Taylor Swift took two trophies home for the video for “You Need to Calm Down,” for video of the year and video for good. Ariana Grande won the Artist of the Year award.
Swift accepted the award alongside the music video’s stars, including Todrick Hall, Hayley Kiyoko, Hannah Hart, Dexter Mayfield and more. Queer Eye‘s Jonathon Van Ness, who also appeared in the music video, presented the award.
Hall, who co-executive produced the video with Swift, spoke on behalf of the team behind the video. “I grew up in a small town of Plainview, Texas, and my entire life and my entire life all I wanted in the entire world was to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid,” he shared. “I put a red towel on my head and tied my legs together and jumped in the pool, almost drowned, and after that people started to tell me the things that I could not do and could not accomplish in the world.”
Hall then spoke about how the music video, which features an LGBTQ cast, represents a change for the better. “This is what we need to be doing. If you are a young child that’s out there watching this show who is different, who feels misunderstood, we have never needed you more than now to share your art, share your stories, share your truth with the world no matter what you identify as, who you identify as, who you love, this is just such a beautiful place,” he said..
“You Need to Calm Down” is the next single off of Swift’s seventh studio album, Lover.
The colorful music video for the anti-hate anthem also stars Laverne Cox, Adam Rippon, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the cast of Queer Eye, RuPaul, Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, Ryan Reynolds and more.
The honor was one of the 10 awards that Swift was nominated for at the awards show. She tied with Ariana Grande as the most nominated performer of the night.
Other winners included Ariana Grande (who was not at the show), Cardi B, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jonas Brothers.
Heading into the 2019 VMAs, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift were tied with the most nominations, with 10 noms each.
Here are some of the winners:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR – Ariana Grande – Republic Records
VIDEO OF THE YEAR – Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic RecordsSONG OF THE YEAR –Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road (Remix)” – Columbia Records
BEST POP – Jonas Brothers – “Sucker” – Republic Records
BEST ROCK – Panic! At The Disco – “High Hopes” – Elektra Music Group
BEST COLLABORATION – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita” – Island Records
BEST HIP HOP – Cardi B – “Money” – Atlantic Records
BEST K-POP – BTS ft. Halsey – “Boy With Luv” – Columbia Records
BEST LATIN – ROSALÍA & J Balvin ft. El Guincho – “Con Altura” – Columbia RecordsVIDEO FOR GOOD – Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down” – Republic Records
Via Hollywood Reporter
