Taylor Swift shows off VERY tiny waist in sexy black gown with silver skirt as she hits 2026 MTV VMAs red carpet without Travis Kelce… ahead of her big award
Taylor Swift made her hotly anticipated arrival at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night – but her new husband Travis Kelce was nowhere to be found.
Despite riding solo, the 36-year-old Grammy winner, who received a special, first-ever honor, confidently hit the red carpet in a sexy two-toned gown.
Swift’s dress consisted of a black sleeveless bodice with a mesh back to highlight her enviably trim waist and a sparkly silver skirt that hung off her hips.
The already statuesque pop star added inches to her 5 foot 10 inch frame with sky-high heels decked out with rhinestones.
Swift appeared to debut shorter, wispier bangs, which she styled with sleek shoulder-length strands.
As for accessories, Swift wore dangly earrings, her wedding band and her $550,000 engagement ring from Kelce, whom she wed in July after nearly three years of dating.
Fans notably chanted ‘Mrs. Kelce’ once Swift was spotted making her way to the red carpet following the likes of Charli XCX, Tyla and Lisa Rinna.
Taylor Swift made her hotly anticipated arrival at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night – but her new husband Travis Kelce was nowhere to be found
Despite riding solo, the 36-year-old Grammy winner – who is set to receive a special, first-ever honor – confidently hit the red carpet in a sexy two-toned gown
While Swift was working her angles on the red carpet, her husband was spotted across the country with his NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami, Florida, where they played a football game against the Miami Dolphins earlier in the day.
Swift’s appearance at this year’s VMAs comes just days after the release of The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore, a surprise deluxe version of her 2025 album.
The new record includes four new songs from Swift, including a love anthem to Kelce titled Cleveland – a nod to his Ohio hometown – that critics dubbed a ‘dud’ despite the sentimental lyrics.
The other three tracks – Pink Clouding, Babylon and Patient Zero – also failed to impress the critics, as well as many of Swift’s diehard fans.
Currently The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore has an abysmal score of 39 on Metacritic, which means it has received ‘generally unfavorable reviews.’
Swift had announced the album just days before its release, telling fans that she wrote the songs ‘out of pure gratitude’ for her fans’ exuberance for and celebration of’ The Life Of A Showgirl, which was released on Kelce’s birthday on October 3, 2025.
‘About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind… You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history,’ she wrote of it success in a Tuesday Instagram post.
‘I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs.
‘I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore including four new songs is out on Friday and available to pre-order and save now,’ concluded Swift, who released the Encoure song Patient Zero as her latest single.
The music video for the track premiered at Sunday night’s VMAs after Swift accepted the inaugural Artist Director Honors.
Swift’s dress had a black sleeveless bodice with a mesh back to highlight her enviably trim waist
The lower half of Swift’s gown had a sparkly silver skirt that hung off her hips
She showed off her VMAs look from all angles during her red carpet stint
As for accessories, Swift wore dangly earrings, her wedding band and her $550,000 engagement ring from Kelce, whom she wed in July after nearly three years of dating
The Life Of A Showgirl singer debuted shorter, wispier bangs, which she styled with sleek shoulder-length strands
The already statuesque pop star’s tall rhinestone heels were hidden beneath her gown’s skirt
Swift opted for a natural glam makeup look – drifting away from her signature red lip
Fans notably chanted ‘Mrs. Kelce’ once Swift was spotted making her way to the red carpet following the likes of Charli XCX, Tyla and Lisa Rinna
Swift’s appearance at this year’s VMAs comes just days after the release of The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore, a surprise deluxe version of her 2025 album
While Swift was working her angles on the red carpet, her husband was spotted across the country with his NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami, Florida, where they played a football game against the Miami Dolphins earlier in the day
With the crowning achievement, Swift broke her tie with Beyonce, 44, as the most decorated artists of the VMAs, as they each came into Sunday’s event with 30 gongs to their name.
Inasmuch as Beyonce has no nominations this year, Swift became the sole reigning record-holder.
The MTV VMA Artist Director Honors celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.
Swift has utilized music videos as an extension of her songwriting as she has directed the visuals for her tracks: The Fate of Ophelia, Opalite, The Man, cardigan, willow, All Too Well: The Short Film, Anti-Hero, Bejeweled, Fortnight (feat. Post Malone), I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), Karma (feat. Ice Spice) and Lavender Haze.
‘I’ve gotten to be a part of making 60 music videos roughly,’ Swift said of her 20-year career while accepting the gold Moonperson.
She noted that she directed and wrote 18 out of the 60 music videos she’s created, noting that she loves ‘writing and directing music videos so much is because you the fans make it so much fun.’
Meanwhile, nominations were unveiled last month as it was Madonna who emerged as the artist with the most nods.
Madonna, 68, is in competition for a staggering 11 prizes, narrowly beating out Swift, who has nods in nine categories.
They will be vying against each other for the evening’s top honor, video of the year, with Swift up for The Fate of Ophelia and Madonna for Confessions II (The Film).
