Taylor Swift Just Made MTV VMAs History — And Gave Dolly Parton the Sweetest Shoutout

Taylor Swift really said “add another one to the collection” — and honestly, at this point, we’re running out of ways to describe her award shelf.

The pop superstar made MTV VMAs history on Sunday, September 27, officially becoming the most-awarded artist in the history of the show with 32 wins.

Thirty-two.

Before the ceremony, Taylor was tied with Beyoncé at 30 VMAs. But she broke that tie after taking home the inaugural Artist Director Honors, before adding another trophy to the collection with Video of the Year for The Fate of Ophelia.

And while the record-breaking moment was obviously a big deal, Taylor used her biggest moment of the night to honour someone who meant a whole lot to her: the one and only Dolly Parton.

Taylor Dedicated Her VMA to Dolly

While accepting Video of the Year, Taylor dedicated the award to Dolly, calling her “the ultimate showgirl.”

Taylor praised Dolly’s legendary songwriting and storytelling, saying that listening to her songs was like watching “the best music video you have ever seen in your life” every time.

And honestly? That’s a pretty iconic compliment from someone who knows a thing or two about music videos.

Taylor also reflected on the way Dolly approached her career, saying she had always channelled everything that happened in her life and career into love, gratitude and appreciation for her fans.

“I am lucky I got to be one of them, and I will always be one of them,” Taylor said.

Behind The Fate of Ophelia

Taylor also made sure to shout out the people who helped bring The Fate of Ophelia to life, including choreographer Mandy Moore, production designer Ethan Tobman, editor Chancler Haynes and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto.

She explained that she wanted the video to feel like one continuous shot, meaning the team had to get seriously creative when it came to hiding cuts.

Taylor also credited Rodrigo Prieto as one of the people who gave her the confidence to direct her own music videos — so this wasn’t just an award for the finished product, but a little victory lap for the creative team behind it too.

32 VMAs. One Very Emotional Speech.

Taylor ended her speech by reflecting on just how lucky the world was to have shared a planet with Dolly Parton.

And honestly, between breaking a massive VMA record and using the moment to celebrate one of music’s greatest icons, it was a pretty full-circle kind of night.