Shakira Electrifies VMAs with Hip-Shaking Performance Before Video Vanguard Award Win

The 46-year-old Colombian singer was celebrated big time at this year's show, where she made hustory by becoming the first South American artist to receive the coveted Video Vanguard Award. Previous winners include Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott.

Wycleff Jean, who she collaborated with on "Hips Don't Live," introduced her performance -- saying, "Latin music would not be the global force that it is without Shakira."

She then launched into a killer medley of her biggest songs, flanked by dancers and drummers as she rolled through her hits including "She Wolf," "Te felicito," "Objection (Tango)," "Whenever, Wherever," "Hips Don't Lie," and, finally, "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53"

And, yes, she shook those infamous hips like wild throughout ... sometimes while holding daggers. In the audience, meanwhile, Taylor Swift did her best to keep up.

The performance was her first at the MTV show since 2006.

After thanking MTV for being instrumental in her career since she was 18, before thanking those who have helped her get to where she is today -- including her label and her team. She also thanked her parents and her two boys, who make her feel "like mama can do it all." Her sons Sasha, 8, and Milan, 10, were in the audience for her speech.

She went on to thank her fans for supporting her "through thick and thin" and for being her "army and helping me fight all my battles."

The win comes at a major moment for the singer, who staged a big comeback this year with the releases of both "BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53" and "TQG." She recently relocated with sons from Barcelona, Spain to Miami; the move went down 10 months after she and her soccer star ex Gerard Pique announced they were separating.

During her speech, Shakira addressed her kids and recent relationship turmoil ...

Shakira won her first Moon Person for International Viewer's Choice Award with her smash hit "Whenever, Wherever" back in 2000. Throughout her career, she's racked up 30 nominations at the VMAs -- and was up for four categories this year, including Artist of the Year.

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