The singer appeared without her usual red lipstick

NEED TO KNOW

• Taylor Swift shocked fans by appearing without her signature makeup look at the 2026 MTV VMAs
• Instead of her usual red lipstick and winged liner, she rocked a muted pink lip and double liner
• Swift is receiving the first-ever Artist Director Honors for her groundbreaking work in music video direction and storytelling

Is Taylor Swift entering a new glam era?

The singer, 36, arrived at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27, without her signature red lipstick and dramatic winged eyeliner. Instead, she sported a muted pink lip color and a shorter wing than usual. The star’s eye look also featured a subtle wing along her bottom lashes.

Swift turned heads in a glamorous Tamara Ralph Couture gown with a black mock-neck bodice with sheer panels on the sides. The top gave way to a sparkling silver skirt, which sat asymmetrically on her hips.

She accessorized with simple drop earrings and several rings.

The Life of a Showgirl artist styled her hair in a straight, shoulder-length style.

This year’s MTV VMAs are extra significant for Swift, who’s set to receive the first-ever Artist Director Honors during the Snoop Dogg-hosted ceremony.

According to a press release, the Artist Director Honors is “a new award recognizing groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.”

Swift made her solo directorial debut in 2020 with the video for her Lover single “The Man” and won Best Direction at the MTV VMAs that year for the effort. The following year, she made her filmmaking debut with All Too Well: The Short Film, which won VMAs for Video of the Year, Best Longform Video and Best Direction — as well as a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.

She’s also directed videos for “Cardigan,” “Willow,” “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Lavender Haze,” “Karma,” “I Can See You,” “Fortnight,” “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite.”

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In addition to the Artist Director Honors, Swift earned 11 nominations at this year’s VMAs: Video of the Year, Best Pop, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects for “The Fate of Ophelia” plus Best Direction for “Opalite,” Best Album for The Life of a Showgirl, Song of Summer for “I Knew It, I Knew You” and Artist of the Year.

Less than a week before the VMAs, Swift announced the release of her new single “Patient Zero” after months of speculation — and even a surprise appearance in a Law & Order: Special Victims sketch at the 2026 Emmys.

The song announcement comes three months after Swift released “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her new original song for the Toy Story 5 movie. She broke streaming records on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music with the release.

Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the 2026 VMAs are airing live from Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 27, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. ET (4:30 to 6:30 p.m. PT) on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S. The show will be available globally on Paramount+ and MTV the following day.

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