After a decade apart, NSYNC reunites and presents the Best Pop Award to the Anti-Hero singer.
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards undoubtedly belonged to Taylor Swift. Bringing home nine awards out of the eleven categories she was nominated for not only showcased her exceptional talent but also underscored her unassailable dominance in the music industry. The multihyphenated Americana icon left an indelible mark on the event, reaffirming her status as one of the industry’s most influential figures.
Held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the event indeed honored the best in the music video medium, with NSYNC making a surprise appearance. To recall, the boy group last performed at the VMAs in 2013, where they belted out a medley of their classic hits, including Girlfriend and Bye, Bye, Bye.
2023 MTV VMA: Full List of Winners
At this year’s event, Shakira made history by winning the prestigious Video Vanguard Award, becoming the first South American artist to do so. Sean “Diddy” Combs also received recognition by receiving the Global Icon Award.
Event host Nicki Minaj wowed the audience with her performance of Last Time I Saw You and gave fans a taste of her upcoming album, Pink Friday 2, by sharing a snippet of a trap track.
Here’s the complete list of winners for this year’s MTV Video Music Awards:
- Video of the Year: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero)
- Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
- Song of the Year: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero)
- Best New Artist: Ice Spice
- Push Performance of the Year: April 2023: Tomorrow X Together (Sugar Rush Ride)
- Best Collaboration: Karol G, Shakira (TQG)
- Best Pop: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero)
- Best Hip-Hop: Nicki Minaj (Super Freaky Girl)
- Best R&B: SZA (Shirt)
- Best Alternative: Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste (Candy Necklace)
- Best Rock: Måneskin (The Loneliset)
- Best Latin: Anitta (Funk Rave)
- Best K-Pop: Stray Kids (S-Class)
- Best Afrobeats: Rema & Selena Gomez (Calm Down)
- Video For Good: Dove Cameron (Breakfast)
- Best Direction: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero, Directed by Taylor Swift)
- Best Cinematography: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero, Cinematography by Rina Yang)
- Best Visual Effects: Taylor Swift (Anti-Hero, Visual effects by Parliament)
- Best Choreography: Blackpink (Pink Venom, Kiel Tutin, Sienna Lalau)
- Best Art Direction: Doja Cat (Attention, Art direction by Spencer Graves)
- Best Editing: Olivia Rodrigo (vampire, Edited by Sofia Kerpan and David Checel)
- Show of the Summer: Taylor Swift
- Group of the Year: BLACKPINK
- Song of the Summer: Jung Kook featuring Latto (Seven)
- Album of the Year: Taylor Swift (Midnights)
- Video Vanguard Award: Shakira
- Global Icon Award: Diddy
Cover image credit: MTV.com/vma
