Katy Perry was the guest of honor at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where she performed a 10-song medley and accepted the Video Vanguard trophy at Long Island’s UBS Arena. Perry spared no hit, running through “Dark Horse,” and “E.T.” while floating high above the stage suspended from wires. Doechii stopped by for a live debut of Perry’s new single, “I’m His, He’s Mine,” which samples Crystal Waters’ house classic “Gypsy Woman,” before Perry sang crowd-pleasers “California Gurls” and “Teenage Dream.” A row of dancers decked out in silver sci-fi getups contorted behind her.
Perry pivoted to her breakout single “I Kissed a Girl,” and then donned a pair of inflatable metallic butterfly wings for her power ballad “Firework.” She wrapped things up with “Lifetimes,” the second single from her upcoming album, 143. Watch it all happen below.
Perry’s partner, Orlando Bloom, introduced the pop star and presented her with her Video Vanguard Moon Person. Perry opened her acceptance speech by noting: “I did this all on the first day of my period,” and thanking MTV for “believing in my weirdness” throughout the years. She also recognized the support of the LGBTQ+ community and shouted out Bloom and their daughter, Daisy.
Perry joins a pantheon of Video Vanguard winners that includes last year’s honoree, Shakira, Niki Minaj, Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Britney Spears, and more.
Katy Perry made her MTV VMAs debut back in 2009, performing “We Will Rock You” alongside Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. She earned her first three Moon Person trophies in 2011—for her mega-hit “Firework” and her Kanye West collaboration “E.T.” Before this evening, Perry’s last appeared at the Video Music Awards in 2017, when she emceed and performed “Swish Swish” with Nicki Minaj.
Perry returned to the pop sphere in July with “Woman’s World,” simultaneously announcing her album 143, which is out September 20. She followed it with “Lifetimes.” 143 will mark Perry’s first album since she released Smile in 2020.
Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
