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 autobiographical songwriting and versatility. One of the best-selling music artists globally, she has sold over 200 million records. Notably, she is the highest-grossing music performer and the first billionaire musician, making her a significant cultural and economic force in the music industry.

Sections (5)

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

2007: Nashville Songwriters Association Award

In 2007, Taylor Swift was one of the recipients of the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist of the Year, becoming the youngest person to receive the title.

2009: Kanye West Interruption at the MTV Video Music Awards

In 2009, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, causing controversy and media coverage.

2009: Billboard Top Artist Recognition

In 2009, Taylor Swift was recognized on the year-end Billboard Top Artists list, marking the first decade she appeared on the list. In 2023 she became the first act to place number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015 and 2023)

2012: American Music Awards Win

In 2012, Taylor Swift received an American Music Award for Best Female Country Artist.

June 2014: Completion of The Red Tour

In June 2014, The Red Tour concluded, becoming the highest-grossing country tour upon completion.

2014: Billboard's Woman of the Year and Dick Clark Award

In 2014, Taylor Swift was named Billboard's Woman of the Year for the second time and received the inaugural Dick Clark Award for Excellence at the American Music Awards.

2015: Billboard Top Artist Recognition

In 2015, Taylor Swift was recognized on the year-end Billboard Top Artists list, marking the second decade she appeared on the list. In 2023 she became the first act to place number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015 and 2023)

2015: Primetime Emmy Award Win

In 2015, Taylor Swift won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program for her work on AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience.

2015: 1989 World Tour

In 2015, Taylor Swift's '1989 World Tour' became the highest-grossing tour of the year, earning $250 million.

2016: Grammy Award for "Bad Blood"

In 2016, Taylor Swift won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for "Bad Blood".

August 2017: David Mueller Countersuit

In August 2017, Taylor Swift won a countersuit against David Mueller, a radio DJ she accused of sexual assault in 2013.

November 2018: Signing with Universal Music Group

In November 2018, Taylor Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group, allowing her to maintain ownership of her masters and including a provision to share Spotify proceeds with artists.

2018: American Music Awards and Reputation Stadium Tour

In 2018, Taylor Swift became the most awarded female musician at the American Music Awards, surpassing Whitney Houston with 23 trophies. Her Reputation Stadium Tour also became the highest-grossing North American concert tour, grossing $345.7 million worldwide.

2019: Role in Cats and "Beautiful Ghosts" Nomination

In 2019, Taylor Swift played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Cats and co-wrote and recorded the Golden Globe-nominated song "Beautiful Ghosts" for the film.

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November 2020: Re-recording of Back Catalog

In November 2020, Taylor Swift began re-recording her back catalog in an effort to own the new masters and licensing of her songs.

2020: Highest-Paid Musician and Miss Americana Premiere

According to Billboard, in 2020, Taylor Swift was the highest-paid musician in the US and worldwide. The documentary Miss Americana, chronicling her life, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

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2020: Grammy Nominations and MTV Video Music Awards

In 2020, Taylor Swift's Lover album and singles earned three nominations at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, held in 2020, she won three awards, including Video of the Year for "You Need to Calm Down".

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2021: Top-Earning Solo Artist

According to Billboard, Taylor Swift was the top-earning solo artist in the US and the top-earning musician worldwide in 2021.

2021: Songwriter Icon Award

In 2021, Taylor Swift received the Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers' Association, recognizing her significant influence in songwriting.

2021: Grammy Award for Album of the Year and American Music Awards

In 2021, Taylor Swift won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Folklore, becoming the first woman to win the award three times. At the American Music Awards, she also won three awards, including Artist of the Year.

October 2022: Release of Midnights

In October 2022, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights, which broke streaming records and topped charts globally. Its tracks dominated the Billboard Hot 100.

2022: American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards

In 2022, Taylor Swift won six American Music Awards including Artist of the Year. At the MTV Video Music Awards, she also won Video of the Year with All Too Well: The Short Film.

2022: "Carolina" and Amsterdam

In 2022, Taylor Swift wrote and recorded "Carolina" for the Where the Crawdads Sing soundtrack, which received award nominations. She also had a supporting role in the film Amsterdam.

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2022: Songwriter-Artist of the Decade

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

March 2023: Eras Tour Launch

In March 2023, Taylor Swift commenced the Eras Tour, a tour covering all her studio albums. The tour garnered extensive media coverage for its global cultural and economic impact, and its US leg broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day. Ticketmaster faced criticism for its handling of ticket sales.

October 13, 2023: Eras Tour Concert Film Release

On October 13, 2023, the concert film for the Eras Tour was released in theaters worldwide, grossing over $250 million to become the highest-grossing concert film. It was later nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

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2023: Ubiquitous Success

From 2023 onward, Taylor Swift experienced significant success with re-recordings, the Eras Tour, its concert film, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department, substantially increasing her net worth.

2023: Most Streamed Artist and Billboard Top Artist

In 2023, Taylor Swift became the most streamed artist on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. She also became the first act to top the year-end Billboard Top Artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015, and 2023), and five of her albums were among the top 10 best-selling albums of 2023 in the US.

2023: Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time

In 2023, Taylor Swift ranked 102nd on Rolling Stone's list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, with the publication noting that her recent releases like Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights settled the argument about her inclusion.

2023: Time Person of the Year

In 2023, Taylor Swift was named Time Person of the Year, marking her cultural impact.

2023: MTV Video Music Awards and Grammy Awards

In 2023, Taylor Swift won her fourth MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year with "Anti-Hero". She won three Grammy Awards: Best Music Video for All Too Well: The Short Film and Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for Midnights.

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2023: The Eras Tour

In 2023-2024 Taylor Swift undertook the Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour of all time.

April 19, 2024: Release of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

On April 19, 2024, Taylor Swift released her eleventh studio album, 'The Tortured Poets Department.' The album topped charts globally and broke records, including becoming the first album to amass 1 billion Spotify streams in a week and selling 2.6 million units in its first week in the US.