Taylor Swift Wins Dick Clark Award at AMAs, Hits Back at Spotify

The prize was presented by the venerable Diana Ross.

At the 2014 AMAs, the Dick Clark Award of Excellence was awarded for the first time, and it went to none other than Taylor Swift.

Of course, she’s done everything possible to earn it with the performance of her new album 1989. While “Out of the Woods” played in the background, Swift took the stage to accept the award from the venerable Diana Ross.

“When I was really young, when I first started in the industry, it was Dick Clark who made is possible for us to be on radio and TV,” referencing American Bandstand and her days with the Supremes. Swift gushed about Ross, calling her a woman who “stood up for herself in a time when it was not popular for a woman to stand up for herself.”

In accepting the inaugural award, Swift gave shout outs to her fans, referencing her album listening parties, interacting with them via social media, and how flattered she was that they wanted a glimpse into her life.

"What you did by going out and investing in music and albums is you are saying that you believe in the same thing that I believe in: that music is valuable and music should be consumed in albums and albums should be consumed as art and appreciated," she said, furthering her anti-Spotify agenda.

Of course, it wasn’t the 2014 AMAs’ first taste of Taylor. She opened the evening with the first-ever performance of “Blank Space,” which currently leads the Billboard Hot 100.