The Video of the Year category at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards was a tough one, but Taylor Swift walked away with the win for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift then dropped a bombshell announcement to the crowd, that she is releasing a brand new album on October 21 and is releasing more information about the forthcoming project at midnight.
“I’m so honored to have been recognized alongside such amazing artists and directors in this category,” Swift said at the beginning of her speech. “I just want to say I’m so heartened by the fact that the first time in VMA history that four of the directors nominated in the Video Of The Year category are women.”
She continued, saying, “You guys, I’m just so proud of what we made and I know with every second of this moment, we wouldn’t have been able to make this short film if it wasn’t for you, the fans. Because I wouldn’t be able to re-record my albums if it weren’t for you… You emboldened me to do that. I had sort of made up my mind that it might be a fun moment to tell you … my brand new album comes out October 21st. And I will tell you more at midnight.”
Following the announcement, Swift took to social media to share a photo that teased, “Meet me at midnight.”
The nominees included Doja Cat for “Woman,” Drake ft. Future & Young Thug for “Way 2 Sexy,” Ed Sheeran for “Shivers,” Harry Styles for “As It Was,” Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow for “Industry Baby,” Olivia Rodrigo for “Brutal,” and Taylor Swift for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift previously took home the Video of the Year award in 2015 for “Bad Blood,” and again in 2019 for “You Need to Calm Down.”
“I just want to say that this is a fan-voted award. I first want to say thank you to the fans, because in this video several points were made, so you voting for this video means that you want a world where we’re all treated equally under the law regardless of who we love, regardless of how we identify,” Swift said in her 2019 acceptance speech. “At the end of this video there was a petition, and there still is a petition, for the equality act which, basically, just says we all deserve equal rights under the law. I want to thank everyone who signed that petition, because it now has half a million signatures which is five times the amount that it would need to warrant a response from the White House.”
Lil Nas X, meanwhile, won Video of the Year in 2021 for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” In his speech, he gushed, “First, I want to say thank you to the gay agenda. Let’s go, gay agenda! … I love you guys so much. I will not take this for granted.”
Drake was nominated in the category in 2012 for “Take Care,” in 2016 for “Hotline Bling,” and in 2018 for “God’s Plan.” Sheeran has also been nominated for the award twice, once in 2015 for “Thinking Out Loud,” and again in 2021 for “Bad Habits.”