Taylor Swift Dedicates VMA Award to Dolly Parton

Taylor Swift dedicated her Best Music Video award at the 2026 Video Music Awards to Dolly Parton. The winning video, The Fate of Ophelia, comes from Swift's The Life of a Showgirl album. Swift wrote and directed The Fate of Ophelia video herself. Swift said she learned a lot about hiding cuts during the video shoot.

Swift thanked The Fate of Ophelia choreographer Mandy Moore, production designer Ethan Tobman, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and editor Chancler Haynes. Swift praised the storytelling in songs written by Dolly Parton. Swift released an extended version of Showgirl with four additional tracks. The single from the extended version of Showgirl is Patient Zero.

Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell appear in the Patient Zero video. Swift also received a Country Music Association Awards nomination for Single of the Year for the 2026 release I Knew It, I Knew You. The nomination was Swift's first CMA nomination in four years.