Taylor Swift or Beyoncé? Who Could Bag the 2025 VMA Artist of the Year?

Two artists who form the biggest metonymy for the entirety of the music industry collide in a battle of stars, under the arena of spotlights and moon men: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Ready to clash once again in the battle for the 2025 MTV VMA Artist of the Year. Their histories are intertwined in anthems of decades past, pop culture shifts, and fan loyalty. This awards battle is not merely a popularity contest; it is a stylistic competition of eras, charisma, and influence. But as nominees, both have their own story to tell: one an august poet with record-breaking tours, the other a genre-bending music monarch who rewrote the Grammy history books. But who is winning?

When legends clash, the spotlight blazes ever brighter than their already blazing individual auras.

Mother of cats, breaker of records, and reigning champion: Taylor Swift

An award ceremony is a fun party for Taylor Swift, who smoothly sweeps trophies anywhere she goes. However, this year, Swift will fight Beyoncé to become the most awarded artist in VMAs history. The duo will also give a tough fight to other famed artists such as Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga, who leads this year’s nominations with 12 nods. Swift snatched seven VMAs in 2024, which included five for her Post Malone collab ‘Fortnight’, and Artist of the Year alongside Best Pop. She has bagged 30 VMA wins so far, much like Beyoncé.

Having secured the same title in both 2023 and 2024, a feat that says much about her international appeal, Swift packs in her behemoth of a successful Eras tour this year. Swift’s record-setting tour spanned 149 sold‑out shows till December of 2024, grossing over $2 billion. Most recently, Swift’s The Eras Tour was honored with Tour of the Century at the iHeartRadio Music Awards hosted by hip-hop legend LL Cool J. Swift weaved millions of fans with friendship bracelets across cities during her Eras Tour, causing a seismic-scale culture shift with the entire world bearing witness to her mighty influence.

When it comes to cultural influence, the Destiny’s Child star is already anointed with the crown of Queen Bey. Taylor Swift’s songbird might have to screech like a dragon to beat the music mogul. 

Stop the track, let Beyoncé state the facts: Leading with 90 nominations VMA’s juggernaut

How does one battle with the most nominated artist in the history of time? Beyoncé is going head-to-head with Taylor Swift for the one award that could make or break a new record. This year’s VMAs indeed seem like an adrenaline rush for their respective fandoms, as if they are watching a high-intensity football game nearing its fate. Her ‘Cowboy Carter’ era set the tone for the year, with the Best Country Album and Album of the Year, shattering genre boundaries at the Grammy Awards. By comparison, the Cowboy Carter Tour stopped at 32 stadiums in the US and UK, grossing $407.6 million, featuring Destiny’s Child, according to Billboard Boxscore. It is also the highest-grossing country tour of all time.

Recalling this year’s Grammys, Queen Bey had an upper hand over Taylor Swift with five more nods, marking a close battle. Beyoncé’s pioneering stream of success with blending country, pop, and visual spectacle solidifies her as a force beyond categories, especially when limited by a single nomination. While it is nigh impossible to zero in on either of the icons, Taylor Swift shows an uninterrupted winning streak, while Beyoncé’s cultural representation outweighs the pop music industry. In friendly competition, the ultimate winner might rest on sheer momentum: Swift’s reliability against Beyoncé’s fearless reinvention. 

Who is your money on: Taylor Swift or Beyoncé? Tell us in the comments below.