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🏆 MTV VMAs 2025 Winners & Performances Recap đŸŽ€đŸ”„

Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande & Sabrina Carpenter win big at the 2025 MTV VMAs. See full winners, highlights & iconic performances from UBS Arena.

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Hit Channel
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The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards lit up Long Island’s UBS Arena on September 7, 2025, delivering an unforgettable night of music, awards, and powerhouse performances. Hosted by LL Cool J, the ceremony marked another landmark year, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter emerging as the night’s biggest winners.

Lady Gaga Leads the Pack

With an impressive 12 nominations, Lady Gaga was the most decorated artist of the night, walking away with four Moon Person trophies. Her wins included the coveted Artist of the Year, presented just days after she canceled a Miami show due to vocal strain.

Although she couldn’t stay for the full ceremony, Gaga’s pre-taped performance from Madison Square Garden of “Abracadabra” and “The Dead Dance” aired during the broadcast, cementing her as the centerpiece of the night. Gaga also shared a win with Bruno Mars for Best Collaboration with their hit “Die With a Smile.”

Ariana Grande Wins Video of the Year

The night’s top honor, Video of the Year, went to Ariana Grande for her uplifting track “Brighter Days Ahead.” Grande collected a total of three awards, tying with Sabrina Carpenter for the second-most wins of the night. Grande also presented the Video Vanguard Award to Mariah Carey, whose return to the VMAs stage after two decades included a career-spanning medley of hits like “Fantasy” and “We Belong Together.”

Sabrina Carpenter & Other Big Winners

Sabrina Carpenter claimed three awards, including Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet. Rising star RosĂ© won Song of the Year for “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars, while KATSEYE took home MTV Push Performance of the Year for “Touch.”

Other honors included Busta Rhymes, who became the first recipient of the Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin, who was recognized with the inaugural Latin Icon Award.

Show-Stopping Performances

The 2025 VMAs delivered a wide range of electrifying performances:

  • Doja Cat gave fans a live debut of “Jealous Type” with a retro 1980s flair.

  • Sabrina Carpenter performed “Tears” in a bold, inclusive display with drag queens holding signs of trans solidarity.

  • J Balvin and DJ Snake hit the stage for their high-energy single “Noventa.”

  • Aerosmith legends Steven Tyler and Joe Perry teamed up with Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt for an emotional tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

  • Mariah Carey’s medley, Post Malone & Jelly Roll’s “Loser”, and Conan Gray’s “Vodka Cranberry” also stood out as highlights of the night.

With new categories like Best Pop Artist and Best Country Video, the VMAs once again proved their ability to evolve with the music landscape while honoring both legacy acts and rising stars.

Video of the Year

Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead” (WINNER)
Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, “Timeless”

Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga (WINNER)
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Song of the Year

Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
Billie Eilish, “Birds of a Feather”
Doechii, “Anxiety”
Ed Sheeran, “Sapphire”
Gracie Abrams, “I Love You, I’m Sorry”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile”
Lorde, “What Was That”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.” (WINNER)
Tate McRae, “Sports Car”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, “Timeless”

Best New Artist

Alex Warren (WINNER)
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The MarĂ­as

Best Pop Artist

Ariana Grande
Charli xcx
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER)
Tate McRae

MTV Push Performance of the Year

August 2024: Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
September 2024: Ayra Starr, “Last Heartbreak Song”
October 2024: Mark Ambor, “Belong Together”
November 2024: Lay Bankz, “Graveyard”
December 2024: Dasha, “Bye Bye Bye”
January 2025: KATSEYE, “Touch” (WINNER)
February 2025: Jordan Adetunji, “Kehlani”
March 2025: Leon Thomas, “Yes It Is”
April 2025: Livingston, “Shadow”
May 2025: Damiano David, “Next Summer”
June 2025: Gigi Perez, “Sailor Song”
July 2025: Role Model, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”

Best Collaboration

Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs, “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (WINNER)
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton, “Pour Me a Drink”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco, “Sunset Blvd”

Best Pop

Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead” (WINNER)
Ed Sheeran, “Sapphire”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”

Best Hip-Hop

Doechii, “Anxiety” (WINNER)
Drake, “Nokia”
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll, “Somebody Save Me”
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red, “Whatchu Kno About Me”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
LL Cool J ft. Eminem, “Murdergram Deux”
Travis Scott, “4X4”

