Taylor Swiftis filling up her blank space with some new hardware.
The “Fate of Ophelia” singer officially made history at the2026 MTV VMAsby becoming the most awarded artist in the show’s history during the Sept. 27 ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater.
The 36-year-old—who was up for nine awardsat the big night in music—was feeling all too well as she won the first-everrecipient of the Artist-Director award, an honor bestowed to a musician “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling,” according to a press release from MTV.
When she accepted the award, she put a spotlight on those whom she was especially grateful for.
“I got to start making music videos and being a part of music videos 20 years ago, and since then I’ve gotten to be a part of making 60 music videos,” she said onstage. “Eighteen of those I wrote and directed. I really love writing and directing music videos.”
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“I got to tell you though, the main reason why I love writing and directing music videos so much is because you, the fans, make it so much fun,” she continued. “You make it so rewarding because you actually care about what we’re making.”
The wins also meant that she officially surpassedBeyoncéfor most MTV VMA wins,as the two were previously tiedwith 30 Moonman statues apiece.
Since making her first foray in the field as a co-director on her 2010 video “Mine,” Swift has self-directed a majority of her songs’ visuals, including “The Man,” “I Bet You Think About Me,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled.”
And Swift’slatest directing achievementwas on display during the award show—hosted bySnoopDogg—as she premiered her new music video for “Patient Zero,” starringDakotaJohnsonandColinFarrell.
The video comes just days after Swift dropped “Patient Zero”on her Sept. 25 releaseThe Life of a Showgirl: Encore. In addition to the new track, the album included three additional new songs including “Pink Clouding,” “Babylon” and “Cleveland!,” the latter of which was all about her love story with husbandTravis Kelce.
“Something we all can agree on / But my baby likes what he likes,” she singson the track. “He already took me to Cleveland / And showed me The Heights, so hate all you like / This is the love of my life.”
For more iconic moments from the 2026 MTV VMAs, keep reading.
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