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, celebrated for her personal songwriting and artistic flexibility. As one of the best-selling music artists globally, she holds the record for the most albums selling over one million copies in their debut week in the US. Swift is also recognized as the highest-grossing touring artist and the wealthiest female musician. Notably, she is the first billionaire whose primary source of income is music.

Sections (5)

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

2007: Accolades for Taylor Swift

In 2007, Taylor Swift was awarded the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter/Artist of the Year, becoming the youngest recipient. She also won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award, the Academy of Country Music Awards' Top New Female Vocalist, and the American Music Awards' Favorite Country Female Artist.

2009: Awards and Recognition for Fearless

In 2009, Taylor Swift experienced significant success with her album Fearless, winning five American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year. She was also named Billboard's Artist of the Year. At the CMT Music Awards, she won Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year for "Love Story", and at the Country Music Association Awards, she won Album of the Year for Fearless and was named Entertainer of the Year.

2009: Billboard top artist placement

In 2009, Taylor Swift placed number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list. She placed number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015, and 2023).

October 2010: Release of Speak Now

In October 2010, Taylor Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, which was written solely by her. The album sold over one million US copies in its first week and became the fastest-selling digital album by a female artist.

2010: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2010, Time included Taylor Swift on its annual list of the 100 most influential people.

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

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

2012: American Music Awards for Best Female Country Artist

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

2012: Wrote and recorded songs for films and featured on other artists' releases

In 2012, Taylor Swift wrote and recorded "Eyes Open" and "Safe & Sound" for The Hunger Games soundtrack, with "Safe & Sound" winning a Grammy Award. She also featured on B.o.B's "Both of Us", and voiced a character in The Lorax. From 2010 to 2013, she was romantically involved with Jake Gyllenhaal.

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June 2014: Completion of The Red Tour

In June 2014, Taylor Swift completed The Red Tour, which became the highest-grossing country tour upon its completion.

2014: Named Billboard's Woman of the Year and received the Dick Clark Award for Excellence

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 placement

In 2015, Taylor Swift placed number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list. She placed number one on the year-end Billboard top artists list in three different decades (2009, 2015, and 2023).

2015: DoSomething's "Gone Good" list

In 2015, Taylor Swift ranked first on DoSomething's "Gone Good" list, having received awards for her dedication to helping others.

2015: Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time

In 2015, Taylor Swift was recognized as the youngest person to be included on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

2015: Emmy Award for AMEX Unstaged

In 2015, Taylor Swift won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program for the interactive app AMEX Unstaged: Taylor Swift Experience.

2015: 1989 World Tour was the highest-grossing tour of the year

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

2015: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2015, Time included Taylor Swift on its annual list of the 100 most influential people.

2016: Won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards

At the 58th Grammy Awards in 2016, Taylor Swift's 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, making her the first woman to win Album of the Year twice.

2016: BMI Awards honor

At the 64th BMI Awards in 2016, Taylor Swift was the first woman to be honored with an award named after its recipient.

2016: Top-earning female musician

Forbes named Taylor Swift the top-earning female musician in 2016.

2016: Grammy Award for Best Music Video

In 2016, Taylor Swift produced the music video for "Bad Blood" and won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.

August 2017: Won countersuit against David Mueller

In August 2017, Taylor Swift successfully countersued David Mueller, a former radio jockey, who sued her for damages from loss of employment after she reported that he had sexually assaulted her in 2013.

2017: Recorded "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" and won a Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year

In 2017, Taylor Swift recorded "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" with Zayn Malik for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack and won a Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year with "Better Man".

2017: Time's Person of the Year

Taylor Swift was one of the "Silence Breakers" spotlighted as Time's Person of the Year in 2017 for speaking up about sexual assault.

2018: Won four awards at the American Music Awards and embarked on the Reputation Stadium Tour

In 2018, Taylor Swift won four awards at the American Music Awards, making her the AMAs' most awarded female musician. She also embarked on her Reputation Stadium Tour, which became the highest-grossing North American concert tour in history.

2019: Top-earning female musician

Forbes named Taylor Swift the top-earning female musician in 2019, with earnings of $185 million.

2019: Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists Chart

In 2019, Taylor Swift had sold over 37.3 million albums in the US. Also in 2019, Billboard placed her eighth on its Greatest of All Time Artists Chart.

2019: Played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats

In 2019, Taylor Swift played Bombalurina in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats, for which she co-wrote and recorded the Golden Globe-nominated original song "Beautiful Ghosts".

