The VMAs are back, back, back again!
This year, the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards went down at the UBS Arena in New York, with Megan Thee Stallion taking over as host for the evening.
Going into the night Taylor Swift led the nominations with 12 total, followed by Post Malone with 11, Eminem with 8, and Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA behind them with 7 apiece.
The night is expected to be packed with performances, with a lineup featuring Anitta (ft Fat Joe, DJ Khaled + Tiago PZK), Benson Boone, Camila Cabello, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Eminem, GloRilla, Halsey, KAROL G, Lenny Kravitz, LISA, LL COOL J, Quavo, Rauw Alejandro, Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes.
Katy Perry is also receiving the Video Vanguard Award, as will also give what MTV promises to be a “career-spanning medley of her biggest chart-toppers.”
Stay right here for all the buzziest moments of the night!
Chappell Roan Cusses Out Photographer
The excitement started on the red carpet, where Chappell Roan made waves after she was seen cussing out a photographer while posing for pictures.
For some reason, someone in the crowd yelled, “Shut the f–k up!” and something about Roan turning around, catching her attention. She responded by yelling, “You shut the f–k up!” right back, before later explaining what happened to Entertainment Tonight.
“This is quite overwhelming and quite scary. I think for someone who gets a lot of anxiety around people yelling at you, the carpet is horrifying and I yelled back,” she explained. “You don’t get to yell at me like that!”
Chappell Roan reacts to being yelled at by photographers on the #VMAs black carpet: “The carpet is horrifying, and I yelled back!” pic.twitter.com/SqUbGdBhnm
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 11, 2024
@etnow
whenever the internet criticizes smthn chappell roan has done or said she’s ultimately just defending herself and/or setting boundaries and i’m unsure why a rising star refusing to take shit at the *start* of her career instead of suffering in silence for years is “controversial”
— zoë rose bryant (@zoerosebryant) September 11, 2024
@zoerosebryant
chappell standing up for herself and bringing drama back to the vmas while simultaneous looking stunning…… how can you not say MOTHER https://t.co/WHd02KVen2
— wiLLL (@willfulchaos) September 11, 2024
@willfulchaos
i think chappell roan should be able to do this to everyone who crosses her boundaries pic.twitter.com/K6VgA8CEnH
— britt⁷ (@bejeweledlesbo) September 11, 2024
@bejeweledlesbo
chappell roan being the only artist to bring any excitement to the vmas so far and people are complaining??…. y’all are miserable pic.twitter.com/cgqVg7Xvf2
— wiLLL (@willfulchaos) September 11, 2024
@willfulchaos
the more yall attack chappell the more i grow fond of her
pic.twitter.com/HXyhfdTPM3— َ (@ungodlywests) September 11, 2024
@ungodlywests
Eminem Kicks Off the Show
Slim Shady’s back again.
Eminem got the show started with a performance of Houdini, hitting the stage with a blonde wig while surrounded by lookalikes. He then ditched the hairpiece and swapped it for a trademark black hat, while breaking into Save Me, his track with Jelly Roll.
Fans were living … and so was Taylor Swift, who was seen dancing in the audience to his performance for the first time of the night.
Eminem opens the 2024 #VMAs with “Houdini” pic.twitter.com/4tdUcmyvkr
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 12, 2024
@THR
Eminem 5 minutes before this performance started pic.twitter.com/Rmhdsc8ajk
— alex 𐚁 (@riptmialex) September 12, 2024
@riptmialex
Taylor Swift dances during Eminem’s performance at the opening of the #VMAs pic.twitter.com/fNVFwGdrJY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 12, 2024
@THR
I refuse to acknowledge Eminem so as far as I’m concerned the VMAs just did a legendary tribute to Monét X Change pic.twitter.com/iXoiZz1HzR
— Joey Nolfi (@joeynolfi) September 12, 2024
@joeynolfi
Taylor Swift Wins First Award of the Night
In what will surely be the first of many for the singer, Taylor Swift won the first award of the night — picking up the Moon Person for Best Collab thanks to Fortnite, her collaboration with Post Malone.
She used her speech to remember the lives lost on 9/11, as the show was also held on the 23rd anniversary.
Swift then went on to call Malone everyone’s favorite person to collaborate with, calling him “so unfailingly polite” and joking it’s taken her forever to get him to “stop calling me ma’am.”
He followed up her speech by praising Swift, calling her “one of the most kind and talented people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing” and celebrating her work ethic.