Taylor Swift passes Beyoncé as the most-awarded artist in VMAs history

Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Best Direction for “Opalite”, and received the Artist Director Honors, a prize created this year for music video directors. That moved her past Beyoncé as the artist with the most VMAs ever: most outlets put her total at 33 against Beyoncé’s 30 (some counted 31 mid-show).

It was her sixth Video of the Year. Accepting it, she paid tribute to Dolly Parton, who died in August, calling her “the ultimate showgirl”. Kacey Musgraves sang “I Will Always Love You” in Parton’s honor.

Presented by Dakota Johnson, the Artist Director Honors noted that Swift has made around 60 videos in 20 years, 18 of which she wrote and directed. During the broadcast she premiered the video for “Patient Zero”, which she also directed, starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.