Best R&B

Chris Brown, “Residuals”
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs, “Mutt (Remix)”
Mariah Carey, “Type Dangerous” (WINNER)
Partynextdoor – “No Chill”
Summer Walker, “Heart Of A Woman”
SZA, “Drive”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, “Timeless”

Best Alternative

Gigi Perez, “Sailor Song”
Imagine Dragons, “Wake Up”
Lola Young, “Messy”
mgk & Jelly Roll, “Lonely Road”
Sombr, “Back to Friends” (WINNER)
The Marías, “Back To Me”

Best Rock

Coldplay, “All My Love” (WINNER)
Evanescence, “Afterlife (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry)”
Green Day, “One Eyed Bastard”
Lenny Kravitz, “Honey”
Linkin Park, “The Emptiness Machine”
Twenty One Pilots, “The Contract”

Best Latin

Bad Bunny, “Baile Inolvidable”
J Balvin, “Rio”
Karol G, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
Peso Pluma, “La Patrulla”
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos, “KhĂ©?”
Shakira, “Soltera“ (WINNER)

Best K-pop

Aespa, “Whiplash”
Jennie, “Like Jennie”
Jimin, “Who”
Jisoo, “Earthquake”
Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye, “Born Again” (WINNER)
Stray Kids, “Chk Chk Boom”
RosĂ©, “Toxic Till the End”

Best Afrobeats

Asake & Travis Scott, “Active”
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott, “TaTaTa”
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea, “Shake It To The Max (Fly) (Remix)”
Rema, “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
Tems ft. Asake, “Get It Right”
Tyla, “Push 2 Start” (WINNER)
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz, “Piece Of My Heart”

Best Country

Chris Stapleton, “Think I’m In Love With You”
Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood, “I’m Gonna Love You”
Jelly Roll, “Liar”
Lainey Wilson, “4x4xU”
Megan Moroney, “Am I Okay?” (WINNER)
Morgan Wallen, “Smile”

Best Album

Bad Bunny, Debí Tirar Mås Fotos
Kendrick Lamar, GNX
Lady Gaga, Mayhem
Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem 
Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet (WINNER)
The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow

Best Longform Video

Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead” (WINNER)
Bad Bunny – “Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Short Film)”
Damiano David, “Funny Little Stories”
Mac Miller, “Balloonerism”
Miley Cyrus, “Something Beautiful”
The Weeknd, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”

Best Group

aespa
All Time Low
Backstreet Boys
BLACKPINK (WINNER)
Coldplay
Evanescence
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
KATSEYE
My Chemical Romance
SEVENTEEN
Stray Kids
The MarĂ­as
twenty one pilots

Song of the Summer

Addison Rae, “Headphones On”
Alex Warren, “Ordinary”
Benson Boone, “Mystical Magical”
BigXthaPlug ft. Bailey Zimmerman, “All The Way”
Chappell Roan, “The Subway”
Demi Lovato, “Fast”
Doja Cat, “Jealous Type”
HUNTRIX: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI, “Golden”
Jessie Murph, “Blue Strips”
Justin Bieber, “Daisies”
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea, “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)”
Morgan Wallen ft. Tate McRae, “What I Want”
Ravyn Lenae ft. Rex Orange County, “Love Me Not”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
sombr, “12 to 12”
Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching (From F1 The Movie)” (WINNER)

Video for Good

Burna Boy, “Higher”
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” (WINNER)
Doechii, “Anxiety”
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll, “Somebody Save Me”
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco – “Younger and Hotter Than Me”
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan, “Sleepwalking”

Best Direction

Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
Charli xcx, “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra” (WINNER)
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”

Best Art Direction

Charli xcx, “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra” (WINNER)
Lorde, “Man of the Year”
Miley Cyrus, “End of the World”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”

Best Cinematography

Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
Ed Sheeran, “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (WINNER)
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
Miley Cyrus, “Easy Lover”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”

Best Editing

Charli xcx, “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Ed Sheeran, “Sapphire”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching (From F1: The Movie)” (WINNER)

Best Choreography

Doechii, “Anxiety” (WINNER)
FKA Twigs, “Eusexua”
Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Zara Larsson, “Pretty Ugly”

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
RosĂ© & Bruno Mars, “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild” (WINNER)
Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching (From F1: The Movie)“
The Weeknd, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”

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