Record VMA Wins
Taylor Swift Dedicates Record VMA Win to Late Music Icon Dolly Parton
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Taylor Swift won Video of the Year at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards for her self-directed video “The Fate of Ophelia,” and dedicated the award to Dolly Parton, praising the late country icon’s vivid storytelling and her love and gratitude for fans. Swift said making the video to look like one continuous shot taught her how to conceal edits. She also received the inaugural Artist Director Honors award, and her two wins brought her career VMA total to a record 32. The ceremony also paid tribute to Parton, who died in August at 80.
Key Points
1
Swift credited cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto with giving her the confidence to begin directing her own music videos.
2
The VMAs’ tribute to Parton included a vintage video clip and country singer Kacey Musgraves performing “I Will Always Love You.”
3
Swift premiered the video for “Patient Zero,” featuring her friend Dakota Johnson and actor Colin Farrell.
4
Swift had 11 nominations at the ceremony, including Artist of the Year, an award that went to Madonna.
5
The Artist Director Honors recognized Swift’s music-video body of work: roughly 60 videos across her career, including 18 she wrote and directed.
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