At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, surprises were many — and immediate. Within the first half-hour, the boy band NSYNC reunited on stage to present the first award for best pop video, which went to Taylor Swift. Lil Wayne and Olivia Rodrigo have opened the MTV Video Music Awards with a pair of high-energy performances. For the first time, only women are nominated in the show’s artist of the year category. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Karol G and Shakira are contenders for the night’s prize. Shakira received the Video Vanguard Award and performed a hip-shaking bilingual medley of her decades of hits, bringing the crowd to a frenzy.