Taylor Swift won the 2026 MTV VMA Video of the Year for “Fate of Ophelia” and dedicated it to Dolly Parton, who died Aug. 25 at 80. Swift also received the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the Sept. 27 ceremony.
Swift’s “Fate of Ophelia” beat videos by Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, GENER8ION featuring Yung Lean, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter. In her speech, she thanked fans and collaborators, including choreographer Mandy Moore, and said making the video as one continuous shot helped her grow as a director.
At the ceremony, Swift premiered “Patient Zero,” a video she directed starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. She released the expanded album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore on Sept. 25; it includes three new songs: “Pink Clouding,” “Babylon” and “Cleveland!”
