The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards celebrated some of the biggest names in music on Sunday night, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter among the top winners at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

The ceremony, hosted by LL Cool J, marked its first live broadcast on CBS alongside streaming on Paramount+. This year’s awards recognized music released between June 2024 and June 2025 and introduced two new fan-voted categories: Best Country and Best Pop Artist.

Lady Gaga emerged as the most decorated artist of the evening, securing four wins out of twelve nominations. Her collaboration with Bruno Mars on “Die With a Smile” earned Best Collaboration, and she also took home Artist of the Year.

Ariana Grande claimed two of the night’s biggest prizes, including Video of the Year and Best Pop Video for her hit “Brighter Days Ahead.”

Sabrina Carpenter scored victories in the new Best Pop Artist category and won Best Album for Short n’ Sweet, adding to her breakout year.

Other major honors included Song of the Year for “APT” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, Best New Artist for Alex Warren, and Song of the Summer for Tate McRae’s “Just Keep Watching” from F1: The Movie.

Special recognitions highlighted influential careers across genres. Mariah Carey received the Vanguard Award, Busta Rhymes was honored with the first Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin became the inaugural recipient of the Latin Icon Award.

The night also showcased global diversity in music. Tyla earned Best Afrobeats, Megan Moroney took home Best Country, and Lisa, alongside Doja Cat and RAYE, won in the K-Pop category.

Live performances punctuated the ceremony, with Doja Cat, Post Malone, Tate McRae, Jelly Roll, and Sabrina Carpenter among those taking the stage. Emotional tributes were delivered as well, including a memorial to Ozzy Osbourne featuring Yungblud with members of Aerosmith.

The 2025 VMAs reflected the evolving landscape of global pop culture, balancing new categories, genre representation, and recognition of long-standing artists.

Sources: MTV, NBC News, The Hollywood Reporter, Page Six, The Guardian, Vulture