Taylor Swift Pays Tribute To 9/11 Victims At MTV VMAs: "That Is The Most Important Thing"

Taylor Swift won home big at the 2024 MTV VMAs. This year, the annual musical event was held in New York City on September 11. Taylor Swift bagged the Best Collaboration award for her song Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, from her album The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). When the singer got on stage to address the crowd and deliver her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to the victims of the 2001 terrorist attack on New York's World Trade Center, which shook the world 23 years ago. She said, “Waking up this morning in New York on September 11, I have just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago — everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost. And that is the most important thing about today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that,” as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. 

The VMAs were originally scheduled to take place on September 10, but were rescheduled a day later to avoid clashing with the US presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Last month, MTV Network released a statement on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 which said, “In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organises the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance and Tuesday's Children, which serves the families of 9/11.” 

During her acceptance speech, Taylor Swift also thanked the people associated with making the Fortnight music video. She heaped praise on Post Malone calling the singer the “favorite person to collaborate with”. “You are so ridiculously talented. You are so versatile and you're the most down-to-earth person. Honestly, so unfailingly polite. It has taken me forever to get him to stop calling ma'am,” she said. 

The VMA nominations were led by Taylor Swift with 12 nods, followed by Post Malone with 11 nominations. Rapper Eminem was chosen for eight nominations, while Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, SZA and Megan Thee Stallion got seven nominations.