Taylor Swift made VMAs history on Sept. 27, becoming the first-ever recipient of the Artist Director Honors at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The brand-new award recognizes artists whose work behind the camera expands what music videos can do, and Swift’s resume made her the obvious first name on the list: 18 of her roughly 60 videos are self-directed, including“Anti-Hero,”“Cardigan,”and the“All Too Well”short film.
Dakota Johnson presented the honor, and Swift kept her speech warm and brief. She thanked everyone who ever worked on a video with her and said the reason she loves writing and directing is that the fans make it fun. The night didn’t end there, though. Swift then premiered“Patient Zero”worldwide during the broadcast, with Johnson and Colin Farrell starring in the video.
Add it all up and Swift now holds 30 Moon Persons, four of them for best direction — a stat that says as much about her longevity as her creativity. So whether you were there for the award, the video, or both, the VMAs delivered a very Taylor night.
Which Taylor Swift video do you think deserves a rewatch tonight? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.