A celebration of past and present music and music-makers, the 41st edition of the MTV VMA paid glorious tribute to past greats while acknowledging the passion and power of singers of the young generation. Held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Sunday, September 7 (morning of September 8, IST), the star-studded celebration was hosted by rapper LL Cool J, a former VMA recipient, and some of whose best career moments can be traced to the VMA stage. Attended by the best and brightest of the global music fraternity, the show was however skipped by megastar and nominee in a major category, Taylor Swift.
Consisting of electrifying performances by performers across generations, some touching tributes and truly emphatic wins, the awards also witnessed a surge of feminine power with all-girl groups and women solo artistes landing all the top honours and bagging 22 of the 30 awards given away this year. Lady Gaga took home four awards, the highest by any winner that night. “I hope as you navigate through the mayhem of daily life, you are reminded of the importance of the art of your life. I dedicate this award to the audience. You very much deserve a stage to shine on, and I give you all my applause. Thank you, Little Monsters, my fans, for always supporting me,” said the multi-hyphenate star.
The superstar also presented a power-packed performance of Abracadabra and Dead Dance in her signature flamboyant style.
Besides the top award for Artist of the Year, she also took Best Direction and Best Art Direction for Abracadabra (which she co-directed with Bethany Vargas and Parris Goebel) and Best Collaboration with Bruno Mars for Die With a Smile. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter won three Moon Persons apiece, with Grande clinching the night’s most-coveted award for Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead, and Carpenter winning Best Album for Short n’ Sweet. Lisa of BLACKPINK won the Best K-Pop award for Born Again (featuring Doja Cat and Raye), while BLACKPINK won Best Group, marking the seventh consecutive year that a K-pop group has won in this category.
Ariana Grande receives Video of the Year Award for "Brighter days ahead " at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards in Elmont, New York, U.S., September 7, 2025. REUTERS
The notable winners among male artistes included Alex Warren for Best New Artist, and Coldplay for Best Rock for All My Love. Highlights from the glittering ceremony that also honoured past greats Mariah Carey with the Video Vanguard Award, Busta Rhymes with the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin with the first-ever Latin Icon Award.
