Taylor Swift's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift is a highly successful American singer-songwriter, recognized for her narrative songwriting style, constant artistic evolution, and significant cultural influence. She is currently the highest-grossing live music performer, the wealthiest female musician globally, and consistently ranks among the best-selling music artists of all time, solidifying her place as a prominent figure in contemporary music and pop culture.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

2008: Praised as a "preternaturally skilled" entertainer

In a 2008 article for The New Yorker, Sasha Frere-Jones hailed Taylor Swift as a "preternaturally skilled" entertainer who exerted professionalism with a vibrant energy.

2009: Awards and Kanye West Interruption

In 2009, Taylor Swift won several awards, including Artist of the Year by the American Music Awards and Billboard, and Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association Awards. Her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards was interrupted by Kanye West, leading to widespread controversy.

2010: Inclusion in Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2010, Taylor Swift was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people, recognizing her impact and influence at that time.

2010: "Fearless" Wins Grammy Award

In 2010, Taylor Swift's album "Fearless" won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

2011: Donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

In 2011, as the recipient of the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award, Taylor Swift donated $25,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee, supporting cancer research efforts.

2013: Grammy Award for "Safe & Sound"

In 2013, Taylor Swift won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Safe & Sound" from "The Hunger Games" soundtrack.

2013: Pinnacle Award by the Country Music Association Awards

Taylor Swift was honored with the Pinnacle Award by the Country Music Association Awards in 2013.

2014: Named Tourism Ambassador of New York City

In 2014, Taylor Swift was named New York City's official tourism ambassador, highlighting her influence and popularity.

2014: Global Recording Artist of the Year by the IFPI

In 2014, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry honored Taylor Swift as the Global Recording Artist of the Year.

2015: Recognition on DoSomething's "Gone Good" List

In 2015, Taylor Swift ranked first on DoSomething's "Gone Good" list, having received the Star of Compassion from the Tennessee Disaster Services and the Big Help Award from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for her dedication to helping others and inspiring others through action.

2015: Inclusion in Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2015, Taylor Swift was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people for a second time, reaffirming her significant cultural impact.

2015: Featured on Rolling Stone's list of greatest songwriters

Taylor Swift was the youngest person to be featured on Rolling Stone's 2015 list "The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".

2015: Primetime Emmy Award for AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience

Taylor Swift worked with American Express for the "Blank Space" music video and served as executive producer for the interactive app AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program in 2015.

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2016: Taylor Swift Award by the BMI Pop Awards

At the 64th BMI Pop Awards in 2016, Taylor Swift became the first female songwriter to be honored with an award named after its recipient, the Taylor Swift Award.

2016: Highest-Paid Musician

In 2016, Taylor Swift was listed by Forbes as the world's highest-paid musician, marking a significant financial milestone in her career.

2016: "Bad Blood" won Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift produced "Bad Blood", which won Best Music Video at the Grammy Awards in 2016.

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2017: Named Time's Person of the Year as a "Silence Breaker"

In 2017, Taylor Swift was one of the "Silence Breakers" spotlighted by Time as Person of the Year for speaking up about sexual assault, recognizing her contribution to an important social movement.

2019: Ranked number eight on Billboard's list of all-time artists

Billboard ranked Taylor Swift at number eight on its list "Greatest of All Time Artists" in 2019.

2019: Inclusion in Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2019, Taylor Swift was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people for a third time, solidifying her status as a prominent cultural figure.

2019: Highest-Paid Musician

In 2019, Taylor Swift was listed by Forbes as the world's highest-paid musician, marking a significant financial milestone in her career.

2019: Global Recording Artist of the Year by the IFPI

In 2019, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry honored Taylor Swift as the Global Recording Artist of the Year.

2021: Global Icon Award by the Brit Awards and Songwriter Icon Award

In 2021, Taylor Swift was the first woman to receive the Global Icon Award by the Brit Awards and received the Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers' Association.

2021: Highest-Paid Female Musician

In 2021, Taylor Swift was the highest-paid female musician, demonstrating her continued financial success in the music industry.

May 18, 2022: Receiving Honorary Doctorate and Commencement Speech at NYU

On May 18, 2022, Taylor Swift received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from New York University and served as its commencement speaker, marking a significant recognition of her artistic achievements.

2022: Songwriter-Artist of the Decade by the Nashville Songwriters Association International

In 2022, Taylor Swift was named the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade by the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

2022: Highest-Paid Female Musician

In 2022, Taylor Swift was the highest-paid female musician, demonstrating her continued financial success in the music industry.

2022: Global Recording Artist of the Year by the IFPI

In 2022, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry honored Taylor Swift as the Global Recording Artist of the Year.

June 2023: Invited to the Academy of Motion Pictures

In June 2023, Taylor Swift was invited to the Academy of Motion Pictures.

October 2023: Achieving Billionaire Status

By October 2023, Taylor Swift achieved her billionaire status, recognized as the first billionaire "primarily based on her songs and performances", marking a major financial milestone in her career.

2023: Named Time's Person of the Year

In 2023, Taylor Swift became the first person to be recognized as Time's Person of the Year for "achievement in the arts" and the first woman to appear on a Person of the Year cover more than once.

2023: The Eras Tour grossed $1 billion

In 2023, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour became the first concert tour to gross $1 billion in revenue. The concert film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" also became the highest-grossing in history.

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2023: Global Recording Artist of the Year by the IFPI

In 2023, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry honored Taylor Swift as the Global Recording Artist of the Year.

2023: Recognized for intimacy and songcraft

In Time's 2023 Person of the Year piece, Sam Lansky wrote: "Swift is many things onstage—vulnerable and triumphant, playful and sad—but the intimacy of her songcraft is front and center."

February 2024: Most-streamed artist on Spotify

As of February 2024, Taylor Swift is the most-streamed artist on Spotify.

April 19, 2024: Release of The Tortured Poets Department

On April 19, 2024, The Tortured Poets Department was released. It broke streaming records, topping charts in several countries and debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with 2.6 million first-week units. The album was the global best-seller of 2024.

December 2024: Highest-grossing touring act of all time

As of December 2024, Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing touring act of all time, with cumulative revenue at $3.12 billion.

2024: Ranked number two on "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century"

Billboard ranked Taylor Swift at number two on "Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century" in 2024.

2024: Topping Billboard's Power 100

In 2024, Taylor Swift became the first solo artist to top Billboard's annual Power 100 ranking of top music industry executives, marking a significant achievement in her career.

May 2025: US Album Sales Statistics

As of May 2025, in the US, Taylor Swift has sold 116.7 million album units, including 54 million pure sales.

May 30, 2025: Finalization of purchase of masters

On May 30, 2025, Taylor Swift finalized the purchase of the masters to her first six original studio albums from Shamrock Holdings, which had acquired them from Braun in 2020.

June 2025: Net Worth

As of June 2025, Taylor Swift's estimated net worth by Forbes stands at $1.6 billion, making her the richest female musician in the world, solidifying her financial success.