Taylor Swift To Receive Inaugural Artist Director Honors At 2026 MTV VMAs
The new award recognizes artists who direct some or all of their own music videos.
Taylor Swift holds the record for most MTV Video Music Awards, and she’s about to add one more. CBS and MTV announced Monday that Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the 2026 VMAs this Sunday night.
According to a statement from the networks, the newly founded award honors artists who direct some or all of their own music videos, “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.” Furthermore, it “celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.”
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The description fits Swift, who began directing her own videos with 2008’s “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” and has increasingly taken over as the director of all her own clips in recent years. Her recent directorial credits include “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite,” “The Man,” “Cardigan,” “Willow,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Fortnight,” “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Karma,” and “Lavender Haze.”
The VMAs have often honored Swift for her directorial work. She’s been nominated for Best Direction seven times and won it five straight times from 2020-2024, for “The Man,” “Willow,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Anti-Hero,” and “Fortnight.” She holds the record for most career VMAs with 30, a total that will be bumped up to 31 after Sunday’s ceremony. Her tally also includes five Video of the Year awards, for “Bad Blood” “You Need To Calm Down,” “All Too Well: The Short Film,” “Anti-Hero,” and “Fortnight.”
The 2026 VMAs will be viewable this Sunday, Sept. 27 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+ (Premium). The ceremony will be streamable on-demand the next day via MTV and Paramount+. Besides the award for Swift, programming will include Madonna opening the show with her first VMAs performance in 23 years.
Browse Taylor Swift’s music on limited edition vinyl and CDs here.
