The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards went off without a hitch on Wednesday night, with artists including Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter descending on UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The show, hosted by Megan Thee Stallion, featured standout performances from LL Cool J, Eminem, Shawn Mendes, Katy Perry, Benson Boone, Anitta, Karol G, LL Cool J, Camila Cabello, Halsey and more.
Swift led the winners with a total of seven moonmen of her 12 nominations, including Artist of the Year and song of the Summer. The night was notable as she bested Beyoncé’s record for most solo VMA wins, tapping out at 30 wins over Bey’s 26. (Beyoncé has an additional two with Destiny’s Child, as well as two with her husband Jay-Z as the Carters.) Swift also became the first artist to ever win Video of the Year five times.
Eminem, Tyla and Megan Thee Stallion tied for second-most wins with two moonmen apiece. Em took home best hip-hop and best visual effects for “Houdini,” while Meg won best art direction for “BOA” and best trending video for “Mamushi.” Tyla secured best new artist and best Afrobeats for “Water.”
The rest of the winners picked up one apiece, with victors including Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Benson Boone, SZA, Billie Eilish, Carpenter, Lisa and Seventeen, among others. Notably missing from the winner’s circle was Beyoncé, whose “Cowboy Carter” was recently shut out of the CMA Awards nominations.
Eminem opened the show with a self-referential rendition of “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me,” nodding to his 2000 VMAs performance by bringing out an army of lookalikes to join him on stage. Katy Perry gave an eye-popping performance of some of her biggest hits and newer songs as part of her Video Vanguard Award medley, while Camila Cabello ran through “Godspeed” in a selfie-style setup.
Sabrina Carpenter took it to outer space for her performance, a medley of songs from her latest album “Short n’ Sweet.” The singer descended from the rafters on a swing for “Please, Please, Please” before transitioning into “Taste,” dancing with an alien and astronaut behind her. A whole crew of astronauts took the stage as she segued into “Espresso,” dancing in unison as Carpenter sang her summer smash.
Chappell Roan invoked medieval times with her performance of “Good Luck Babe.” Dressed in armor and armed with a crossbow and pigtails, the singer led a coterie of male dancers set to the backdrop of a giant castle, full moon and tall gates that ignited with real fire at the beginning of the performance.
Fat Joe and DJ Khaled joined Anitta to premiere their new collab “Paradise” before she peeled off and duetted with Tiago PZK on “Alegría,” wrapping with “Savage Funk.” Shawn Mendes debuted his new song “Nobody Knows.” Elsewhere, Halsey premiered her rock-tinged song “Ego” shortly after Rauw Alejandro. Additional performances came from LISA, Megan Thee Stallion, Karol G, Lenny Kravitz, GloRilla, LL Cool J and Benson Boone. Elsewhere, Teddy Swims and Jessie Murph provided interstitial performances of their respective hits on the way to commercials.
Check out the some of the fashion from the red carpet, plus the full list of nominees and winners below:
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande — we can’t be friends (wait for your love)
Billie Eilish — Lunch
Doja Cat — Paint The Town Red
Eminem — Houdini
SZA — Snooze
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight
Best New Artist
Benson Boone
Chappell Roan
Gracie Abrams
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Tyla
Song of Summer
Ariana Grande — we can’t be friends (wait for your love)
Benson Boone — Beautiful Things
Billie Eilish — BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Chappell Roan — Good Luck, Babe!
