Pop stars have slammed Kanye West after the rapper shocked the MTV Video Music Awards yesterday by crashing the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech.

Country star Swift, 19, won the statuette for best female video for her hit song You Belong With Me.

She had just started speaking when West abruptly cut in and declared that he felt the award should have gone to Beyonce.

"Taylor, I'm really happy for you - and I'm gonna let you finish - but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time," he said, to a chorus of boos.

Beyonce looked clearly embarrassed by the outburst.

She later invited Swift to share the stage with her after receiving her own award for video of the year.

Since then, there has been chorus of condemnation directed at West by other music world figures.

Singer Pink registered her disapproval with a tweet on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"My heart goes out to Taylor Swift. She is a sweet and talented girl and deserved her moment. She should know we all love her," Pink said. In another post, she used abusive language to disparage West.

A post from singer Katy Perry said West's outburst was comparable to "stepping on a kitten."

Singer Kelly Clarkson, meanwhile, took aim at West with a post on her official blog. "What happened to you as a child?? Did you not get hugged enough??" she wrote. "I just pity you because you're a sad human being."

West issued an apology for his tirade on his blog, but the post has since been removed.

"I'm sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom," West wrote.

"I spoke to her mother right after and she said the same thing my mother would've said. I'm in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment! ... I'm sorry to my fans if I let you guys down."