Taylor Swift set to become most awarded artist in VMA history with new honour

Taylor Swift will become most awarded artist in VMA history after receiving inaugural Artist Director Honours

Taylor Swift is set to become the most awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history when she receives the inaugural Artist Director Honors at Sunday’s ceremony.

CBS and MTV announced that Swift will receive the new award, which recognises music artists whose work behind the camera has pushed creative boundaries and advanced visual storytelling.

Swift currently shares the record for most VMA wins with Beyoncé, with both artists entering this year’s ceremony with 30 Moon Person awards. Her Artist Director Honors will take Swift’s total to 31.

Swift’s relationship with the VMAs began in 2008, with her first major milestone coming the following year when she won Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me”.

Her acceptance speech was interrupted by Kanye West, who said Beyoncé had made “one of the best videos of all time”. Beyoncé later invited Swift back to the stage to finish her speech.

Swift has since recorded several major moments at the ceremony. She opened the 2019 show with performances of “You Need to Calm Down” and “Lover”, before announcing her album Midnights in 2022 while accepting Video of the Year for All Too Well: The Short Film.

The nearly 15-minute film, which Swift wrote and directed and starred Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, won Video of the Year, Best Longform Video and Best Direction at the 2022 VMAs.

Swift first won Best Direction in 2020 for “The Man”, followed by victories for All Too Well: The Short Film, “Anti-Hero” and “Fortnight”. She has four Best Direction wins from seven nominations.

Her directing credits also include “cardigan”, “willow”, “Bejeweled”, “Lavender Haze”, “Karma”, “I Can See You”, “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite”.

Swift also announced The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded edition of her 2025 album featuring four new songs, due Friday.

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ Premium in the US.