If there’s anything fans know about Taylor Swift, it’s that she constantly lives her best life at award shows.
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) took place on 12 September at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where fans and fellow performers celebrated the best music videos and artists of the year.
The 33-year-old musician took home the first award of the night, winning the award for Best Pop Video for her hit song, “Anti-Hero”. In fact, Swift has a chance to become the most-awarded artist in VMA history if she wins six of her eight nominated categories. She currently has 14 VMAs to her name, placing her just behind Madonna, who has 20 awards, and Beyoncé, who has 16.
However, it was her amusing off-stage moments that caught everyone’s attention.
Here’s a roundup of Taylor Swift’s best moments from the 2023 VMAs.
Swift dancing in her seat to almost every single performance
In one clip posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Swift appeared to be having the time of her life during Shakira’s performance. Another video showed the “Bad Blood” songstress singing and dancing along to Doja Cat’s performance of “Paint The Town Red”, as Swift held her glass in one hand and twirled her hair in the other.
At one point, Swift was also seen cheering for Demi Lovato, who took the stage to perform a rock medley of her best pop hits. While seated next to rapper Ice Spice, Swift sang along to each lyric from Lovato’s hit track, “Cool for the Summer”.
Of course, it didn’t take long for fans to point out Swift’s unapologetic dancing at the VMAs.
“Taylor dancing at the award shows is my favourite genre,” said one fan on X.
“Taylor Swift dancing to ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira. Pop culture has peaked today,” another user joked.
“Taylor dancing at award shows is literally my favourite thing ever,” a third fan said.
Her five-star review of Doja Cat’s VMAs performance
Swift had nothing but rave reviews after Doja Cat took the stage to perform a medley from her upcoming album, Scarlet, including “Attention”, “Paint The Town Red” and “Demons”.
In fact, one video even captured what the “Lover” singer told friends Rina Yang and Sabrina Carpenter after Doja Cat’s powerhouse performance: “It’s giving movie, it’s giving cinematography.”
Her surprised reaction to NSYNC’s reunion
While iconic boy band NSYNC stunned the VMAs crowd with a surprise reunion on stage, it was Swift who was the most surprised of all. She couldn’t contain her excitement as Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake gave her the award for Best Pop Video.
Swift hugged each member onstage, telling them she had their toy dolls when she was a child. Bass also took the opportunity to hand her multiple friendship bracelets, in keeping with the popular tradition among Swift’s fans.
“What are you doing now? Are you doing something?” she asked the group on stage. “They’re gonna do something and I need to know what it is! You’re pop personified.”
Keeping her drinkclose
After embarking on her expansive Eras Tour, with 146 dates across five continents, who can blame Swift for letting a little loose? Throughout the event, Swift appeared to keep her plastic cup - which was filled with a clear, possibly alcoholic drink - in her hand at all times.
As a result, Swift’s animated reactions stole the show at this year’s VMAs. In one clip, the “Style” singer struggled to lift her drink out of her seat’s cup holder. Another video even captured her stunned face when a server arrived at her seat, with a tray of six drinks in hand, as she appeared to ask him: “What is it?”
“Taylor swift at award shows with her little drinky drink will forever be my favourite thing in the world,” said one fan.
“Name a better love story than Taylor and her drink,” another fan wrote.
“Nothing I love more than award show Taylor with her silly little drink in her hand,” said someone else.
Swift cheering on best friend Selena Gomez
The Grammy winner proved that she and Selena Gomez are best friend goals when the Only Murders in the Building star took home the award for Best Afrobeats song for her “Calm Down” collaboration with Nigerian singer Rema.
Swift was seen cheering for her longtime friend from her seat, before pointing at Gomez and blowing her a kiss as she walked off the stage.
The pair have been friends for more than a decade, after first meeting in 2008 while Swift was dating Joe Jonas and Gomez was dating Nick Jonas. Gomez even appeared in Swift’s 2015 music video for “Bad Blood”.
Perhaps the reason why fans have received so many videos of Swift is because MTV has actually designated a camera person to solely film the singer’s reactions during the awards show.
Follow along for live updates from the MTV VMAs winners list here.
