The 36-year-old Swift had been even with Beyonce for the most Moonman statuettes with 30, but broke the tie with the inaugural Artist Director Honours, bestowed on βThe Fate of Opheliaβ singer for her work behind the camera on visual storytelling.
She also won Video of the Year, which she dedicated to country legend Dolly Parton, praising the recently deceased performerβs music and saying βevery single song she wrote, her storytelling was so vividβ.
βShe handled this fame with such grace and love and gratitude,β she added.
Swift used the occasion to premiere the video for her new single βPatient Zeroβ, which stars actors Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson. In the track, Swift warns a woman about her partner, with whom the singer had a toxic relationship.
βIf heβs killing you / I got you / I was patient zero,β she sings.
But Swift struck out in some of the showβs biggest categories, including Artist of the Year, which went to the queen of pop, Madonna.
While accepting the prize, Madonna reminisced about how her manager scolded her backstage at the very first MTV awards show, where she briefly mooned the audience in a performance fumble.
βMy manager said my career was over,β she said, adding that he wasnβt her manager anymore.
Known for creating an indelible VMAs moment when she kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera onstage during a 2003 medley, Madonna also opened the show with her first performance at the event since that night.
Sporting knee-high boots and her platinum tresses loose, the 68-year-old pop queen sang βBring Your Loveβ alongside Sabrina Carpenter before medleying with Charli XCX for βDanceteriaβ.
While accepting the award for Best Collaboration after their performance, Madonna and Carpenter joked about how the material girl direct messaged via social media to get them into the studio for the collaboration.
Grunge band Nirvana received the Video Vanguard award. They are the first group to receive the top honour in more than 20 years. Frontman Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994, after studio albums Nevermind and In Utero skyrocketed to success.
βNirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity,β bass player Krist Novoselic said after a video retrospective of the bandβs videos.
βSomething real, something uncompromising. Something that tells you itβs just okay to come as you are.β
Thai artist LISA, a member of girl group Blackpink, won the award for best pop for βDreamβ, featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
The vast majority of awards were doled out offstage during an evening far better known for its performances and stage antics than its prizes.
Kacey Musgraves headlined a tribute to late country legend Dolly Parton, while Teddy Swims, Sombr and Raye offered a soulful tribute to crooner George Michael, 40 years after the release of his landmark album Faith.
Rapper Snoop Dogg hosted the ceremony, which aired on CBS and MTV.
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