The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were a night of significant wins on Sunday, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter emerging as the leading winners.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were held on Sunday, September 7, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.
The ceremony was broadcast live on CBS, MTV and Paramount+, with LL Cool J as host.
The night’s most awarded artist was Lady Gaga, who received four trophies, including Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration for Die With a Smile with Bruno Mars.
Gaga, who had been forced to cancel a concert in Miami days earlier due to a strained voice, appeared briefly before leaving to perform the final show of her Mayhem tour at Madison Square Garden.
“I hope as you navigate through the mayhem of daily life, you are reminded of the importance of the art of your life … to keep you whole,” she said in her acceptance speech.
Ariana Grande won Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead, which also earned Best Pop Video and Best Longform Video, bringing her total to three awards.
Accepting the top honor with director Christian Breslauer, she described the project as “about the hard work that is healing all different kinds of trauma and coming home to our young selves … If you’re on that journey, please continue onward, because I promise there are brighter days ahead.”
Sabrina Carpenter also collected three trophies, including Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet, Best Pop Artist, and Best Visual Effects for Manchild.
The Song of the Year award went to APT., a collaboration between Rosé and Bruno Mars. “This is a really big moment for 16-year-old me and anyone else who has dreamed about being accepted equally for their hard work,” Rosé said.
Additional competitive awards included Best New Artist, presented to Alex Warren; Best Group, awarded to BLACKPINK; Best Latin, won by Shakira; Best Rock, awarded to Coldplay; and Best Hip-Hop, won by Doechii. Tyla won Best Afrobeats, while Megan Moroney won Best Country Video.
The ceremony also introduced two new lifetime awards. Ricky Martin became the first Latin Icon Award recipient and performed a medley of hits, including Livin’ la Vida Loca and Maria.
“This is very simple: this is for you all … I am addicted to your applause, that’s why I keep coming back,” he told the audience.
Busta Rhymes accepted the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, with LL Cool J praising him as “a sonic equivalent of a time bomb.”
Mariah Carey was presented with the Video Vanguard Award by Grande and performed a selection of her best-known songs. “I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight. I just have one question: what in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” Carey said to applause.
The show also included a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July. Yungblud performed Crazy Train and Changes before being joined by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for Mama, I’m Coming Home.
Other performers included Doja Cat, Tate McRae, Conan Gray, Sombr, and Alex Warren, who sang his hit Ordinary, the year’s longest-running number one single.
