The annual MTV Video Music Awards have now taken place, and it was definitely a night to remember, with celebrities and industry insiders gathering to celebrate the most defining musical moments of 2023.
Foregoing her signature red lip for a nude one paired with a black Versace gown, Taylor Swift once again proved herself the Queen of Pop, winning nine out of her eleven nominations; Selena Gomez, too, stunned in a red custom Oscar de la Renta gown, as she accepted her Best Afrobeat award alongside Rema for their song “Calm Down”; and Shakira received her Vanguard award in a dazzling gold dress from Versace.
Many other highlights marked the night, such as Jung Kook of BTS winning Song of the Summer for “Seven (feat. Latto)”. K-pop boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) looked handsome as ever wearing Dior as they received their first VMA, and Nicki Minaj returned as emcee in a stunning pink Dolce & Gabbana ensemble that channelled a Barbie bride. Each member of Stray Kids wore outfits from the respective brands that they endorsed as they made their VMA debut, and they even took home the Moonperson for the K-Pop category. Meanwhile, Olivia Rodrigo brandished her “GUTS” rings on the red carpet, wearing a gorgeous custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown which was studded with 150,000 Swarovski crystals.
Video of the Year
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Doja Cat – “Attention”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Artist of the Year
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
KAROL G
Nicki Minaj
Shakira
Song of the Year
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WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Best New Artist
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WINNER: Ice Spice
GloRilla
Kaliii
Peso Pluma
PinkPantheress
Reneé Rapp
Push Performance of the Year
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WINNER: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Saucy Santana – “Booty”
Stephen Sanchez – “Until I Found You”
JVKE – “golden hour”
Flo Milli – “Conceited”
Reneé Rapp – “Colorado”
Sam Ryder – “All the Way Over”
Armani White – “GOATED”
FLETCHER – “Becky’s So Hot”
Ice Spice – “Princess Diana”
FLO – “Losing You”
Lauren Spencer Smith – “That Part”
Best Collaboration
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WINNER: KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha – “I’m Good (Blue)”
Post Malone, Doja Cat – “I Like You (A Happier Song)”
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On”
Metro Boomin with the Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Best Pop
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WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)”
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed”
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
P!NK – “TRUSTFALL”
Best Hip-Hop
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WINNER: Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl”
Diddy ft. Bryson Tiller, Ashanti, Yung Miami – “Gotta Move On”
DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Lil Baby – “STAYING ALIVE”
GloRilla & Cardi B – “Tomorrow 2”
Lil Uzi Vert – “Just Wanna Rock”
Lil Wayne ft. Swizz Beatz & DMX – “Kant Nobody”
Metro Boomin ft. Future – “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)”
Best R&B
WINNER: SZA – “Shirt”
Alicia Keys ft. Lucky Daye – “Stay”
Chlöe ft. Chris Brown – “How Does It Feel”
Metro Boomin with The Weeknd, 21 Savage, and Diddy – “Creepin’ (Remix)”
Toosii – “Favorite Song”
Yung Bleu & Nicki Minaj – “Love In The Way”
Best Alternative
WINNER: Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace”
blink-182 – “EDGING”
boygenius – “the film”
Fall Out Boy – “Hold Me Like A Grudge”
Paramore – “This Is Why”
Thirty Seconds To Mars – “Stuck”
Best Rock
WINNER: Måneskin – “THE LONELIEST”
Foo Fighters – “The Teacher”
Linkin Park – “Lost (Original Version)”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Tippa My Tongue”
Metallica – “Lux Æterna”
Muse – “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween”
Best Latin
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WINNER: Anitta – “Funk Rave”
Bad Bunny – “WHERE SHE GOES”
Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma – “Ella Baila Sola”
Grupo Frontera Bad Bunny – “un x100to”
KAROL G, Shakira – “TQG”
ROSALÍA – “DESPECHÁ”
Shakira – “Acróstico”
Best K-Pop
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WINNER: Stray Kids – “S-Class”
aespa – “Girls”
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom”
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid”
SEVENTEEN – “Super”
TOMORROW X TOGETHER – “Sugar Rush Ride”
Best Afrobeats
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WINNER: Rema & Selena Gomez – “Calm Down”
Ayra Starr – “Rush”
Burna Boy – “It’s Plenty”
Davido ft. Musa Keys – “UNAVAILABLE”
Fireboy DML & Asake – ”Bandana”
Libianca – “People”
Wizkid ft. Ayra Starr– “2 Sugar”
Video for Good
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WINNER: Dove Cameron – “Breakfast”
Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You (Orchestral)”
Bad Bunny – “El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente”
Demi Lovato – “Swine”
Imagine Dragons – “Crushed”
Maluma – “La Reina”
Show of the Summer
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Beyoncé
BLACKPINK
Drake
Ed Sheeran
KAROL G
Group of the Year
WINNER: BLACKPINK
FIFTY FIFTY
FLO
Jonas Brothers
Måneskin
NewJeans
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Album of the Year
WINNER: Taylor Swift – Midnights
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Drake & 21 Savage – Her Loss
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
SZA – SOS
Song of the Summer
WINNER: Jung Kook ft. Latto – “Seven”
Beyoncé – “Cuff It”
Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For? (From Barbie The Album)”
Doechii ft. Kodak Black – “What It Is (Block Boy)”
Doja Cat – “Paint the Town Red”
Dua Lipa – “Dance the Night (From Barbie The Album)”
FIFTY FIFTY – “Cupid (Twin Ver.)”
