On September 13, 2009, during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, singer/rapper Kanye West came on the stage and took the microphone from Swift during her acceptance speech for winning Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", saying that Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated for the same award, was "one of the best videos of all time". This caused the audience in the venue to respond negatively.He handed the microphone back to a stunned and reportedly upset Swift, who did not finish her acceptance speech.West was removed from the remainder of the show for his actions.When Beyoncé later won the award for Best Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", she called Swift up on stage so that she could finish her acceptance speech. Following the awards show, West apologized for his verbal outburst in a blog entry (which was subsequently removed). He was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst,and by President Barack Obama in an "off the record" comment.He later posted a second apology on his blog and appeared on The Jay Leno Show one day after the incident, apologizing publicly.
On September 15, 2009, Swift talked about the matter on The View. Asked what she was thinking the moment it happened, she stated, "Well, I think my overall thought process was something like, 'Wow, I can't believe I won, this is awesome, don't trip and fall, I'm gonna get to thank the fans, this is so cool'", she said, and that she further thought, "'Oh, Kanye West is here. Cool haircut. What are you doing there?' And then, 'Ouch.' And then, 'I guess I'm not gonna get to thank the fans.'"In addition, she said that West had not spoken to her following the incident.Following Swift's appearance on The View, West contacted her to apologize personally; Swift said she accepted his apology.The night of the awards show, Swift became the first country music artist to win an MTV Video Music Award.
The pre-show buzz had focused on the highly anticipated tribute to the late Michael Jackson, but West's disruption stole the spotlight.
A giddy Swift was in the midst of her acceptance speech for Best Female Video when the often-mercurial West rushed onstage, grabbed her microphone and let loose an outburst on behalf of singer Beyonce Knowles, who had lost out in that category.
But audiences who stayed tuned until the end of the broadcast were treated to a touching bookend: Knowles, the night's top winner, invited Swift onstage and gave the teen singer her moment in the spotlight.
"I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny's Child, and it was one of the most exciting moments of my life," Knowles said, referring to the girl group with which she had her start. "So I would like for Taylor to come out and have her moment."
Speaking to reporters later, Swift was understated about her take on the disruption.
"I was excited to be onstage because I just won the award. And then I was excited that Kanye West was onstage. Then, I wasn't excited anymore," she said.
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