decades of hits — “She Wolf,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro “Te Felicito,” the viral, record-breaking “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Bizarrap among them — in a set introduced by her “Hips Don’t Lie” collaborator Wyclef Jean.
“MTV, thank you for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old,” Shakira said, also thanking her parents and her children, who she brought to the show.
“This is for you my people, my Latin American people, inside and outside this country,” she said, switching to Spanish. “Thanks for uplifting me and for injecting me with a lot energy and a lot want to maneuver ahead, I really like you a lot.”
She additionally took house the award for greatest collaboration for “TQG,” her tune with Karol G. The duo gave their acceptance speech fully in Spanish. “If 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 Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022 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 “Bad Boy for Life” and “Mo Money Mo Problems,” joined by a few of his best collaborators: Yung Miami, Keyshia Cole, and sweetest of all, his son, King Combs.
“Love wins, y’all, love wins,” he started his speech. “I started out as a paper boy, I didn’t know I was going to be here.” He then led the audience with a chant of “bad boy.”
“This is for 30 years,” he continued. “I pray to God that you get to do what you love for 30 years.”
Lil Wayne opened the show with a performance of his new single “Kat Food.” Immediately afterward, Olivia Rodrigo brought her “Vampire” music video set to the stage, before launching into her cheeky pop-punk single “Get Him Back!”
Between the two tracks, snippets of her sold singles played aloud – at the same moment, she was rushed from the staged in a pre-planned “malfunction,” further mirroring the “Vampire” video and symbolizing a move from her first record to her second.
The live sets were many: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion brought “Bongos” to life with big choreography; Demi Lovato played a rock ‘n’ roll medley of her biggest hits: “Heart Attack,” into “Sorry Not Sorry,” “Cool for the Summer” before the best K-pop award was given to Stray Kids.
Later, Anitta would win the “best Latin” award for the second year in a row, delivering one of the more endearing acceptance speeches of the night — “I wanna thank myself,” she laughed. “As a result of I work so onerous!”
French Montana used his place as greatest R&B presenter alongside Ashanti to attract consideration to Morocco earthquake reduction, spotlighting a reduction fund that he mentioned he would personally donate to. Montana grew up in Morocco.
Close to the top of the present, the MTV Video Music Awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a star-studded finale efficiency. Grandmaster Flash and the Livid 5 began with “The Message,” which led to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “The Show.” Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J and DMC of Run-DMC closed it out — an lively celebration of a multigenerational tradition.
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