MTV VMAs: Taylor Swift matches Beyonce as most-awarded artist while Katy Perry shocks on stage

Published

1 year ago

September 12, 2024

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Taylor Swift has won seven gongs at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), equalling Beyonce in a career total of 30 and matching her as most-awarded musician in VMAs history.

Swift, who used her platform to urge Americans to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, picked up prizes including video of the year for Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, artist of the year and best collaboration.

While Swift overtook Beyonce as the most decorated solo artist in VMA history, the Single Ladies singer has previously picked up gongs for being in girl group Destiny’s Child, and her collaborations with husband Jay-Z as The Carters.

Beyonce did not win any new awards at this year’s VMAs and was notably shut out of the Country Music Association Awards earlier this week.

Upon receiving her award for video of the year, Swift thanked her boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce, for his support, saying: “Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic.”

She also encouraged her fans who are over 18 to register to vote in the upcoming US election, although she avoided directly mentioning her endorsement of vice president Kamala Harris.

On Tuesday, after a presidential debate between Ms Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, Swift endorsed the Democratic candidate on Instagram, writing: “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Swift jokingly signed off her endorsement “childless cat lady” – a move which was followed by Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks shortly after.

Elsewhere, Katy Perry also made VMA history, becoming the first singer to win the Vanguard award – the VMA’s lifetime achievement award – having previously won video of the year and also present the ceremony in previous years.

The stakes were high for the I Kissed A Girl singer after her comeback album – 143 – was panned by fans and critics alike, with the first two singles from the collection sinking without trace.

Perry performed a medley of her biggest songs, including Roar, Teenage Dream and Firework, with her stage show including a risqué performance with rapper Doechii, during which the pair wrapped their legs around each other and lay on the stage.

Accepting her award, which was presented to her by her husband British actor Orlando Boom, Perry said: “There are so many things that have to align to have a long and successful career as an artist. There are no decade-long accidents.”

Bloom and Perry shared an on-stage kiss after the singer accepted the award, with Perry thanking him “for keeping me grounded”.

She also paid tribute to their four-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove, saying: “Lastly, for my Daisy, the only flowers I’ll ever need.”

Elsewhere, Sabrina Carpenter picked up song of the year for Espresso, while Good Luck, Babe singer Chappell Roan was named best new artist and Blackpink’s LISA won the best K-pop award.

Carpenter wore the same silver sequined Bob Mackie gown that Madonna wore to the 1991 Academy Awards, and surprisingly kissed an alien during her performance of a medley of her hits which included Please Please Please, Taste and Espresso.

Meanwhile, Roan channelled Joan of Arc for her medieval performance of Good Luck, Babe – a summer hit that has made her a break-out star.

Roan – who last month sparked a conversation about boundaries after posting videos online urging fans to stop “harassing her” – had recently faced push-back after cancelling two European shows to play the VMAs.

Eminem won prizes for best hip-hop video and best visual effects, making him the solo male artist with the most wins with a total haul of 14 gongs.

He performed his two latest singles, Houdini and Somebody Save Me, entering the stage with dozens of dancers all sporting bleach blonde wigs.

It was a nod to his 2000 VMA performance of The Real Slim Shady, where he sang at the ceremony in front of hundreds of extras dressed just like him.

The 2024 MTV VMAs will be screened in the UK on MTV and Paramount Plus at 8pm on Thursday 12 September

US

Luigi Mangione had handgun, silencer and ‘manifesto’ in backpack during arrest, police say

Published

9 hours ago

December 9, 2025

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Luigi Mangione had handgun, silencer and 'manifesto' in backpack during arrest, police say

Police officers found a handgun, a silencer and a red notebook described as a “manifesto” when they arrested Luigi Mangione.

The 27-year-old was arrested in December 2024 and charged with killing UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York City.

Mangione‘s lawyers want to block prosecutors from showing or telling jurors at his eventual trial in Manhattan about statements he allegedly made and items they said police seized from his backpack during his arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.

The objects include a 9mm handgun prosecutors say matches the one used in the killing, a silencer, a magazine with bullets wrapped in underwear and a notebook in which they say Mangione described his intent to “wack” a healthcare executive.

The defence contends the items should be excluded because police did not get a warrant before searching Mangione’s backpack.

Prosecutors deny claims Mangione was illegally searched and questioned.

They also want to suppress some statements he made to police, such as allegedly giving a false name, because officers asked him questions before telling him he had a right to remain silent.

Last week, Mangione watched surveillance videos of the killing of Mr Thompson, 50, as he walked to a New York City hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges.

The state charges carry the possibility of life in prison, while federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

This week’s hearing concerns only the state case, but Mangione’s lawyers want to bar evidence from both cases.

In September, a judge dismissed two terrorism counts against Mangione, finding prosecutors had not presented enough evidence Mangione intended to intimidate health insurance workers or influence government policy.

Trial dates are yet to be set in either the state or federal cases.

US

Are Trump’s allies behind hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros?

Published

15 hours ago

December 9, 2025

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Are Trump's allies behind hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros?

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

A new White House National Security Strategy gives us an insight into how Donald Trump views the world, and the US’s place within it.

Is this America rejecting Europe and uprooting the established world order?

Two massive media companies go head-to-head to buy Warner Bros in a media shake-up that will have a massive impact on the film and TV industry.

The Supreme Court seems poised to expand the president’s powers which could see the structure of the federal government significantly changed.

You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

Email us on trump100@sky.uk with your comments and questions.

US

Paramount launches hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros

Published

1 day ago

December 8, 2025

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Paramount has launched a £108.4bn hostile bid for Warner Bros, challenging Netflix, which had reached a $72bn takeover deal with the company.

Paramount said on Monday that it was going straight to Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) shareholders with a $30 per share in cash offer for the entirety of the company, including its Global Networks segment, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix.

On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy WBD, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max

The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt.

But Paramount says its deal will pay $30 cash per share, representing $18 billion more in cash than its rivals are offering.

In a statement, Paramount said it was making a “strategically and financially compelling offer to WBD shareholders” and a “superior alternative to the Netflix transaction”.

David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said: “WBD shareholders deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company.

“Our public offer, which is on the same terms we provided to the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors in private, provides superior value, and a more certain and quicker path to completion.

“We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process.

“We are taking our offer directly to shareholders to give them the opportunity to act in their own best interests and maximize the value of their shares.”

Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to WBD in the course of 12 weeks, but that they were never “meaningfully” engaged with.

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