VMAs Producer Reveals Story Behind Taylor Swift’s Artist Director Honor
Taylor Swift is officially in her lob era.
Two months after chopping off her long blonde hair, the “Opalite” singer debuted a new hairdo, showing off her short shoulder-length curls—or as she previously described them, her hair’s “factory settings”—in an Oct. 2 post celebrating her musical achievements.
In the photo posted to Instagram, Swift opted for the curls and her signature bangs as she commemorated the fifth time two of her projects have charted on the U.K.’s Official Charts with “Patient Zero” and The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore charting simultaneously.
Swift had originally proven a new ‘do never goes out of style in August when she stepped out with a new haircut while grabbing dinner in London. The sighting also marked her first outing after she and Travis Kelce tied the knot on July 3.
And as Swifties know all too well, a new look signifies a new era, with the singer revealing The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore only a month later.
In addition to celebrating her latest musical ventures, the “Anti-Hero” singer also recently made history at the 2026 MTV VMAs Sept. 27 by becoming the most awarded artist in the show’s history.
Swift has won 33 Moonman statues through the years, officially surpassing Beyoncé for most MTV VMA wins, as the two were previously tied with 30 awards apiece.
But even before the show, the “Fate of Ophelia” singer was feeling as happy as she was in Cleveland as she received the first ever Artist-Director award, an honor bestowed to a musician “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling,” according to a press release from MTV.
The award not only helped Swift make history, but also put the spotlight on those who she was most grateful for: her fans.
“I got to tell you though, the main reason why I love writing and directing music videos so much is because you, the fans, make it so much fun,” she said as she accepted the award. “You make it so rewarding because you actually care about what we’re making.”
For a deep dive into Swift’s ever-changing hair transformations through the years, keep reading.
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
2006
Meet Taylor Swift, the 17-year-old, country singer that will soon become a pop-culture sensation.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
2007
Swift takes her classic curls to another level with this half-up look.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
2008
In the singer’s country era, bouncy curls were the classic thing that she liked.
Frazer Harrison/ACM2009/Getty Images for ACM
2009
Swift plus a headband, it’s a love story.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
2010
The singer continued to ride the wave.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
2011
Swift straightened her hair and conquered the carpet with a side ponytail.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
2012
The singer elevated her sleek style with blunt bangs.
Walter McBride/Corbis via Getty Images
2013
Hello, fishtail braids, ponytails and edgier looks!
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
2014
Short hair, don’t care!
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
2015
‘Cause baby now we got a sleek, twisted ponytail at the 2015 MTV VMAs.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
2016
The now-famous Swift bob was in full effect.
Larry Busacca/Getty Images
2016
Look what you made her do: A platinum blonde bob and darkened lips.
Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
2016
Taking in a Broadway show, Swift opted for a more delicate style.
John Shearer/Getty Images For dcp
2018
What can we say? Swift was gorgeous at the 2018 American Music Awards.
DIGGZY / SplashNews.com
2019
Swift let her once-again wavy hair down for the 2019 VMAs after-party.
Beth Garrabrant
2020
Welcome to folklore! The Grammy winner donned natural curls for her album art.
Apple Music
2020
Return to Red? Swift took fans back to 2012 with this hairstyle, reminiscent of her Red era days.
Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images
2021
In her folklore phase, Swift (at the Grammys) put on cottagecore clothes and loose tendrils and said they were her favorite.
Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS
2023
For the premiere of her concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Swift paired her curls with that red lip classic thing that you like.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
2024
Suddenly mad for plaid and volumized blowouts, Swift (at the MTV Video Music Awards) quietly kicked off her Life of a Showgirl stage.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for for TAS Rights Management
2026
We knew Swift for her long sleek locks at the Toy Story 5 premiere mere weeks before her and Travis Kelce‘s July 3, 2026 vows.
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