Hero photo: Taylor Swift at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Getty Images for MTV.
Taylor Swift enters tonight’s MTV Video Music Awards tied with Beyoncé at 30 wins. She will leave with at least 31. MTV is giving Swift its first Artist Director Honors award, making her the most-awarded artist in VMA history before any competitive category is announced.
The guaranteed honor moves Swift past the record she currently shares with Beyoncé. It also shifts the attention from her performances and songwriting to the music videos she has directed.
How does Taylor Swift reach 31 VMAs?
Swift already has 30 Moon Person trophies. The new Artist Director Honors award is not a nomination she can lose; MTV has confirmed she will receive it during the live show. That puts her at 31 and gives her the all-time record.
Beyoncé remains at 30. Eminem holds the men’s record with 15 wins. Swift could add to her total if she wins any competitive awards later in the ceremony.
Why is MTV honoring her as a director?
Swift has received seven VMA nominations for Best Direction and won four times. She has directed videos including The Man, All Too Well: The Short Film, Anti-Hero, and Fortnight, using the format to control the look, story, and rollout around her music.
The new award recognizes artists who work behind the camera as well as in front of it. Swift is the first recipient, so tonight also establishes what MTV wants the honor to represent in future ceremonies.
What else is Taylor Swift bringing to the show?
Her Patient Zero music video will premiere during the broadcast. Swift directed it, Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson appear in it, and Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shot it. The premiere gives the directing award a current project instead of turning the segment into a career-only tribute.
Snoop Dogg is hosting the ceremony. Swift began the week with nine announced nominations, and later social categories increased her presence in the show.
When and where can you watch the VMAs?
The VMAs air tonight, September 27, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Central, and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Pacific. CBS carries the live broadcast, MTV simulcasts it, and Paramount+ Premium streams it live in the United States. The show reaches international Paramount+ markets the next day.
Swift does not need the competitive results to make history. The Artist Director Honors award guarantees the record before the first envelope is opened.
