Sept 11 (Reuters) -

Pop megastar Taylor Swift took home seven trophies on

Wednesday at MTV's Video Music Awards, tying her with Beyonce

for the most lifetime honors in the 40-year history of the video

accolades.

Swift snagged the top prize, video of the year, for her

bleak, black-and-white video "Fortnight" featuring Post Malone.

It shows Swift inside a bare psychiatric hospital, a setting she

said reflected what she was seeing in her head as she wrote the

music for "The Tortured Poets Department" album.

"This video seems very sad when you watch it, but it

actually was the most fun video to make," Swift said as she

accepted the VMAs Moon Person statuette.

After each take, she would hear a cheer from someone across

the studio. "That one person was my boyfriend Travis," she said,

referring to Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce.

"Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun

and magic," she said. "I want to thank him for adding that to

this shoot."

Swift also thanked her fans for voting for the VMA honors

and urged them to cast their ballots in the upcoming U.S.

presidential election. The singer endorsed Democrat Kamala

Harris in an Instagram post on Tuesday, but she did not mention

the candidate by name on Wednesday.

By night's end, the 34-year-old Swift brought her career

VMA total to 30, on par with hip-hop artist Beyonce. Swift's

other awards on Wednesday included artist of the year and song

of summer.

Her video of the year award was her third in a row -

following an extended version of "All Too Well" in 2022 and

"Anti-Hero" in 2023 - and fifth overall, a record for one

artist.

Early in the show, when "Fortnight" won best collaboration,

Swift praised Malone as "ridiculously talented" and "unfailingly

polite."

"It has taken me forever to get him to stop calling me

ma'am," she said next to Malone on stage at the UBS Arena

outside New York City.

Malone returned the compliments, calling Swift "absolutely

one of the most kind and talented people I've ever had the honor

of knowing."

He said he watched Swift direct the "Fortnight" video while

she was strapped to an operating room table on the set. "It was

pretty bad ass," he said.

The VMAs began airing on MTV in 1984 and became

known for memorable moments, like an onstage kiss between

Madonna and Britney Spears, and the raw meat dress that Lady

Gaga once wore on the red carpet.

At Wednesday's awards, "Good Luck, Babe" singer Chappell

Roan was named best new artist. Wearing a metallic outfit and

headpiece, she dedicated her award to "all the drag artists who

inspire me" and to her fans in the gay community.

"For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right

now, I see you, I understand you, because I am one of you," she

said. "Don't let anyone tell you can't be exactly who you want

to be, bitch!"

Blackpink singer Lisa won best K-pop video for her solo

hit, "Rockstar." South African artist Tyla claimed the Afrobeats

award for "Water," and Brazilian singer Anitta snagged best

Latin video for "Mil Veces."

Rapper Eminem opened the show with "Houdini" from album

"The Death of Slim Shady" before country singer Jelly Roll

joined him via a video feed for their hit "Somebody Save Me."

Katy Perry, recipient of the Michael Jackson Video

Vanguard Award, sang hits from "Teenage Dream" to "Firework"

while wearing giant silver butterfly wings on a futuristic set.

Her husband, actor Orlando Bloom, handed her the trophy, and she

embraced him with a long kiss.

"Thank you to MTV for believing in my weirdness from day

one," Perry said.