The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards opened Tuesday night in New Jersey with host Nicki Minaj, a big *NSYNC reunion and two Taylor Swift wins.
Legendary rapper Lil Wayne opened the show at Prudential Center in Newark, bringing the audience to their feet with "Uproar" and "Kat Food" followed by Olivia Rodrigo performing her lead single "Vampire" from her sophomore album Guts.
The first award of the night was presented, in an historic reunion, by all five members of *NSYNC, who appeared together on stage for the first time in 10 years.
Justin Timberlake was joined by Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, J.C. Chasez, and Joey Fatone to present the VMA for the Best Pop Video, which went to Taylor Swift, who wore a black dress with a slit. Swift leads the night with eight nominations.
"I'm not doing well pivoting from this to this," Swift said, while accepting the award from *NSYNC.
"I had your dolls. Are you doing something? What's going to happen now? They're going to do something and I need to know what it is," Swift said. "You're pop personified to receive this from your golden pop hands is really it's too much."
Taylor Swift also took home the award for Song of the Year for "Anti-Hero."
"We'll be making music together until 2089," Swift said in a shoutout to her producer, Jack Antonoff, referring to their first collaboration with 1989.
Cardi B. And Megan Thee Stallion reunited to perform their latest collaboration "Bongos," released Friday.
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Demi Lovato was up next, performing a rock medley of her three biggest hits, including "Heart Attack," "Sorry Not Sorry," and "Cool for the Summer," which will be part of a new album Revamped.
The K-Pop award, presented by Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, went to Stray Kids for its single "S-Class." It is the group's first VMA win.
"We've been making music ever since the start of our career, but to receive this award just really means a lot to us," said Bang Chan, who was joined onstage by band members Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N.