Taylor Swift took house the highest prize on the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards for her “Anti-Hero” music video on an evening filled 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 Center in Newark, New Jersey, was Swift’s from practically the start. The night time’s first presenters have been none apart from NSYNC, who reunited at hand one of the best 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 reveals. “You’re pop personified,” she instructed the group.

The night time’s prime nominee later returned to the stage to choose up the track of the 12 months trophy for “Anti-Hero” and likewise one of the best route 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 ample 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 entice minimize 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 world energy. Okay-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together and Brazilian famous person Anitta premiered their new collaboration, the shiny retro-pop of “Back for More.”

Another Okay-pop group, Stray Kids, introduced “S-Class” to the stage, regional Mexicana star Peso Pluma carried out “Lady Gaga” and reggaetonera Karol G delivered “Oki Doki” and “Tá OK (remix).”

Comedian Tiffany Haddish introduced 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 number of ft from the microphone however jumped in when Rema requested her to, telling the gang: “I want to send all of my love to Nigeria, thank you.”

Colombian icon Shakira acquired the Video Vanguard Award and carried out an unimaginable bilingual medley of her many years of hits — “She Wolf,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro “Te Felicito,” the viral, record-breaking “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Bizarrap amongst them — in a set launched 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 mentioned, additionally thanking her dad and mom and her kids, who she delivered to the present.

“This is for you my people, my Latin American people, inside and outside this country,” she mentioned, 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.”

She additionally took house the award for greatest collaboration for “TQG,” her track 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 acquired 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 additionally carried out on the VMAs for the primary time since 2005. It was an unimaginable assortment of a few of his greatest 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 began his speech. “I started out as a paper boy, I didn’t know I was going to be here.” He then led the viewers 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 present with a efficiency of his new single “Kat Food.” Immediately afterward, Olivia Rodrigo introduced her “Vampire” music video set to the stage, earlier than launching into her cheeky pop-punk single “Get Him Back!”

Between the 2 tracks, snippets of her bought singles performed aloud – on the similar second, she was rushed from the staged in a pre-planned “malfunction,” additional mirroring the “Vampire” video and symbolizing a transfer from her first document to her second.

The reside units have been many: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion introduced “Bongos” to life with huge choreography; Demi Lovato performed a rock ‘n’ roll medley of her greatest hits: “Heart Attack,” into “Sorry Not Sorry,” “Cool for the Summer” earlier than one of the best Okay-pop award was given to Stray Kids.

Later, Anitta would win the “best Latin” award for the second 12 months in a row, delivering one of many extra endearing acceptance speeches of the night time — “I wanna thank myself,” she laughed. “Because I work so hard!”

French Montana used his place as greatest R&B presenter alongside Ashanti to attract consideration to Morocco earthquake aid, spotlighting a aid fund that he mentioned he would personally donate to. Montana grew up in Morocco.

Near the tip of the present, the MTV Video Music Awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with a star-studded finale efficiency. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five 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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