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Taylor Swift and Post Malone are having a pretty good fortnight. The pair was the first to win a Moon Person during the televised broadcast of the MTV Video Music Awards Wednesday night (Sept. 11), taking home best collaboration for the music video to their Billboard Hot 100-topping duet “Fortnight.”
The prize was presented by the self-proclaimed King Swiftie himself, Flavor Flav, and 2024 Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles. “Swifties in the building!” the Public Enemy rapper shouted into the microphone, holding up a hand-heart that made the pop superstar giggle as she took the stage alongside the “Psycho” musician.
Swift began the pair’s joint acceptance speech by addressing the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States over two decades prior on the same day as the ceremony. “Waking up this morning in New York on Sept. 11, I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago,” she said. “That is the most important thing about today, and everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”
“There is a very clear reason why Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with,” the 14-time Grammy winner continued as her fellow hitmaker blushed. “It is because you are so ridiculously talented. You’re the most down-to-earth person.”
Swift went on to joke about Posty’s reputation for uber politeness. “It has taken me forever to get him to stop calling me ‘ma’am,’” she said as he smiled before passing the mic off to her collaborator, who said that the “Anti-Hero” artist was “one of the most kind and talented people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing.”
“Just the amount of work and care and love she puts in,” he marveled, noting how “bad a–” it was to watch Swift simultaneously direct and star in the “Fortnight” visual.
Released on April 19, the “Fortnight” music video dropped on the same day as Swift’s Billboard 200-topping album The Tortured Poets Department, effectively serving as the lead single. The gothic visual featured the Eras Tour headliner and Posty playing moody lovers-turned-exes and featured a mini Dead Poets Society reunion with Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles making cameos.
The 2024 VMAs kicked off at 8 p.m. Wednesday at New York’s UBS Arena. Swift is nominated for a total of 12 Moon People this year, more than any other artist.
