Top moments from the 40th MTV Video Music Awards

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — The 2024 MTV Video Music Awards were held on Wednesday and it was a night of female pop powerhouses, nostalgia and… aliens.

The reigning women of the charts owned the night with Taylor Swift’s happy award show dance moves making a return, Chappell Roan making her fiery VMA debut, Sabrina Carpenter appearing to make out with an alien and Katy Perry soaring through the air while performing a medley of her greatest hits.

There were some men there, too, with Eminem opening the show with a performance of “Houdini” and “Somebody Save Me” and Lenny Kravitz in his signature black leather and revealing shirt performing a new version of his classic hit “Fly Away,” among other songs.

Hosted by Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, there was no shortage of notable moments. Here are some of the biggest.

Taylor Swift’s 9/11 tribute and call to action

Taylor Swift took a moment to honor victims of the September 11 attacks of 2001 while accepting the first award of the evening.

“I wanted to say waking up this morning in New York on September 11th, I’ve just been thinking about what happened 23 years ago, everyone who lost a loved one,” she said. “Everyone that we lost and that is the most important thing about today. And everything that happens tonight falls behind that.”

Swift and Post Malone won best collaboration for their hit song “Fortnight,” a track off Swift’s latest album “The Tortured Poets Department.” They also took home the last award of the evening for video of the year, directed by Swift.

She thanked her boyfriend Travis Kelce for his encouragement while on set for the project.

“Everything this man touches turn to happiness and fun and magic,” she said.

Swift concluded her speech by thanking her fans for voting for her and calling on her supporters over 18 to “please register to vote for something else that’s very important,” the 2024 presidential election. Swift’s message to young voters comes after she made a splash on Tuesday when she endorsed Kamala Harris’ presidential run.

Sabrina Carpenter kissed an alien

Yes, you read that correctly. Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter kissed an alien onstage during her hotly-anticipated performance. (Ok, fine, it wasn’t a real alien.) Carpenter performed a mash-up of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” among other songs. In addition to the alien, she was accompanied on stage by several backup dancers dressed up as Moon People in a nod to the VMA trophies.

Carpenter’s performance was introduced by pop legend Cyndi Lauper, who said that Carpenter – who wore a vintage Bob Mackie gown previously worn by Madonna – is among the women who “have continued to dominate the landscape” this year in music. “This performer definitely knows how to have some fun, right?” Lauper said, referencing her iconic 1983 hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Orlando Bloom supported Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s husband, actor Orlando Bloom, introduced Perry and recognized her as the recipient of the VMA Video Vanguard Award. Bloom said throughout her career, Perry has “brought a sense of joy and laughter, inspiring generations of people from all over the world.”

Perry sang a mix of her hits, including “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream” and “Firework” as she soared on a harness. She ended her set on the ground with her new song “Lifetimes.” Perry accepted her honor and thanked Bloom, their daughter Daisy, her team and her supporters, known as Katycats, who she said have “stood by me for a lifetime.”

Chappell Roan’s fiery performance

Call her Chappell Roan of Arc. Roan lit it up the stage during her performance. Literally. The “Hot To Go!” singer shot a crossbow with a burning arrow to light the backdrop of her set on fire while performing her hit song “Good Luck, Babe!”

The stunt shouldn’t come as a surprise to Roan loyalists, who know the latest sensation in pop music has an affinity for leaning hard into a themed aesthetic during her shows. On stage Wednesday, she channeled the warrior energy of patron saint Joan of Arc, clad in medieval armor and accompanied by her backup dancers who used swords as props.

Roan later won the award for best new artist on the heels of her hit debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” In her speech, Roan spoke to “all the queer kids in the midwest watching right now.”

“I see you, I understand you, because I am one of you,” she said. “And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you want to be.”

Carson Daly said ‘hi’ to your mom

Carson Daly – who famously hosted MTV’s “Total Request Live” in New York City between 1998 and 2003 – took a moment to introduce himself before presenting the award for best K-Pop to Lisa for her song “Rockstar.”

“For those of you who are too young to know who I am, I was the host of a show on MTV called Total Request Live or TRL,” Daly said. “It was the best, best show. Kids going crazy in Times Square and every day after school, I was with your mother. So please, tell her I said hi.”

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