Taylor Swift will become the first-ever recipient of the MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, a newly created award CBS and MTV announced Monday ahead of the 2026 Video Music Awards on September 27.
The honor recognizes artists "whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling," according to the networks. It celebrates a body of directing work rather than a single video or song.
Swift has directed or co-directed videos including "The Man," "cardigan," "willow," "Anti-Hero," "Bejeweled," "Fortnight" featuring Post Malone, "Karma" featuring Ice Spice, and the short film "All Too Well," along with her more recent work on "The Fate of Ophelia" and "Opalite." She's already a seven-time VMA Best Director nominee and four-time winner.
The timing carries extra weight: this year's honor pushes Swift's total VMA wins to 31, moving her past Beyoncé for sole possession of the record for most VMAs won by any artist. She also enters the 2026 ceremony with nine nominations, including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia."
Swift, who was raised attending a Presbyterian church in Nashville, has carried that upbringing into her music for years - song titles like "Holy Ground" and "State of Grace" among the more direct nods to it.
The 2026 VMAs air live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, on CBS and Paramount+, with Snoop Dogg hosting and Madonna opening the show for her first VMA performance in 23 years.