No doubt diehard Swifties will be watching the event with plenty of scrutiny as she released deluxe album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore along with new single Patient Zero on Friday
Madonna, 68, is in competition for a staggering 11 prizes, narrowly beating out Swift, who has nods in nine categories; seen in June
They will be vying against each other for the evening’s top honor, video of the year, with Swift up for The Fate of Ophelia (pictured) and Madonna for Confessions II – The Film
Confessions II (The Film) is in the running to win best best direction, best cinematography, best visual effects, best editing, best choreography, best art direction and more
Rounding out the category are the music videos for Hate That I Made You Love Me by Ariana Grande, Tears by Sabrina Carpenter, I Just Might by Bruno Mars and Storm by GENER8ION (starring Yung Lean).
Trailing Madonna and Swift, Grande and Carpenter are tied for third place with seven nominations apiece, while Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson each have five.
The artist of the year category is a face-off between Madonna, Swift, Grande, Carpenter, Mars and country music heartthrob Morgan Wallen.
Best pop video has emerged as a contest between Grande’s Hate That I Made You Love Me, Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia and Tate McRae’s Nobody’s Girl, as well as Dream by the Blackpink breakout Lisa, SS26 by Charli XCX, Drop Dead by Olivia Rodrigo and House Tour by Carpenter.
MTV Video Music Awards 2026 NOMINEES
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Gener8ion (starring Yung Lean – Storm
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
Sabrina Carpenter – Tears
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ariana Grande
Bruno Mars
Madonna
Morgan Wallen
Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift
Madonna has the most nominations of the year with 11
SONG OF THE YEAR
BTS – Swim
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Huntr/x – Golden
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter – Bring Your Love
Olivia Dean – Man I Need
Raye – Where Is My Husband
BEST NEW ARTIST
Bella Kay
Cortis
Magnus Ferrell
Malcolm Todd
Myles Smith
Sienna Spiro
Stella Lefty
BEST COLLABORATION
Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Malice – Chains & Whips
French Montana and Max B – Ever Since U Left Me
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai
Teyana Taylor and Lucky Daye – Hard Part
BEST POP
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Charli XCX – SS26
Lisa – Dream
Olivia Rodrigo – Drop Dead
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
Taylor Swift is trailing just behind the Queen of Pop with nine nods to her name
BEST HIP-HOP
Cardi B featuring Kehlani – Safe
Don Toliver – E85
Drake – Janice STFU
Megan Thee Stallion – Lover Girl
Travis Scott – Dumbo
Tyler, The Creator – Sugar on My Tongue
BEST R&B
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Chris Brown – It Depends/Obvious
Dave & Tems – Raindance
Justin Bieber – Yukon
Kehlani – Folded
Mariah The Scientist and Kali Uchis – Is It a Crime
BEST ALTERNATIVE
Geese – Taxes
MGK and Fred Durst – Fix Ur Face
Noah Kahan – The Great Divide
Olivia Rodrigo – The Cure
Sombr – Homewrecker
Tame Impala – Dracula
Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path
BEST DANCE
Bebe Rexha and Faithless – New Religion
Harry Styles – Aperture
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside
Slayyyter – Dance…
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
BEST LATIN
Anitta and Shakira – Choka Choka
Bad Bunny – NUEVAYoL
Fuerza Regida – Tu Sancho
Karol G – Papasito
Rosalía – La Perla
Ryan Castro, Kapo and Gangsta – La Villa
Shakira and Burna Boy – Dai Dai
Ariana Grande has landed a total of seven nominations
BEST K-POP
Blackpink – Jump
BTS – Swim
Cortis – Redred
Katseye – Pinky Up
Le Sserafim – Spaghetti
Lisa – Dream
BEST COUNTRY
Ella Langley – Choosin’ Texas
Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
Lainey Wilson – Somewhere over Laredo
Luke Combs – Back in the Saddle
Shaboozey – Cowgirl
Stella Lefty – Boston
Tucker Wetmore – Brunette
BEST DIRECTION
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love me
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Gener8ion – Storm
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Taylor Swift – Opalite
Sabrina Carpenter is tied with Grande, having scored seven nods
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
A$AP Rocky – Punk Rocky
Lisa – Dream
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
Shaboozey – Cowgirl
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
BEST EDITING
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Bruno Mars – I Just Might
Lisa – Dream
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
Sabrina Carpenter – House Tour
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Gener8ion – Storm
Harry Styles – Dance No More
Katseye – Pinky Up
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
Tate McRae – Nobody’s Girl
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ariana Grande – Hate That I Made You Love Me
Jisoo and Zayn – Eyes Closed
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside
Raye – Click Clack Symphony
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
BEST ART DIRECTION
Charli XCX – SS26
Lady Gaga and Doechii – Runway
Madonna – Confessions II (The Film)
PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson – Stateside
Sombr – My Body Isn’t Ready
Taylor Swift – The Fate of Ophelia
Swift has a chance this year to break her dead heat with Beyonce, with whom she is tied for most VMAs ever at 30
