Taylor Swift had a night to cherish and celebrate at the MTV Video Music Awards, taking home three trophies and adding another milestone to her already record-setting VMA tally.
The singer dedicated one of her biggest wins of the evening to late country music legend Dolly Parton.
The 36-year-old's showgirl-inspired The Fate of Ophelia won Video Of The Year, one of the night's biggest awards. During her acceptance speech, she described Dolly as the “ultimate showgirl” and praised her vivid storytelling.
Taylor Swift's VMA Wins
Taylor won three awards at this year's ceremony, taking her career VMA tally to 33. She had previously been tied with Beyonce at 30 awards. Her winning entries included Video Of The Year for The Fate of Ophelia and Best Direction for Opalite.
Earlier in the ceremony, Taylor also received the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors. She has written and directed 18 of around 60 music videos in her career.
Taylor Dedicates Award To Dolly Parton
Accepting the Video Of The Year award, Taylor paid tribute to Dolly and spoke about the influence of her music and storytelling. Calling Dolly the “ultimate showgirl”, Taylor praised the country music icon's songs and said 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, every single time. I think we were all very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time. And thank you for this amazing moment,” she said.
The award-winning country singer, songwriter and businesswoman died in August at the age of 80, according to Reuters.
Patient Zero Video Premieres At VMAs
Taylor's latest music video, Patient Zero, also debuted during the ceremony. It stars Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell as a couple in an unhealthy relationship. Speaking during the ceremony, Taylor said her love for directing music videos was closely connected to her fans and their interest in the work.
"The main reason I love writing and directing music videos so much is because you, the fans, make it so much, so much fun. You actually care about what we're making,” she said.
Taylor recently released an extended edition of her December album, The Life of a Showgirl. She also unveiled the official music video for Patient Zero, which premiered during the VMAs.
Madonna Leads VMA Winners
Pop music icon Madonna led this year's field of winners with seven awards, including Artist Of The Year and Best Dance Video for Confessions II - The Film. The ceremony was hosted by Snoop Dogg, with winners in the top categories chosen through fan voting.
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