Taylor Swift, center, and Post Malone, far right, accept the award for best collaboration for “Fortnight” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.
AP
Sabrina Carpenter accepts the award for song of the year for “Espresso” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. Miranda Lambert looks on from rear of stage.
AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Few artists are having a bigger year than Sabrina Carpenter, who won the MTV Video Music Award for song of the year for “Espresso.”
“This is really special,” she said in her speech, dedicated to her fans. “And thank you to that me-espresso.”
Earlier in the night, she brought her summery-pop to the award show, powering through her hit singles “Please Please Please,” “Taste” and “Espresso” while dancing with a moon man and an alien.
Taylor Swift and Post Malone took home the first award of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards — at the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island — for best collaboration, handed to them by Flavor Flav and Olympian Jordan Chiles.
Swift started her speech by giving remembrance to everyone who lost their lives and loved ones during 9/11, 23 years ago, before discussing Malone.
“There is a reason Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” she shifted her attention to him. “It has taken forever for me to get him to stop calling me ma’am.”
Women dominated the award show, no example greater than an imaginative, medieval set from Chappell Roan.
Drag queen Sasha Colby introduced her with “your favorite drag queen’s favorite artist,” a reference to Roan’s now famous Coachella performance, which in turn was inspired by Colby. Real fans no doubt got a kick out of the hyper-referential tidbit.
Roan appeared in armor, shooting a lit crossbow to castle gates that stood behind her, burning them in the process. Her dancers were knights, battling each other in incredible choreography as she sang her queer pop hit, “Good Luck, Babe.”
Tyla won the best Afrobeats award.
Katy Perry received the Video Vanguard Award, performing an eight-song medley spanning her career: “Roar,” “E.T.,” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “I Kissed a Girl,” “Firework,” “Lifetimes.”
“I did that all on the first day of my period, can you believe it?” she joked in her acceptance speech. “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade-long accidents.”
She also teased a new song, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” featuring Doechii, which samples the Crystal Waters classic, “Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee La Da Da).”
An army of Slim Shady-lookalikes followed Eminem as he kicked off the VMAs , launching into a medley of his hits “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me,” featuring a broadcast feed of Jelly Roll. (The song references Jelly Roll’s massive country radio hit, “Save Me.”)
Megan Thee Stallion welcomed the crowd as a first-time host Wednesday night, who joked that the VMAs now stands for the “voluptuous Megan awards.” She later performed.
Earlier in the evening, Karol G took over, for a fiery performance of her hit, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Rauw Alejandro brought Puerto Rico to the stage, running through “Touching The Sky,” “DILUIVO” and “Déjame Entrar.”
Halsey took it to the suburbs for her new single, “Ego,” channeling garage bands.
Blackpink’s LISA made her way to the VMA stage for the first time as a soloist, powering through two of her brand-new singles, “New Woman” and “Rockstar.” Shawn Mendes made a long-awaited return, debuting a new John Mayer-esqe acoustic number, “Nobody Knows.”
Anitta performed “Paradise,” “Alegria,” and “Savage Funk,” joined by DJ Khaled, Fat Joe and Tiago PZK. Benson Boone seemed as stoked as ever to perform his viral hit “Beautiful Things” on the VMAs stage.
Chappell Roan performs “Good Luck, Babe” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Orlando Bloom, left, and Katy Perry with the video vanguard award during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter performs “Please Please Please” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Eminem performs “Houdini” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Chappell Roan arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Host Megan Thee Stallion speaks during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
LISA performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Flavor Flav, left, and Jordan Chiles present the award for best collaboration during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Chappell Roan arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Mirage, from left, Dawn, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane, Megami, Morphine Love Dion, and Xunami Muse arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter performs “Please Please Please” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry, left, and Orlando Bloom arrive at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Katy Perry performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Orlando Bloom, left, kisses Katy Perry as he presents the video vanguard award to her during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Chappell Roan, center, performs “Good Luck, Babe” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Chappell Roan, center, performs “Good Luck, Babe” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter performs “Espresso” during the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
(Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)