The Lemonade star, dressed in more than $12.5 million of Lorraine Schwartz diamonds, was joined on the red carpet by women who appear in her visual album that is nominated for 11 awards.

Model Winnie Harlow, actor Quvenzhane Wallis and Blue Ivy in tutu and sneakers were among Beyonce's 12 guests but it was Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant, Gwen Carr; mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin and Lesley McSpadden-Head, mother of Michael Brown, Jr. who made the biggest impact on the white carpet.

All four women appeared on Beyonce's latest album holding photographs of their sons, killed after being shot by police in racially-charged incidents, establishing the #BlackLivesMatter movement - a core trope of Lemonade.

The group arrival at the VMAs, one of the most popular music awards shows thanks to its flamboyant performers and elaborate fashion, was reminiscent of Swift's "squad" appearance in 2015.

Last year the Shake It Off singer was flanked on the red carpet by nine cast members from her Bad Blood music video.

The likes of model Gigi Hadid, actor Cara Delevingne and Law & Order SVU's Mariska Hargitay then joined Swift on stage to accept the Moon Man award for Best Video.

Swift is not expected to attend the event that is being held in New York.

Kanye West has been granted four minutes of uninterrupted air time by MTV - last year he kicked off his candidacy for the 2020 US presidential election - and Britney Spears is set to perform for the first time since that awkward appearance in 2007 that had the crowd, and the world, cringing as she stumbled around the stage miming Gimme More.