Taylor Swift wins seven VMAs, tying Beyonce for lifetime lead

By Lisa Richwine

(Reuters) -Pop megastar Taylor Swift took home seven trophies on Wednesday at MTV's Video Music Awards, tying her with Beyonce for the most lifetime honors in the 40-year history of the video accolades.

Swift snagged the top prize, video of the year, for her bleak, black-and-white video "Fortnight" featuring Post Malone.

It shows Swift inside a bare psychiatric hospital, a setting she said reflected what she was seeing in her head as she wrote the music for "The Tortured Poets Department" album.

"This video seems very sad when you watch it, but it actually was the most fun video to make," Swift said as she accepted the VMAs Moon Person statuette.

After each take, she would hear a cheer from someone across the studio. "That one person was my boyfriend Travis," she said, referring to Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce.

"Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic," she said. "I want to thank him for adding that to this shoot."

Swift also thanked her fans for voting for the VMA honors and urged them to cast their ballots in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The singer endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in an Instagram post on Tuesday, but she did not mention the candidate by name on Wednesday.

By night's end, the 34-year-old Swift brought her career VMA total to 30, on par with hip-hop artist Beyonce. Swift's other awards on Wednesday included artist of the year and song of summer.

Her video of the year award was her third in a row - following an extended version of "All Too Well" in 2022 and "Anti-Hero" in 2023 - and fifth overall, a record for one artist.

Early in the show, when "Fortnight" won best collaboration, Swift praised Malone as "ridiculously talented" and "unfailingly polite."

"It has taken me forever to get him to stop calling me ma'am," she said next to Malone on stage at the UBS Arena outside New York City.

Malone returned the compliments, calling Swift "absolutely one of the most kind and talented people I've ever had the honor of knowing."

He said he watched Swift direct the "Fortnight" video while she was strapped to an operating room table on the set. "It was pretty bad ass," he said.

The VMAs began airing on MTV in 1984 and became known for memorable moments, like an onstage kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears, and the raw meat dress that Lady Gaga once wore on the red carpet.

At Wednesday's awards, "Good Luck, Babe" singer Chappell Roan was named best new artist. Wearing a metallic outfit and headpiece, she dedicated her award to "all the drag artists who inspire me" and to her fans in the gay community.

"For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you, because I am one of you," she said. "Don't let anyone tell you can't be exactly who you want to be, bitch!"

Blackpink singer Lisa won best K-pop video for her solo hit, "Rockstar." South African artist Tyla claimed the Afrobeats award for "Water," and Brazilian singer Anitta snagged best Latin video for "Mil Veces."

Rapper Eminem opened the show with "Houdini" from album "The Death of Slim Shady" before country singer Jelly Roll joined him via a video feed for their hit "Somebody Save Me."

Katy Perry, recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, sang hits from "Teenage Dream" to "Firework" while wearing giant silver butterfly wings on a futuristic set. Her husband, actor Orlando Bloom, handed her the trophy, and she embraced him with a long kiss.

"Thank you to MTV for believing in my weirdness from day one," Perry said.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Christian Schmollinger)