Hottest ticket in town! Taylor Swift, Lizzo and more fan-favorite artists hit the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards stage — and kept the party going in the audience.
The “Cardigan” singer, 32, arrived on Sunday, August 28, in a dazzling Oscar de la Renta dress adorned with jewel-encrusted chains. She amplified the risky look with crystal Christian Louboutin heels, Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and a metallic manicure, but her jaw-dropping fashion wasn’t even her biggest surprise of the night.
While accepting her Video of the Year win for All Too Well: The Short Film, Swift sent viewers into a frenzy by revealing she has a new album on the way this fall. “I had sort of made up my mind that if you were gonna be this generous and give us this, I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out October 21,” she said, teasing that more details would come at midnight.
She dedicated her coveted Moonperson trophy to her fans. “I’m just so proud of what we made,” she continued. “We wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it weren’t for you, the fans. Because I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it weren’t for you. You emboldened me to do that.”
Swift was nominated for five awards at Sunday’s show. Along with Video of the Year, she won Best Direction and Best Longform Video. When she wasn’t accepting her honors on stage, the “Clean” singer showed off her moves alongside pals Dylan O’Brien and Sarah Ramos in the audience.
Viewers may have caught the Grammy winner singing along to Nicki Minaj‘s jam-packed medley, and an eyewitness tells Us Weekly Swift didn’t want to miss a second of the Video Vanguard Award winner’s performance. After a commercial break, the “Evermore” songstress sprinted back to her seat to get the best view of Minaj.
Later on, Swift stopped to chat with Kane Brown, who was joined by his wife, Katelyn. The couple snapped a photo with the Miss Americana star. Brown, 28, made history at Sunday’s VMAs by becoming the first male country artist to perform on the show.
A-listers weren’t the only ones to draw fans’ attention during the ceremony. Addison Rae‘s mom, Sheri Easterling, stunned on the red carpet with rapper Yung Gravy, marking their official red carpet debut. The twosome wore matching lavender outfits that made them easy to spot as they got cozy with one another inside the arena.
The pair — who are 16 years apart in age — cuddled in the audience while Best Alternative winners Måneskin rocked out on stage. Gravy, 26, shed more light on how the duo met while speaking to MTV’s Nessa Diab before the show.
“We met online and we connected right away,” he said. “You know, I’m from the furthest north it gets and she’s from the furthest south it gets. I’m into MILFs and she’s kind of the queen of MILFs, so I figured it was just the perfect match.”
Scroll down to see even more memorable VMAs moments that didn’t make it on the air: