Taylor Swift wins Video of the Year at 2026 MTV VMAs, dedicates it to Dolly Parton

Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 27. The ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, was hosted by Snoop Dogg, and aired on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+, according to ABC News.

Swift's awards and tribute

Swift also received the first VMAs Artist Director Honors, a new award recognizing her work on music videos across her career, ABC News and Today reported. She entered the night with nine nominations.

In accepting Video of the Year, Swift paid tribute to Dolly Parton, the country music star who died on August 25, 2026, at age 80. According to Today, Swift said: "I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person, without whom just this wouldn't be happening, and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton."

She went on to praise Parton's songwriting, saying: "Every single song that she wrote, her storytelling was so vivid and so rich. It was like listening to her songs — it's like watching the best music video you have ever seen in your life."

ABC News reported that, when receiving her honor, Swift told the audience: "The main reason why I love writing and directing music videos is because you, the fans, make it so much fun." After she was presented with the award by Dakota Johnson, Swift premiered a new music video, "Patient Zero," featuring Johnson, Colin Farrell and Cara Delevingne.

Madonna returns

Madonna was the night's leading nominee with 11 nominations. According to ABC News, she gave her first VMAs performance in 23 years, opening the show with Sabrina Carpenter and later performing with Charli XCX. ABC News reported that she won seven awards on the night.

Tributes and honors

The show included a tribute to the late George Michael, performed by Sombr, RAYE, Teddy Swims and Adam Lambert. RAYE told ABC News: "What an absolute legacy, what an absolute artist, a true artist."

The surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, received MTV's Video Vanguard Award. Novoselic said: "The ideas for those videos grew out of the vision of Kurt Cobain."

Why it matters

Video of the Year is the top prize at the VMAs, and this year's show brought together several of pop music's biggest names, from Swift and Madonna to Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. Swift's new Artist Director Honors was presented for the first time this year, recognizing music video work rather than a single release. Her tribute also made the ceremony one of the most prominent public moments honoring Dolly Parton since her death a month earlier.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.