Gunna – “fukumean”
Luke Combs – “Fast Car”
Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice – “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]”
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”
SZA – “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice – “Karma”
Tomorrow X Together and Jonas Brothers – “Do It Like That”
Troye Sivan – “Rush”
Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – “La Bebe (Remix)”
Best Direction
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WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Directed by Taylor Swift)
Doja Cat – “Attention” (Directed by Tanu Muiño)
Drake – “Falling Back” (Directed by Director X (Julien Christian Lutz))
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” (Directed by Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar)
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” (Directed by Colin Tilley)
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” (Directed by Floria Sigismondi)
SZA – “Kill Bill” (Directed by Christian Breslauer)
Best Cinematography
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Cinematography by Rina Yang)
Adele – “I Drink Wine” (Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra)
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed” (Cinematography by Natasha Baier)
Janelle Monae – “Lipstick Lover” (Cinematography by Allison Anderson)
Kendrick Lamar – “Count Me Out” (Cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra)
Miley Cyrus – “Flowers” (Cinematography by Marcell Rev)
Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” (Cinematography by Russ Fraser)
Best Visual Effects
WINNER: Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Visual Effects by Parliament)
Fall Out Boy – “Love From The Other Side” (Visual Effects by Thomas Bailey and Josh Shaffner)
Harry Styles – “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” (Visual Effects by Chelsea Delfino and Black Kite Studios)
Melanie Martinez – “VOID” (Visual Effects by Carbon)
Nicki Minaj – “Super Freaky Girl” (Visual Effects by CameoFX)
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” (Visual Effects by Max Colt / FRENDER)
Best Choreography
WINNER: BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” (Choreography by Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau, Lee Jung (YGX), Taryn Cheng (YGX))
Dua Lipa – “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)” (Choreography by Charm LaDonna)
Jonas Brothers – “Waffle House” (Choreography by Jerry Reece)
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” (Choreography by Sean Bankhead)
Panic! At The Disco – “Middle Of A Breakup” (Choreography by Monika Felice Smith)
Sam Smith, Kim Petras – “Unholy” (Choreography by (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel)
Best Art Direction
WINNER: Doja Cat – “Attention” (Art Direction by Spencer Graves)
boygenius – “the film” (Art Direction by Jen Dunlap)
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” (Art Direction by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT))
Lana Del Rey ft. Jon Batiste – “Candy Necklace” (Art Direction by Brandon Mendez)
Megan Thee Stallion – “Her” (Art Direction by Wes Dogan)
SZA – “Shirt” (Art Direction by Kate Bunch)
Best Editing
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire” (Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel)
BLACKPINK – “Pink Venom” (Editing by Seo Hyun Seung (GIGANT))
Kendrick Lamar – “Rich Spirit” (Edited by Grason Caldwell)
Miley Cyrus – “River” (Edited by Brandan Walter)
SZA – “Kill Bill” (Edited by Luis Caraza Peimbert)
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero” (Edited by Chancler Haynes)
Video Vanguard Award
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WINNER: Shakira
Global Icon Award
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WINNER: Diddy
Editor
Audrey MiuCredit
Lead Image: John Shearer via Getty Images for MTV
