Taylor Swift sets historic VMAs record, winning “Video of the Year” for the 6th time

Taylor Swift took the evening’s most prestigious prize at the MTV Video Music Awards 2026, winning “Video of the Year” for the song “The Fate of Ophelia,” part of the album The Life of a Showgirl.

During her speech, Swift chose to honor one of the greatest figures of country music, whom she described as “the last showgirl.”

Swift beat Ariana Grande, Madonna, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION and Sabrina Carpenter in this category, before receiving the trophy from the evening’s host, Snoop Dogg.

“I am very proud of this,” Swift said, speaking about the music video, which she had directed herself and which was released in October 2025. She explained that she had wanted the video to look as if it had been shot in a single take and that she had learned a lot about ways to hide cuts during editing.

In her speech, Swift thanked the project’s collaborators, especially cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, of whom she said he had given her the confidence to start directing her own music videos.

But the most emotional moment came when she dedicated the award to Dolly Parton.

“I want to thank and dedicate this award to a person without whom none of this would have happened. That person is the last showgirl, Dolly Parton,” Swift said.

She praised the way Parton told stories through her songs, saying that every song written by her was so rich and vivid that it seemed like watching the best possible music video.

Dolly Parton died in late August, at the age of 80, after a battle with cancer. The news sparked numerous reactions in the world of music and culture.

Swift also recalled the impact Parton had on her fans.

“I am lucky that I had the opportunity to be one of them and I will always be one of them. I love you all very much. I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a while,” she said.