The 2024 Video Music Awards took place on September 11 in New York City, and for the first time in years, the awards show had a special energy reminiscent of the early 2000s. Some of those artists, like Eminem, were in attendance tonight, but there were also plenty of new and deserving faces who were first-time winners.

From Katy Perry’s victory lap to Taylor Swift’s big wins and the shout-out to Travis Kelce, here are some of the night’s biggest moments.

Perry delivers a performance that spans his entire career

It’s tradition for Video Vanguard Award winners to perform a medley of their greatest hits. That’s exactly what Perry did for 10 minutes, singing and dancing her heart out.

The 39-year-old singer’s performance was a highlight of the show, as she kept the crowd on their feet throughout with songs like “Dark Horse,” “ET,” “Teenage Dream,” “I Kissed a Girl,” and “Firework.” She performed two singles from her upcoming album 143 —and one of them was not “Women’s world.”

Swift, Perry’s former foe-turned-friend, danced through Perry’s memorable moment. We’ve come a long way since the “Bad Blood” days, everyone!

On the personal front, things seem to be better than ever for Perry. She was introduced by her fiancé Orlando Bloom and, well, they were cute. The two shared a passionate kiss after her performance when he officially presented her with the award.

“I did all that on the first day of my period,” Perry began. She eventually turned more serious in her acceptance speech, saying that there are “no decades-long accidents,” before offering a message to the next generation of singers.

“I get excited when I look around in the music world today and I see all these amazing young artists who are operating with confidence, agency, vulnerability and authenticity,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot of people say do this, don’t say that, wear less, wear more now… One of the biggest reasons I’m here today is because I’ve learned how to block out all the noise that every artist in this industry has to constantly fight against — especially women.”

Perry added: “Do whatever it takes to stay true to yourself and true to your art. Turn off social media, protect your mental health. Take a break. Touch grass. And do what you were born to do, just like I was born to do.”

The next generation of pop stars has arrived, but Swift still reigns supreme

Many of the artists Perry referenced were in the building, including Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Benson Boone and GloRilla, all of whom gave energetic performances during the show. Carpenter won the coveted Song of the Year for “Espresso.” Roan took home the Moon Person for Best New Artist. Tyla and Boone walked away as winners.

It’s not all out with the old, in with the new. Swift won seven awards, including two of the biggest categories: Artist of the Year and Video of the Year.

My Boyfriend, Travis

During her acceptance speech for Video of the Year, Swift began running through her list of thank-yous, including Post Malone, her cinematographer, and one very special person.

“The thing is, this video looks really sad when you watch it, but it was actually the most fun video to make,” said Swift, who also directed the video. “One thing I’ll always remember is that when I finished a take and I said ‘cut,’ and we were done with that take, I always heard someone cheering and wooo from across the studio where we were recording – and that one person was my boyfriend, Travis (Kelce).”

Swift continues: “Everything this man touches turns into happiness and joy and magic. I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I will never forget that.”

While Kelce and Swift, who recently reached the one-year milestone of their relationship, have gone official on Instagram, this is the first time fans have actually heard her shout out her boyfriend.

It was the Video Music Awards — minus a bunch of awards

The show was jam-packed with live performances from Eminem, LL Cool J, LISA, Shawn Mendes, Megan Thee Stallion, Camila Cabello and more. That left only room for a handful of awards to be handed out onstage. Viewers learned most of the winners in a montage during the second act. Several major awards — including Video of the Year, Best New Artist, Song of the Year — were handed out during the broadcast.