2019: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2019, Time included Taylor Swift on its annual list of the 100 most influential people.

2020: Nominated for three Grammy Awards for Lover

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

2020: Released two surprise albums and was the highest-paid musician in the US and highest-paid solo musician worldwide

In 2020, Taylor Swift surprise-released the albums Folklore and Evermore, and Billboard named her the highest-paid musician in the US and the highest-paid solo musician worldwide. The documentary Miss Americana premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

2021: Top-earning solo artist in the US and the top-earning musician worldwide

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

2021: Top-earning female musician

Forbes named Taylor Swift the top-earning female musician in 2021.

2021: Songwriter Icon Award

In 2021, Taylor Swift was awarded the Songwriter Icon Award by the National Music Publishers' Association, which stated that "no one is more influential when it comes to writing music today".

2021: Won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards and three awards at the 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, Swift won three awards including Artist of the Year for a third record time.

May 18, 2022: Honorary Doctorate from 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.

October 2022: Released the album Midnights

In October 2022, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights, which broke streaming records and made her the first artist to monopolize the top 10 of the Hot 100.

2022: Top-earning female musician

Forbes named Taylor Swift the top-earning female musician in 2022.

2022: Won six American Music Awards including Artist of the Year and two MTV Video Music Awards

In 2022, Taylor Swift won six American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year, and two MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year for All Too Well: The Short Film.

2022: Songwriter-Artist of the Decade

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

March 2023: Embarkation on the Eras Tour

In March 2023, Taylor Swift started the Eras Tour, a retrospective tour covering all her studio albums. The Eras Tour's US leg broke the record for the most tickets sold in a day. Ticketmaster faced public and political criticism due to the tour's ticket sales mishandling. It became the highest-grossing tour in history.

October 13, 2023: Release of The Eras Tour Concert Film

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

October 2023: Became a billionaire

In October 2023, Taylor Swift became a billionaire, becoming the world's first musician to achieve the status "solely based on her songs and performances".

2023: Ubiquitous Success and Dating Travis Kelce

From 2023 onward, Taylor Swift experienced significant success with re-recordings, the Eras Tour, its concert film, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department, increasing her net worth. She also started dating American football player Travis Kelce in 2023.

2023: Endless Stamina on the Eras Tour

In 2023, Adrian Horton of The Guardian noted Taylor Swift's "seemingly endless stamina" on the Eras Tour, and i critic Ilana Kaplan called her showmanship "unparalleled".

2023: Most Streamed Artist and Year-End 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). Additionally, five of her albums were among the 10 best-selling albums of the year in the US, marking a record since Luminate began tracking music sales in 1991.

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

In 2023, Taylor Swift ranked 102nd on Rolling Stone's list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. The publication noted that including her on the list a decade prior would have been controversial, but her recent releases, like Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights, solidified her place.

2023: Time Person of the Year

In 2023, Taylor Swift was named Time Person of the Year, being the only individual from the arts to receive this honor.

2023: Won Grammy Awards for Best Music Video and Album of the Year

In 2023, Taylor Swift won Grammy Awards for Best Music Video for All Too Well: The Short Film and Album of the Year for Midnights, becoming the first artist to win Album of the Year four times in Grammy history.

2023: Eras Tour and Concert Film

In 2023, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour began, becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time. Additionally, The Eras Tour concert film was released, also achieving the status of highest-grossing concert film. The Eras Tour (2023-2024) is the highest-grossing tour of all time.

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

On April 19, 2024, Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department", was released. The album topped charts globally, broke records by amassing 1 billion Spotify streams in a week, sold 2.6 million units in its first week in the US, made Swift the first artist to monopolize the top 14 of the Billboard Hot 100, and spent 17 weeks atop the Billboard 200. "Fortnight", featuring Post Malone, became Swift's 12th number-one song on the Hot 100.

October 2024: Richest female musician

As of October 2024, Forbes estimates Taylor Swift's net worth at $1.6 billion, making her the richest female musician in the world, and one of the wealthiest celebrities.

November 29, 2024: Release of "The Eras Tour Book"

On November 29, 2024, "The Eras Tour Book" was released and sold over a million copies in its first week in the US alone.

December 2024: Highest-grossing touring act

As of December 2024, Taylor Swift remains the world's highest-grossing touring act ever, with cumulative ticket sales at $3.12 billion, per Pollstar. The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue.