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sabrina carpenter kissing an alien at the VMAs
sabrina carpenter kissing an alien at the VMAs
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Culture > Entertainment

The Greatest Moments from the 2024 VMAs

Kendell Simpson
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.

Months of preparations, weeks of fan voting, days of countless posts across Instagram feeds and within a couple of hours all of MTV’s hard work was completed as the 2024 Video Music Awards came to a close. From singers to athletes there were many influential names in attendance and with so many important people, here are some of the greatest moments from Wednesday night. 

  • Flavor Flav gifts Jordan Chiles a clock necklace

After Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles was stripped of her bronze medal during the 2024 Paris Olympics, the internet went into a frenzy. People were angry that the judges ruled that she had to return the medal and in return, a certain Water Polo sponsor, Flavor Flav, decided to design a bronze time necklace, similar to his signature look. Chiles was finally able to receive her gift on stage at the VMAs as the announced the winner for Best Collaboration.

  • Megan Thee Stallion’s Britney Spears tribute

Megan Thee Stallion was the host of this year’s VMAs and this entire list could be filled with how great of a host she was or how stunning her outfit changes were each time. But, this year the VMAs celebrated 40 years of music and with this came special references to past music videos, previous winners, and some of the most memorable performances. Megan Thee Stallion paid tribute to the iconic moment when Britney Spears performed “I’m a slave 4 you” with a python wrapped around her shoulders. Megan’s recreation of this moment, even though her fear was on full display, will go down in history. 

  • Sabrina Carpenter’s Out of this World Performance

Sabrina Carpenter has had a wonderful year with some of the catchiest songs of the summer including “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”. Her latest album Short and Sweet has also become one of the highest trending albums of all time. Her performance was one of the best of the night involving a mashup of three of her songs and a collection of dancers in spacesuits. One of the most notable moments included her make out with an alien. 

  • Katy Perry receives Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award and her performance

Katy Perry received one of the VMA’s highest honors in the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award. Her longtime partner and fiance introduced her in the sweetest way making reference to their relationship and their daughter, Daisy. Perry then went on to perform an almost 10 minute collection of some of her greatest hits. She has officially solidified her place in music and VMA history.

  • Benson Boone flips into history

Benson Boone is a well known singer whose songs became extremely popular on Tik Tok but he is also known for performing on season 19 of American Idol. Since his time as a contestant, he has become a large success touring around the world and even opening for Taylor Swift during the Eras Tour stop at Wembley Stadium in London. His performance during the VMAs involved a bedazzled suit, sparkling shoes and his signature flips across stage. Since he stepped off the stage, his popularity has increased even more. 

  • Tyla wins an award and hearts

Becoming a popular sensation with the 2019 single, “Getting Late”, Tyla has officially won her second career award. At the 2024 VMAs, she won the award for Best Afro-beats and her acceptance speech brought tears to people across the internet, including me. She spoke very highly of her home in South Africa and of her culture and one of the most iconic quotes, “The global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too!”

  • Chappell Roan a.k.a ‘Roan’ of Arc 

The Midwest Princess arrived at the 2024 VMAs as a medieval princess carrying a huge sword. She then transformed into a suit of armor and performed in front of a large castle with a moat. As her first performance at this level, she did absolutely phenomenal. She accepted an award for Best New Artist dressed as another suit of armor. Her award was dedicated to drag queens, her fans, and “all of the queer kids in the midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you because I’m one of you”. All hail to our Midwest Princess and let’s be honest she is practically the queen of pop at this point. 

  • The VMAs Taylor’s Version

This entire list could be filled with everything Taylor Swift did before arriving at the VMAs but it has been condensed solely into one section about how successful she was at the award show. Swift solidified her place as the most-decorated VMA of all time, she won seven awards bringing her total VMA moon person count up to 30. She had a midshow change from her original carpet outfit into a glittering dress featuring a UFO, a possible note to Sabrina’s earlier performance or maybe we are getting a ‘Down Bad’ music video? And what might be one of my favorite, most memorable moments from the night, Taylor Swift mentioned her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in her acceptance speech for Best Video of the Year. She thanked him saying “everything that this man touches turns to happiness, fun and magic, so thank you for adding that to the shoot.” Truly an iconic night from one of the greatest women of the music industry!

Kendell is a writer and senior editor of the Her Campus Purdue University chapter. She's been a part of Purdue's Her Campus chapter since fall of 2023. Her favorite topics to write about include entertainment, the music industry and about her favorite experiences around campus. Kendell is a sophomore at Purdue University. She is majoring in Communications with a minor in History, Anthropology and Creative Writing. Beyond Her Campus, Kendell is a member of Purdue Orientation Programs and was a team leader and Summer Visit Day Conductor for Boiler Gold Rush 2024. In the future, she hopes to work for a broadcast network working with sports and entertainment reporting. She currently works at a cafe right outside of campus and loves to tell everyone about it. Originally from Noblesville, Indiana, she grew up visiting West Lafayette and Purdue's campus, she loves to learn more about the student life. In her free time, Kendell enjoys listen to music especially Taylor Swift. She is also really into reading and loves to talk about her latest reads, majority of which involve romance. She loves to bake and back home is known for her banana bread muffins, coffee cake and chocolate chip cookies.