MTV VMAs 2025: Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga win big

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The 2025 MTV VMAs have wrapped, with Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga walking away with night’s biggest awards – see the full list of winners below.

* READ MORE: Lady Gaga – ‘Mayhem’ review: queen of pop bombast dials everything up to eleven

This year’s ceremony took place at the at the UBS Arena in Long Island on Sunday night (September 7). This year’s nominations were being led by Lady Gaga, who clocked in with 12 nods to her name. Her ‘Die With A Smile’ collaborator Bruno Mars came in a close second with 11 nominations to his name, while Kendrick Lamar had 10. They were the only artists with double-digit nominations this year.

> That's #VMA Artist of the Year winner to youuu 🏆 [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f3c6.png] Congrats to > @LadyGaga! pic.twitter.com/bQdzK829ZA > > — Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 8, 2025

BLACKPINK‘s Rosé had eight nods this year – all for ‘Apt.’ Additionally, the VMAs introduced two new categories this year: Best Pop Artist and Best Country.

The coveted Video of the Year award was being contested between Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Rosé & Bruno Mars, Sabrina Carpenter, and The Weeknd & Playboi Carti, but ultimately went to Ariana Grande for ‘Brighter Days Ahead’.

Lady Gaga clinched the award for Artist Of The Year before rushing off to Madison Square Garden for a concert, while Rosé and Bruno Mars won Song Of The Year for ‘APT’. Sabrina Carpenter also won several awards, including Best Pop Artist and Best Album.

> The people have spoken 🗣 [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/16.0.1/72x72/1f5e3.png] "APT." by @BrunoMars and #ROSE @numberonehq > won Song of the Year at the 2025 #VMAs! pic.twitter.com/xjWPfirrLW > > — Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 8, 2025

On the performance front, the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Mariah Carey, Conan Gray, Yungblud and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Doja Cat, Lady Gaga and more performed.

Check out the full list of winners below.

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’ Rosé & 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’ Rosé & 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 Marías

[https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mtv-vmas@2000x1270.jpg]MTV VMAs. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Best Pop Artist Ariana Grande Charli XCX Justin Bieber Lorde Miley Cyrus Sabrina Carpenter (WINNER) Tate McRae

MTV Push Performance of the Year Ayra Starr – ‘Last Heartbreak Song’ Damiano David – ‘Next Summer’ Dasha – ‘Bye Bye Bye’ Gigi Perez – ‘Sailor Song’ Jordan Adetunji – ‘Kehlani’ Katseye – ‘Touch’ (WINNER) Lay Bankz – ‘Graveyard’ Leon Thomas – ‘Yes It Is’ Livingston – ‘Shadow’ Mark Ambor – ‘Belong Together’ Role Model – ‘Sally, When the Wine Runs Out’ Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’

Best Collaboration Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs – ‘Backup Plan’ Kendrick Lamar & SZA – ‘Luther’ Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – ‘Die With a Smile’ (WINNER) Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – ‘Pour Me a Drink’ Rosé & 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’ Rosé & 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 – ‘4×4’

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’ 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 – ‘Khé?’ 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’ Rosé – ‘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 & Carrie Underwood – ‘I’m Gonna Love You’ Jelly Roll – ‘Liar’ Lainey Wilson – ‘4x4xU’ Megan Moroney – ‘Am I Okay?’ (WINNER) Morgan Wallen – ‘Smile’

Sabrina Carpenter, 2025 [https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sabrina-carpenter@2000x1270.jpg]Sabrina Carpenter, 2025. CREDIT: Press

Best Album Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más 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 Long Form Video Ariana Grande – ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ (WINNER) Bad Bunny – ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ Damiano David – ‘Funny Little Stories’ Mac Miller – ‘Balloonerism’ Miley Cyrus – ‘Something Beautiful’ The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

Video for Good Burna Boy – ‘Higher’ Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. 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’ ft. Billie Eilish Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ (WINNER) Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’ Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’

Best Art Direction Charli XCX – ‘Guess’ ft. Billie Eilish Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ (WINNER) Lorde – ‘Man of the Year’ Miley Cyrus – ‘End of the World’ Rosé & 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’ ft. Billie Eilish Ed Sheeran – ‘Sapphire’ Kendrick Lamar – ‘Not Like Us’ Lady Gaga – ‘Abracadabra’ Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’ Tate McRae – ‘Just Keep Watching’ (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’ Rosé & Bruno Mars – ‘Apt.’ Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Manchild’ (WINNER) Tate McRae – ‘Just Keep Watching’ 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 Marías 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’ HUNTR/X: 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’ (WINNER)

Video Vanguard Award Mariah Carey

MTV VMA Rock The Bells Visionary Award Busty Rhymes

Latin Icon Award Ricky Martin

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