Taylor Swift dedicates MTV VMAs award win to Dolly Parton in touching acceptance speech
Taylor Swift cemented her place in MTV Video Music Awards history on Sunday night, claiming the Video of the Year trophy for The Fate of Ophelia and becoming the inaugural recipient of the Artist Director Honors at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The twin victories brought the 36-year-old’s career haul to 32 VMAs, moving her past Beyoncé as the most-awarded solo artist in the ceremony’s history.
It marked Ms Swift’s sixth Video of the Year win, having previously collected the prize for All Too Well: The Short Film, Anti-Hero, Fortnight and others. Ms Swift had entered the night with nine nominations, second only to Madonna, who led all artists with 11.
However, rather than celebrate her own record-breaking achievement, Ms Swift used her acceptance speech to honour the late Dolly Parton, who lost her battle with cancer in Nashville in August at the age of 80.
Taylor Swift won Video of the Year at this year’s MTV VMAs
|
GETTY
“I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person, without whom this wouldn’t be happening, and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton,” Ms Swift told the audience.
The Shake It Off hitmaker praised Ms Parton’s songwriting ability. “Every single song that she wrote, her storytelling was so vivid and so rich,” she said.
“Listening to her songs, it’s like watching the best music video you have ever seen in your life every single time you hear what she has written.”
Ms Swift described how the country icon transformed every experience into “love and gratitude and appreciation for her fans,” adding: “We were all very, very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time.”
Dolly Parton died in August
|
GETTYThe award-winning singer’s nod to Ms Parton came after fellow performer Kacey Musgraves left fans “in tears” with her own tribute to Ms Parton.
Ms Musgraves delivered a rendition of I Will Always Love You, using archival footage of Ms Parton to accompany her during the performance.
Elsewhere earlier in the evening, Ms Swift was presented with the newly created Artist Director Honors by actress Dakota Johnson.
“Taylor Swift is a storyteller,” Ms Johnson said. “She is an architect of emotional landscapes filled with the most intimate and intricate detail.”
Taylor Swift was given the award by host Snoop Dogg
|
GETTY
The actress’s high praise went on: “She isn’t just one of the most decorated artists in the history of the VMAs. She is the single most recognised video director in this show’s history.”
The award, according to MTV and CBS, was established to honour musicians “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.”
Accepting the directing honour, Ms Swift reflected on her ever-expanding body of work. “I got to start making music videos and being a part of music videos 20 years ago, and since then I’ve gotten to be a part of making 60 music videos, roughly 60,” she said.
“18 of those I wrote and directed.”
The MTV VMAs also paid tribute with a Kacey Musgroves performance
|
MTVShe credited her fans for fuelling her passion for filmmaking. “You make it so rewarding because you actually care about what we’re making,” Ms Swift told the crowd.
The 14-time Grammy winner then debuted the music video for her new single Patient Zero, which she directed herself.
The clip stars Ms Johnson and Colin Farrell, with a surprise cameo from Cara Delevingne, and features cinematography by Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki, known for The Revenant, Birdman and Gravity.
Comments are closed.