Charli XCX & Billie Eilish — Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Eminem — Houdini
Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar — Like That
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion — Wanna Be
Hozier — Too Sweet
Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen — I Had Some Help
Sabrina Carpenter — Please Please Please
Shaboozey — A Bar Song (Tipsy)
SZA — Saturn
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight
Tommy Richman — MILLION DOLLAR BABY
VMAs Most Iconic Performance
Beyonce — Love On Top
Eminem — The Real Slim Shady / The Way I Am
Katy Perry — Roar
Lady Gaga — Paparazzi
Madonna — Like A Virgin
Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliott — Like A Virgin / Hollywood
Taylor Swift — You Belong With Me
Artist of the Year
Ariana Grande
Bad Bunny
Eminem
Sabrina Carpenter
SZA
Taylor Swift
Song of the Year
Beyonce — TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
Jack Harlow — Lovin On Me
Kendrick Lamar — Not Like Us
Sabrina Carpenter — Espresso
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight
Teddy Swims — Lose Control
Performance of the Year
Kaliii — Area Codes
GloRilla — Lick or Sum
Benson Boone — In The Stars
Coco Jones — ICU
Victoria Monet — On My Mama
Jessie Murph — Wild Ones
Teddy Swims — Lose Control
Chappell Roan — Red Wine Supernova
Flyana Boss — yeaaa
Laufey — Goddess
LE SSERAFIM — Easy
The Warning — Automatic Sun
Best Group
*NSYNC
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
NCT DREAM
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Twenty One Pilots
Best Collaboration
Drake feat. Sexxy Red & SZA — Rich Baby Daddy
GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion — Wanna Be
Jessie Murph feat. Jelly Roll — Wild Ones
Jung Kook feat. Latto — Seven
Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen — I Had Some Help
Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone — Fortnight
Best Pop
Camila Cabello
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
Taylor Swift
Best Hip-Hop
Drake feat. Sexxy Red & SZA — Rich Baby Daddy
Eminem — Houdini
GloRilla — Yeah Glo!
Gunner — fukumean
Megan Thee Stallion — BOA
Travis Scott feat. Playboi Carti — FE!N
Best R&B
Alicia Keys — Lifeline
Muni Long — Made For Me
SZA — Snooze
Tyla — Water
USHER, Summer Walker, 21 Savage — Good Good
Victoria Monet — On My Mama
Best Alternative
Benson Boone — Beautiful Things
Bleachers — Tiny Moves
Hozier — Too Sweet
Imagine Dragons — Eyes Closed
Linkin Park — Friendly Fire
Teddy Swims — Lose Control (Live)
Best Rock
Bon Jovi — Legendary
Coldplay — feelslikeimfallinginlove
Green Day — Dilemma
Kings of Leon — Mustang
Lenny Kravitz — Human
U2 — Atomic City
Best Latin
Anitta — Mil Veces
Bad Bunny — MONACO
Karol G — MI EX TENIA RAZON
Myke Towers — LALA
Peso Pluma & Anitta — BELLAKEO
Rauw Alejandro — Touching The Sky
Shakira & Cardi B — Punteria
Best K-Pop
Jung Kook feat. Latto — Seven
Lisa — Rockstar
NCT DREAM — Smoothie
NewJeans — Super Shy
Stray Kids — LALALALA
TOMORROW X TOGETHER — Deja Vu
Best Afrobeats
Ayra Starr feat. Giveon — Last Heartbreak Song
Burna Boy — City Boys
Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay — Sensational
Tems — Love Me JeJe
Tyla — Water
USHER, Pheelz — Ruin
Video for Good
Alexander Stewart — if you only knew
Billie Eilish — What Was I Made For?
Coldplay — feelslikeimfallinginlove
Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll — Best For Me
RAYE — Genesis.
Tyler Childers — In Your Love
Best Trending Video
Beyonce — TEXAS HOLD ‘EM
Camila Cabello feat. Playboi Carti — I LUV IT
Chappell Roan — Hot To Go!
Charli XCX — Apple
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba — Mamushi
Tinashe — Nasty
Best Direction
we can’t be friends (wait for your love) — Ariana Grande
Tiny Moves — Bleachers
Houdini — Eminem
BOA — Megan Thee Stallion
Please Please Please — Sabrina Carpenter
Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
Best Cinematography
we can’t be friends (wait for your love) — Ariana Grande
Von dutch — Charli XCX
Illusion — Dua Lipa
Obsessed — Olivia Rodrigo
Touching The Sky — Rauw Alejandro
Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
Best Visual Effects
the boy is mine — Ariana Grande
Houdini — Eminem
Selfish — Justin Timberlake
BOA — Megan Thee Stallion
get him back! — Olivia Rodrigo
Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
Best Choreography
Tiny Moves — Bleachers
Houdini — Dua Lipa
Rockstar — LISA
Touching The Sky — Rauw Alejandro
greedy — Tate McRae
Rush — Troye Sivan
Best Art Direction
360 — Charli XCX
Rockstar — LISA
BOA — Megan Thee Stallion
bad idea right? — Olivia Rodrigo
Please Please Please — Sabrina Carpenter
Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
Best Editing
Mil Veces — Anitta
we can’t be friends (wait for your love) — Ariana Grande
Houdini — Eminem
Rockstar — LISA
Espresso — Sabrina Carpenter
Fortnight — Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone