music · Published
Taylor Swift broke the VMAs record and dropped a movie-star video.
At Sunday's 2026 VMAs, Taylor Swift became the most-awarded artist in the show's history with 32 wins, passing Beyoncé's 30. She also premiered her Patient Zero video, starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.
NBC News reports Swift directed the Patient Zero video herself, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shooting it. ABC News says it debuted right after she accepted the new Artist Director Honors, and that The Fate of Ophelia won Video of the Year.
Madonna opened the show with her first VMAs performance in 23 years, bringing out Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. Nirvana took the Video Vanguard Award. If your feed is split between a Madonna clip and a Swift clip today, that is why.
The receipts
- NBC News: 2026 MTV VMAs highlights · 2026-09-27
- ABC News: 5 biggest 2026 VMA moments · 2026-09-28
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