Lady Gaga was the star of the night at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, held on Sunday, September 7, at Long Island’s UBS Arena. She received an impressive 12 nominations and walked away with four Moon Person trophies. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter also had a great night, while Mariah Carey was honored with the Video Vanguard Award.
Hosted by LL COOL J, this year’s ceremony aired live on CBS for the first time. Gaga’s nominations were boosted by her collaboration with Bruno Mars on “Die With a Smile,” which won Best Collaboration. She also took home Artist of the Year and Best Direction for her video “Abracadabra.” Gaga wowed the audience with pre-taped performances of both “Abracadabra” and “The Dead Dance.”
Mariah Carey performed a medley of her hits, including “Sugar Sweet” and “We Belong Together.” This was her first performance at the VMAs since 2005. Along with the Video Vanguard Award, she won her first VMA for Best R&B with “Type Dangerous.”
Ariana Grande snagged three awards for her short film “Brighter Days Ahead,” including Video of the Year. Sabrina Carpenter also took home three trophies, winning Best Pop Artist, Best Album for Short N’ Sweet, and Best Visual Effects for “Manchild.” She performed “Tears” with dancers and drag queens promoting trans solidarity.
Kendrick Lamar received 10 nominations, with his video for “Not Like Us” winning Best Cinematography. Billie Eilish earned six nominations and won the Video For Good award for “Guess,” her collaboration with Charli XCX. Busta Rhymes was honored with the MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin received the Latin Icon Award.
