By Maria Sherman, Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Katy Perry will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards next month. She will also perform.
Previous recipients include Shakira, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Missy Elliott.
Perry will return to the MTV VMA stage for the first time since 2017, when she performed and hosted the award show.
The pop singer has won five VMAs across her career. She took home her first three awards in 2011: video of the year (“Firework”), best collaboration and best special effects (both for “E.T.,” featuring Kanye West).
“Katy is a musical powerhouse and true pop culture icon,” said Bruce Gillmer, chief content officer of music at Paramount+ and president of music, music talent, programming and events at Paramount. “With her game changing creative vision, she has become a global phenomenon and taken over the world’s biggest stages.”
Taylor Swift tops the 2024 VMA nominations with 10 — eight for her “Fortnight” music video and nods in the artist of the year and best pop categories. She’s followed by her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone, who has nine. He is nominated along with Swift eight times and earned his ninth nom for his country hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen.
The 2024 MTV VMAs will air live on Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern from the UBS Arena on New York’s Long Island. Fan voting begins online Tuesday across 15 gender-neutral categories and ends Aug. 30.
Voting in the best new artist category will remain active throughout the show.
Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president after debate ends
WASHINGTON (AP)--Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night. "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 wrote in an Instagram post, which included a link to a voter registration website. Swift has a dedicated following among young women, a key demographic in the November election, and her latest tour has generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales. In a half hour, the post received more than 2.3 million likes. She included a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed the message "Childless Cat Lady." The remark is a reference to three-year-old comments made by JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, about women without children not having an equal stake in the country's future. Swift wrote that her endorsement was partially prompted by Trump's decision to post AI-generated pictures suggesting that she had endorsed him. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, and the text said "Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP." Trump's posts "brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," Swift wrote. She added that "I've done my research, and I've made my choice." The Trump campaign dismissed Swift's endorsement. "This is further evidence that the Democrat Party has unfortunately become a party of the wealthy elites," said spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. "There's many Swifties for Trump out there in America," she said, herself included. Swift's endorsement was not exactly a surprise. In 2020, she supported President Joe Biden, and she... Read More