Swift claims video of the year for Anti-Hero, Shakira wins the video vanguard award and a who’s who of hip-hop legends take the stage at the 40th Video Music Awards
Taylor Swift once again dominated the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), winning for every televised category in which she was nominated, in a night that otherwise celebrated Latin music, including the pre-eminence of Shakira, as well as 50 years of hip-hop.
Swift, currently in the middle of the first billion-dollar stadium tour in history, took home the night’s top prize, video of the year, for her Midnights track Anti-Hero, as well as best direction, best pop video and song of the year.
The 33-year-old singer dedicated her wins to the art of songwriting as well as to presenters ‘NSync, who reunited for the first time in over a decade to give her one award, and her video editor Chancler Hanes and cinematographer Rina Yang, who spoke on Swift’s behalf for her video of the year win.
After splitting emcee duties with LL Cool J and Jack Harlow last year, Nicki Minaj took over as the sole host of the 40th annual VMAs at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and won an award, best hip-hop, for her track Super Freaky Girl. “So often I joke around and play around and stuff, but tonight, I don’t know why, this morning I just woke up and I had this really strong sense of gratitude,” she said.
