Todrick Hall Shouts Out Acceptance Winning Video For Good Alongside Taylor Swift

Soon after an introduction from Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness, where he proposed the quotable evergreen "It's 2019, and not caring isn't pretty Todrick Hall took the stage alongside Taylor Swift to accept the Moon Person for Video for Good. Their teamwork as executive producers on the visual for Swift's landmark LGBTQ+ anthem "You Need to Calm Down" landed them a VMA on Monday night (August 26), and Swift ceded the mic to Todrick for the acceptance.


"I grew up in the small town of Plainview, Texas, and my entire life, all I wanted to be was Ariel from The Little Mermaid," Todrick mentioned with Swift at his side. "I put a red towel on my head and tied my legs with each other and jumped in a pool, almost drowned — and right after that, people began to tell me the things I not do and may even not accomplish in the world."


Luckily, Todrick mentioned, those experiences fueled him. And right now, he's grateful for the progress the world has made. The "Calm Down" video is proof — and he's hoping it may be an inspiration for future creators.


"If you're a young child out there watching this show who is different, who feels misunderstood, we need you more than ever to share your art, share your stories, share your truth with the world no matter what you identify as, who you identify as, who you love. This is just such a pretty place."


"Calm Down" beat out Halsey's empowering statement of self "Nightmare," The Killers's vérité documentation of conditions at the U.S./Mexico border in "Land of the Free" (as directed by Spike Lee), the activist "Runaway Train" update from Jamie N Commons, Skylar Grey, and Gallant, John Legend's heartstring-tugging "Preach," and "Earth," Lil Dicky's dizzying superstar team-up to save the planet, in the category.


When Taylor Swift returned this year with a much brighter pastel Instagram aesthetic, fans interpreted it as a sign her upcoming music would perhaps be a lighter return to form immediately following the edgier turn she took with 2017's Reputation. They weren't wrong, yet it wasn't quite the entire truth, either. Though "You Need to Calm Down" sounds buoyant and effervescent, Swift came out swinging against homophobes with lines like "shade never made anyone far less gay" and how are you irritated any time whenever you can would be GLAAD?" It's only organic that the video take that message and magnify it by about 100.


moreover to featuring LGBTQ+ icons like Ellen, Queer Eye's Fab Five (including JVN himself), and Laverne Cox, the clip explicitly carries a visual reference to the Stonewall Inn plus a shot of anti-gay protesters (hopefully) getting their minds expanded.


The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards have touched down at The Prudential Center in New Jersey, airing live on MTV. Visualize the full list of winners and keep up with all the night's biggest VMA moments!