Taylor Swift accepted MTV’s top Video Music Award on Wednesday, repeating her urge to followers to register to vote in the US presidential election.
Swift won the Video of the Year award for “Fortnight,” which also featured Post Malone, and thanked her Swifties for voting her the fan-chosen winner for the third year in a row.
“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,” Swift, who directed the video, said onstage.
“If you are over 18 please register to vote for something else that is very important,” she added.
The 34-year-old international megastar’s call comes only minutes after she endorsed Kamala Harris in the Democratic presidential debate against Republican Donald Trump the night before.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift said in a lengthy Instagram post in throwing her support behind the Democratic nominee.
Chappell Roan, the “Midwest Princess” whose career has risen in recent months, was also among the night’s top winners.
She ascended the stage in a complete suit of armor, wielding a fire crossbow to channel Joan of Arc in her performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” in front of a burning castle.
She dedicated her Best New Artist award to “queer and trans people who feel hot, and gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate.”
“And for all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now I see you,” the Missouri native continued. “I understand you, because I’m one of you, and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”
Performance over prizes
South Africa’s Tyla meanwhile won Best Afrobeats for “Water,” a result she called “such a big moment for Africa.”
“The global impact that ‘Water’ had on the world just proved that African music can be pop music too,” she said to wild applause. “Like this is just so special but also bittersweet, because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats.”
“African music is so diverse — it’s more than just Afrobeats,” Tyla said.
The great majority of awards were presented offstage during an evening far more famous for its performances and stage antics than its rewards.
Megan Thee Stallion hosted, and she even recreated Britney Spears’ iconic 2001 performance with a live python.
Megan had a true snake, too, but she lacked Brit’s stamina.
“Come get this snake — I don’t know this snake, this snake don’t know me,” she shrieked as a handler took the reptile from her arms.
Eminem opened the evening with a recreation of his famous set from the 2000 edition of the awards when he performed “The Real Slim Shady,” packing the stage with a crew of his doppelgangers.
Swift looked stunning in Dior, wearing a yellow checkered bustier top and open skirt, caged leather gloves, and velvet hot trousers.
The Reputation-coded clothing was yet another hint to Swifties that a re-recording of the album was on the way.
Sabrina Carpenter appeared dressed in an antique Bob Mackie gown, the same glittering push-up strapless gown Madonna wore to the 1991 Oscars.
She descended from the roof on a swing to play songs such as “Espresso” to resounding acclaim.
Carpenter went on to win the “Song of the Year” award for her caffeine-fueled hit.
Anitta performed her distinctive high-energy twerks on stage, and Karol G recreated a Latin bar environment to deliver “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.”
Katy Perry received the evening’s top honor, the Video Vanguard award, which her husband, actor Orlando Bloom, handed to her.
Perry also appeared from the sky, doing a video-game-meets-Cirque-du-Soleil aerial dance performance of her biggest singles like “Dark Horse” and “California Gurls.”
Earlier in the program, while accepting an award for Best Collaboration with Post Malone, Swift mentioned that this year’s show took place on September 11.
She paid tribute to those who died in the 2001 attacks, telling the crowd, “That is the most important thing about today.”
