Taylor Swift dedicates VMA Video of the Year win to Dolly Parton and becomes VMAs’ most-awarded artist

The useful part

Taylor Swift dedicates VMA Video Of The Year award to "ultimate showgirl" Dolly Parton Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton. Kevin Winter/Jason Kempin/Getty Images Taylor Swift dedicated her Video Of The Year victory at last night's MTV VMAs to the late Dolly Parton, describing the country legend as the "ultimate showgirl". The Big Read – Dolly Parton: "I take care of business" Swift picked up the night's top prize at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles yesterday (September 27) for 'The Fate Of Ophelia', having written and directed the video herself.

How it works

• "I want to thank and dedicate this award to one person… and that person is the ultimate showgirl, Dolly Parton," Swift said.
• She entered the night tied with Beyoncé on 30 wins, before moving ahead when she received the inaugural Artist Director Honors, recognising her work behind the camera.
• Advertisement Swift also used the ceremony to premiere her new 'Patient Zero' video, starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, following the release of 'The Life Of A Showgirl:
• WATCH She went on to praise the vivid storytelling in Parton's songwriting, saying listening to her music could feel like watching a music video, and hailed the way the singer channelled the events of her...
• In NME 's three-star review of 'The Life Of A Showgirl', Kristen S.

What to take from it

Advertisement After thanking fans and the team behind the visual, she turned her attention to Parton, who died last month aged 80. Swift added that she felt fortunate to have been one of those fans and said the world had been lucky to share the planet with Parton. Recommended Swift and Travis Kelce had also supported Parton's literacy charity, the Imagination Library, as part of a $26million package of donations to charities across the US earlier this year.

Example or evidence

• Swift has also recently spoken about feeling an increasingly strong connection to the Nashville scene in which she began her career.
• Last month, she said she felt "more loyal" to her "country roots" than ever, crediting the people she encountered there with shaping her as both an artist and songwriter.
• Advertisement Elsewhere during last night's VMAs, Swift made history by becoming the most-awarded artist in the ceremony's history.
• Swift subsequently won Best Direction for 'Opalite' and Video Of The Year for 'The Fate Of Ophelia', bringing her career total to 33 VMAs.

Details worth keeping

"She knows who she is and what she wants," Parton added at the time. Musgraves had previously honoured Parton with a cover of 'Here You Come Again' just days after her death. Hé wrote: "To seek escapism is not a sin, but the best pop music makes the personal feel like life or death." Related Topics Pop VMAs Dolly Parton Taylor Swift You May Also Like

Related coverage

• Elle: Taylor Swift Dedicates Her Historic VMA Win to Dolly Parton, 'the Ultimate Showgirl'
• Rollingstone: Swift dedicates the award for "The Fate of Ophelia" to Dolly Parton, "the ultimate showgirl"
• Fanbolt: Taylor Swift premiered the gothic 'Patient Zero' video at the 2026 VMAs and gave her Video of the Year award to Dolly Parton.
• Stuff: Taylor Swift broke records at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, as she is known to do.