International Entertainment

Taylor Swift breaks VMAs record

(AP): Taylor Swift broke records at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), as she is known to do.

The pop powerhouse received the inaugural Artist Director Honors on Sunday night, becoming the most-awarded artist in VMA history. Previously, she was tied with Beyoncé for the title, with 30 VMAs each. The new award is meant to recognise artistes “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling”.

“I got to start making music videos and being a part of music videos 20 years ago,” Swift said in her speech, adding that she’s been involved in making roughly 60 music videos, 18 of which she wrote and directed.

“You, the fans, make it so much fun,” she said.

She also took home the top prize of the night — video of the year — for The Fate of Ophelia from her album The Life of a Showgirl. Swift dedicated that award to the “ultimate showgirl”, the late Dolly Parton.

“I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time,” Swift said.

“Every single song that she wrote, her storytelling was so vivid and so rich. Listening to her songs, it’s like watching the best music video you have ever seen in your life, every single time you hear what she’s written.

“And she handled this thing with such grace and joy and love and gratitude for the fact that she got to do this, and everything that happened in her life or her career, she channeled back into love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans,” she added.

Swift also debuted the music video for her new song, Patient Zero, during the award show. She directed the visual, which stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson. Johnson and Swift portray mirror images of each other. Patient Zero is also her first single since marrying Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in July.

The two-hour VMAs was broadcast live on CBS from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Madonna wins big at music awards

Madonna was told that her “career was over” after her performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

The 68-year-old pop star performed Like a Virgin, her hit single, at the inaugural VMAs in 1984, and Madonna reminisced about that experience after winning the Artist of the Year gong at the latest edition of the awards ceremony on Sunday.

After receiving her accolade, Madonna recalled: “In those days, butt cheeks were not hanging out. I just want to remind you. And I went backstage feeling really proud of myself, and my manager told me that my career was over.”

Madonna also shared that she’s spent the last year and a half “finding myself, believing in myself, and really making the music that I wanted to make”.

The chart-topping icon – who saw off competition from Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift to win the award – added: “I mean, that really is the definition of being an artiste. And my hope for all of you here tonight is that you spend the next year, or the next 10 years, or the rest of your life doing the same, finding yourself and believing in yourself.”

Madonna opened the show with a musical medley that marked her first VMA performance in 23 years. The singer also shared a funny exchange with pop star Sabrina Carpenter after they won the Best Collaboration gong for their song Bring Your Love. Madonna revealed that she initially waited five days for the blonde beauty’s team to respond to her, before she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She shared: “I DM’d (direct messaged) her. This is a true story – she answered me back and, within weeks, we were in the studio together.”

Speaking to Sabrina, Madonna then added: “I love working with you because you are so professional and, in this day and age, it’s really hard to find professional people to work with.”