VMAs 2024 LIVE updates: Taylor Swift makes VMAs history, wins seven awards

MTV has spent years trying to make Anitta a thing and they’re not stopping. She wins for best Latin over stars including Shakira and Bad Bunny.

“What an amazing year for the Latin culture,” she said, calling out her fellow nominee Karol G. “Being here every year being the only representative of my country is really special to me.”

All is right in the realm. Chappell Roan has won the popularly voted award for best new artist, slaying (because medieval) the runners up: Gracie Abrams and Tyla.

Roan has had a meteoric rise over the past few months as the world caught up with the greatness of her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and became obsessed with new single Good Luck, Babe.

Roan accepted the award in a sequined, chain mail gown and read her speech from a paper diary.

“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspired me,” she said. “And I dedicate this to queer and trans people that fuel pop. To the gays who dedicate my songs to someone they love or hate. And thank you to the people who are fans, who listen to me when I share my joys and my fears.”

The singer recently called out “predatory behaviour” she and her family have been receiving including stalking and online harassment, provoking some debate about how fans should treat pop stars.

“For all the queer kids in the midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you. Because I’m one of you. And don’t let anyone tell you you can’t be exactly who you want to be, bitches.”

It’s quite a rise for an artist who, just four years ago, was dropped by her label and had to move back to Missouri to work the drive-through. Good job, babe!

A lot of people clowned Camilla Cabello’s grunge-y, drug-fuelled transformation on her latest album, C, XOXO. I was not one of them – deeply personal and very Miami, the album’s a sleeper, and includes a woozy sample from Pitbull’s Hotel Room Service, which is just beautiful.

But I don’t know about this performance. Instead of something fun, like, I Luv It or Chanel No. 5, she’s gone for the strained ballad Godspeed.

It’s probably about her ex Shawn Mendes who is right there in the crowd, but MTV completely fails to cut to him in the audience.

Performing in perspex box, she ends it by smashing a laptop on the ground, which I guess is the 2024 equivalent of Nirvana trashing their set.

The VMAs are famously really fun and weird; remember when Sabrina Carpenter made out with an alien like an hour ago?

Anyway, while we encourage chaos, it would also be nice if the award-giving occasionally made sense. Tonight has been pretty all over the shop, with hours passing between awards and then a bunch being handed out with little notice.

Which brings us to Taylor Swift, who, just won a bunch more VMAs, including best pop, best direction, best editing and artist of the year.

Four awards in the space of a minute. If anyone can do it, it’s Taylor Swift.

Lisa, of iconic girl group Blackpink, has taken out the award for best k-pop, beating Jung Kook (of BTS) among others.

“Rockstar was a meaningful comeback for me after Lalisa, so this is very, very special to me,” she said.

Lisa won this same award back in 2022 for Lalisa, becoming the first solo K-pop artist to win a video music award so she’s building a real legacy!

Zoe Kravitz’s dad – jokes, I know his name – is out here at 60 rocking better than most children, in leather pants and a feather boa.

He gets a medley, opening with his classic Are You Gonna Go My Way and a new version of Flyaway with Migos rapper Quavo.

Really looking forward to 60 now.

We had one major chance as Australians to win a prize today (not including those dudes in Stray Kids from Burwood or wherever who were up for best K-pop), but alas ’twas not to be.

Troye Sivan missed out on best choreography to Dua Lipa’s Houdini. What a turnaround - I guess those “Go girl, give us nothing” memes are dead for good now?

Halsey brings some much needed Y2K-emo energy to the stage, rocking out in a tie and long shorts, in a makeshift suburban garage for a performance of her song Ego.

There haven’t been too many chances at these VMAs for music lovers to headbang and throw up their horns – considering Lenny Kravitz won the award for best rock, and Benson Boone won for best alternative, which kind of tells you the state of guitar music these days – we appreciate Halsey for taking up the rock mantle.