Taylor Swift gets VMA nomination for artist of the year. See her competition
And it's artist of the year.
The singer has some fierce competition: Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga, who leads the pack with 12 total nominations.
Last year, Swift took home seven VMAs, pushing her career total to a record-setting 30. Though he didn't attend the New York award show, she thanked boyfriend Travis Kelce for his support.
"When I'd finish a take, I'd always hear someone cheering from across the studio," she said during her acceptance speech when "Fortnight" was crowned video of the year. "Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic."
Swift wore a plaid corset and skirt by Dior, thigh-high boots and fingerless gloves that stretched past her elbows. She later swapped outfits, stepping into a custom bejeweled Monse minidress featuring a spaceship on the front in a possible nod to her song "Down Bad," which compares love bombing to being abducted by aliens.
When are the VMAs?
The VMAs will be broadcast live from New York's UBS Arena at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT Sept. 7 on CBS and Paramount+. Fans can vote in 19 categories by visiting vote.mtv.com.
Repeating history
Swift's relationship with the VMAs is as glittering as it is dramatic, spanning more than 15 years of wins, performances and pop culture flashpoints.
Her first nomination came in 2008 for "Our Song." A year later, she earned her first Moon Person for "You Belong With Me" — a moment famously interrupted by Kanye West. Swift had just begun her acceptance speech when West stormed the stage, declaring, "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time." The moment became an instant cultural inflection point. That same night, Swift delivered a poised performance of "You Belong With Me" outside Radio City Music Hall.
In 2010, she returned to the VMA stage with "Innocent," a poignant ballad she later confirmed in New York Magazine was written about West.
She performed "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in 2012. Two years later, she debuted her "1989" era with a high-energy rendition of "Shake It Off." When her dancers encouraged her to jump from a platform mid-performance, she quipped, "I don't care if it's the VMAs, I'm not jumping off there. People are getting bit by snakes — it's dangerous."
In 2015, Swift performed "Bad Blood" in a mashup with Nicki Minaj after a brief public feud, hinting at reconciliation. That same night, she presented West with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, a gesture that appeared to close the loop on their rocky history.
But just a year later, their relationship fractured again after West released "Famous," including the line, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that b**** famous." Swift denied approving the song. Kim Kardashian, then West's wife, released edited videos on Snapchat that painted Swift as dishonest, a narrative that years later was disproven when the full footage revealed Swift was telling the truth all along.
In 2017, Swift premiered the snake-laced, Easter egg-heavy music video for "Look What You Made Me Do." She returned to the stage in 2019 with a technicolor performance of "You Need to Calm Down" and "Lover."
At the 2022 VMAs, Swift celebrated the 13th anniversary of her first win by announcing her next album, "Midnights." She stunned in a sparkling Oscar de la Renta gown and later took home the award for video of the year, her third in that category.
Feeling nostalgic? 24/7 music videos return to MTV ahead of the 2025 VMAs
In 2023, she ruled the red carpet in a black Versace gown with gold accents and a thigh-high slit. Throughout the night, the cameras cut to the singer-songwriter dancing in the crowd with "Karma" collaborator Ice Spice. NSYNC reunited on stage to present her with the best pop video award for "Anti-Hero."
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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