The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards lit up New York’s UBS Arena on Sunday, September 7, celebrating a year of groundbreaking music and visual artistry. Hosted by legendary rapper and actor LL Cool J, the star-studded night saw top artists like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and Sabrina Carpenter take home multiple coveted Moon Person trophies. The ceremony, broadcast live on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, also paid tribute to iconic figures and highlighted important social messages.
Pop Powerhouses Dominate Top Categories
Ariana Grande clinched the night’s most prestigious award, Video of the Year, for her evocative short film “Brighter Days Ahead.” This marked a significant win for Grande, who also secured awards for Best Pop Video and Best Longform Video for the same project. In her acceptance speech, Grande thanked her “fiercely loving and supportive fans” and shared that the “Brighter Days Ahead” project was about healing trauma, promising “brighter days ahead” for those on a similar journey.
Lady Gaga, the night’s most nominated artist with twelve nods, was crowned Artist of the Year. Accepting the award early in the evening, Gaga expressed gratitude for being recognized for her artistry before rushing off to perform her sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden. She also took home awards for Best Direction and Best Art Direction for “Abracadabra,” and Best Collaboration for her duet with Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile.”
Sabrina Carpenter also had a remarkable night, securing the award for Best Album for “Short n’ Sweet.” During her acceptance speech, Carpenter addressed criticism and discrimination, while also thanking the “queens on stage” with her, referring to the drag and trans performers who featured in her earlier performance of “Tears,” a segment that highlighted advocacy for trans rights. Carpenter also won the newly introduced Best Pop Artist category.
Tributes and Legacy Awards Shine
The music world paused to honor legendary figures. The late rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away in July, was the subject of a powerful tribute performance. Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, alongside Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt, delivered a moving medley of Osbourne’s hits including “Crazy Train,” “Changes,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
Mariah Carey was presented with the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award by her admirer Ariana Grande. This marked Carey’s first VMA win in her illustrious career, and she humorously questioned the delay in receiving the honor. Carey also performed a medley of her greatest hits.
Two inaugural special awards were introduced this year: Busta Rhymes received the Rock the Bells Visionary Award for his profound impact on hip-hop culture, performing a high-energy medley of his iconic tracks. Ricky Martin was honored with the first-ever Latin Icon Award, celebrating his four-decade career and global influence on Latin music. Martin delivered a passionate performance and dedicated his award to his children.
Memorable Performances and New Trends
The featured performances delivered unforgettable moments. Doja Cat kicked off the show with an ’80s-inspired spectacle, while Tate McRae captivated the audience with her sultry performance of “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car.” Sabrina Carpenter’s performance of “Tears” served as a visual statement for trans rights, featuring drag and trans performers.
Other notable performances included Conan Gray, Alex Warren, J Balvin with DJ Snake, Post Malone, and Jelly Roll.
The 2025 VMAs also introduced new fan-voted categories such as Best Country and Best Pop Artist, reflecting the evolving landscape of the music industry.
The ceremony, which saw a 42% increase in viewership from the previous year, reinforced the MTV VMAs’ status as a premier event celebrating music and pop culture’s most influential figures and news-making artists.
