VOA文化艺术2023--Taylor Swift Takes MTV's Top Award

Taylor Swift Takes MTV's Top Award

Taylor Swift took home the top prize at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) for her Anti-Hero music video.

The music network's yearly awards show took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey¹.

"This is unbelievable. The fact that this is a fan-voted award means so much to me," Swift said in her acceptance speech. "I can't believe it was a year ago that I announced the Midnights album."

The night's first presenters² were from the male musical act NSYNC. They reunited to hand the best pop video award to Swift.

Swift received the most nominations³ of any performer. Swift later returned to the stage to receive the song of the year award for Anti-hero and also the best direction award.

The performer received nine awards in total. Those included artist of the year in a group of nominees⁴ made up of women for the first time on the VMA show.

Ice Spice, who worked with Swift on Karma (Remix), won best new artist.

New music filled the show with songs from Nicki Minaj who also was the host. Minaj performed the new song Last Time I saw You. She then performed a piece from her upcoming Pink Friday 2 album.

The award show centered on showing music's international power. K-pop, or Korean pop, boy group Tomorrow X Together and Brazilian artist Anitta introduced a new song together, Back for More.

Another K-pop group, Stray⁵ Kids, performed the song S-Class. Mexican singer Peso Pluma performed a song called Lady Gaga and Colombian singer Karol G sang Oki Doki and another song Tá OK (remix).

Tiffany Haddish presented the award for "Best Afrobeats," a new award group. Afrobeats is music with influences from Africa and Black American culture. Rema and Selena Gomez won the award for the popular song Calm Down.

"Africa in the house!" Rema said in his acceptance speech. Gomez said, "I want to send all of my love to Nigeria, thank you."

Colombian star Shakira received the Video Vanguard Award and performed a mix of her popular songs.

"MTV, thank you for being such a big part of my career since I was only 18 years old," Shakira said. She also thanked her parents and her children, who she brought to the show.

"This is for you my people, my Latin American people, inside and outside this country," she said in the Spanish language.

Diddy received the Global Icon⁶ Award from Mary J. Blige and his daughter Chance Combs. He is the third act to receive the award, after the Red Hot Chili⁷ Peppers in 2022 and the Foo Fighters in 2021.

The artist also performed at the VMAs for the first time since 2005. The performance was a collection of some of his most popular songs like Bad Boy for Life and Mo Money Mo Problems.

Lil Wayne opened the show with a performance of his new single Kat Food. Olivia Rodrigo then brought her Vampire⁸ music video to the stage before performing Get Him Back!

Later, Anitta would win the "best Latin" award for the second year. In her acceptance speech, she laughed, saying, "I wanna thank myself." And she added, "Because I work so hard!"

French Montana, a performer who presented an award, brought attention to an effort to provide aid to victims of the Morocco earthquake. The performer grew up in Morocco.

The VMA show ended with a celebration of 50 years of the musical form hip-hop. It included Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, and DMC of Run-DMC.

Words in This Story

pop – n. music that is popular

host – n. a person who talks to guests on a television or radio show

hip-hop – n. rap music

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 presenters   

n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Each week presenters would put the case for their favourite candidate. 每个星期主持人推出他们最喜欢的候选人。 来自互联网
• Karaoke was set up to allowed presenters to sing on the stage. 宴会设有歌唱舞台，可让出席者大演唱功。 来自互联网

3 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

4 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

5 stray   

n.走失的家畜，浪子；adj.迷途的，偶然的；vi.迷路，彷徨

参考例句：

• We couldn't identify the stray child.我们不能辨认出这个迷途孩子的身份。
• Please don't stray from the subject.请不要离开本题。

6 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

7 chili   

n.辣椒

参考例句：

• He helped himself to another two small spoonfuls of chili oil.他自己下手又加了两小勺辣椒油。
• It has chocolate,chili,and other spices.有巧克力粉，辣椒，和其他的调味品。

8 vampire   

n.吸血鬼

参考例句：

• It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
• Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。