This year's MTV Video Music Awards were handed out in Los Angeles and have one clear headline: Madonna. The singer, born in 1958, took Artist of the Year and Best Album, for "Confessions II", plus five more. Seven Moon Persons in total.

The film "Confessions II - The Film" picked up four on its own: Best Dance Video, Best Cinematography, Best Choreography and Best Long Form Video. The seventh came from her duet with Sabrina Carpenter, "Bring Your Love", named Best Collaboration. In an industry that has lived off new faces for decades, most of the night belonged to a veteran.

Taylor Swift didn't leave empty-handed: Video of the Year for "The Fate of Ophelia" and Best Direction for "Opalite". BTS took Song of the Year and Best K-Pop for "Swim", plus Best Group. Ariana Grande won two - Best Visual Effects and Song of the Summer, both for "Hate that i made you love me". Add them up and Swift, BTS and Grande have exactly as many as Madonna on her own.

In the other categories: Best New Artist went to Sienna Spiro; Best Pop to "Dream" by LISA with Kentaro Sakaguchi; hip-hop to Cardi B and Kehlani for "Safe"; R&B to Bruno Mars for "I Just Might"; alternative to Olivia Rodrigo for "the cure"; Latin to Bad Bunny for "NUEVAYoL"; country to Ella Langley for "Choosin' Texas". Best Art Direction went to PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson for "Stateside", and Best Editing to Sabrina Carpenter for "House Tour".

The numbers say the scene is still held by names we've known for years, not by the generation filling up TikTok. Does that mean the new stars aren't strong enough - or that audiences always end up going back to what they already love? At the VMAs, fans vote in many categories. And they, clearly, haven't forgotten.