Inside the wild MTV VMA celebrations as Taylor Swift makes history alongside former enemy Katy Perry
TAYLOR Swift had an out-of-this-world night at MTV’s space-themed Video Music Awards by becoming their most decorated solo artist.
The Shake It Off singer won seven of the 12 categories she was nominated in — including Artist of the Year and Video of the Year.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter put on a raunchy show while performing three of her hit songs by kissing an alien and appearing to touch up an astronaut.
Taylor’s stunning night means she now has 30 VMA Moonman trophies to her name, leapfrogging Beyoncé, who has 26 as a solo artist.
However, Beyoncé has a further four from her work with Destiny’s Child and with Jay-Z as the Carters.
Taylor, 34, used her acceptance speech at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, to encourage fans to vote in the US presidential election next month.
She also paid tribute to her boyfriend, American football star Travis Kelce, who was with her on set while she directed the video for Fortnight.
Taylor said: “When I would finish a take I’d say cut and we’d be done with that take, I would always just hear someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it.
“And that one person was my boyfriend Travis.
“Everything this man touches turns into happiness and fun and magic.”
Taylor also remembered the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
She said: “Waking up this morning in New York on September 11, I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago, everyone who lost a loved one and everyone that we lost.
“And that is the most important thing about today.
“Everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
Taylor celebrated her triumphs by partying into the early hours with her Fortnight collaborator Post Malone and pals Camila Cabello and Sabrina at the Electric Lady Studios in New York.
An onlooker said: “Taylor was at the Electric Lady Studios for a wedding earlier in the week but headed back there for a private after-party.
“As soon as the show in Long Island ended, Taylor took along Post and Sabrina for a massive bash, which went on until the early hours.
“There was a free bar and they were all dancing all night. It was an amazing feat for Taylor and she really let her hair down.”
Sabrina won Song of the Year for Espresso, dedicating the award to “my cats and dogs at home watching”.
Post picked up two gongs with Taylor for their song Fortnight, including Video of the Year, which Swift has now won a record five times.
Sabrina sang her three UK number ones during the awards — Espresso, Taste and Please Please Please.
During her raunchy performance, she appeared to rub an astronaut before planting a smacker on a blue alien.
And she paid tribute to Madonna by collecting her award while wearing the silver gown the Queen of Pop wore to the Oscars in 1991.
Elsewhere, rising star Chappell Roan, who won Best New Artist, delivered the most visually impressive performance of the night.
The outspoken star went medieval and belted out her hit Good Luck, Babe wearing a full suit of armour and holding a sword.
She opened her performance by shooting a fiery arrow into a castle — which then burst into flames.
When she collected her award, Roan, who was playing to audiences of 200 this time last year, read a speech from the pages of her diary dedicated her award to “all the drag queens who inspired me”.
She also offered words of support to “queer kids in the Midwest”, where she was born and raised. She said: “I see you, I understand you — because I’m one of you.
“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”