Katy Perry received a special honor at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (September 11).
Amid the exciting night full of stunning looks and incredible performances, the “Woman’s World” singer was given the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, a lifetime achievement award presented to an artist for outstanding contributions and profound impact on music videos and pop culture, per Billboard.
After a sweet introduction by her fiancé, Orlando Bloom, Perry launched into a gravity-defying performance of some of her biggest hits throughout her career. Starting with “Dark Horse,” she flipped through the air in mesmerizing scene fit for a sci-fi movie before moving into “E.T.” where she continued to literally spin through the air. Perry also brought out Doechii to debut their collaboration “I’m His, He’s Mine,” out Friday (September 13), from Perry’s forthcoming album 143.
The Video Vanguard winner then took the New York crowd to the West Coast, the audience going wild and singing along to her hit song “California Gurls,” before launching into “Teenage Dream,” laying in a beating heart projection on stage before sliding down a platform and throwing things back to her debut single “I Kissed A Girl.”
Perry rounded out her career-spanning set with her hit “Firework” and her latest single “Lifetimes,” a track inspired by her and Bloom’s 4-year-old daughter Daisy.
Following her performance, Bloom presented Perry with the golden moonman trophy and a kiss before she thanked MTV for always believing in her “weirdness from day one.” She also gave a sweet shoutout to her daughter, telling Daisy that she’s the “only flowers I’ll ever need.”
Perry went on to recognize other artists making it in the industry today, saying how “excited” she is to see all the new talent.
“I’m excited when I look around music today and I see all the amazing young artists who are operating with confidence, agency, vulnerability and authenticity,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot of ‘do this, don’t say that, wear less, wear more now, don’t cut your hair.'”
She continued, “One of the biggest reasons I’m standing here right now is I learned how to block out all the noise that every single artist in this industry has to constantly fight against, especially women. I just want to say with my whole heart, do whatever it takes to stay true to yourself and true to your art. Turn off social media, safeguard your mental health, pause, touch grass and do what you were born to do, just like I was born to do this.”
