MTV VMAs 2025: Lady Gaga named Artist of the Year, Ariana Grande also wins big

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony was held at UBS Arena in New York on September 7. It was hosted by LL Cool J.

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards turned out to be a celebration of women in music, with global icons like Lady Gaga, Rosé, Ariana Grande, and Mariah Carey taking home top honours at the star-studded ceremony held in New York on Sunday.

Lady Gaga accepts the Artist of the Year Award during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in New York. (Photo by Kevin Kane / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

2025 MTV VMAs winners announced

The winners were announced on September 7 during a ceremony that brought together the biggest and brightest artists across all genres into one room. The ceremony was held at New York's UBS Arena. It was hosted by LL Cool J for the second year in a row.

Who took home the coveted trophy? Lady Gaga took home the prize for Artist of the Year and Rosé accepted the win for Song of the Year for her collaboration with Bruno Mars, APT. Ariana Grande won the Video of the Year and Best Pop for Brighter Days Ahead. "Thank you to my therapists and gay people," she said on stage while accepting the honour, adding, “I love you."

Meanwhile, Mariah Carey walked away with the Video Vanguard Award for her record-breaking career in pop music. Among the stars performing at the ceremony are Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Sombr, Alex Warren, J Balvin featuring DJ Snake, Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll, Conan Gray and Tate McRae.

Here is a complete list of winners of 2025 MTV VMAs, as per Rolling Stone.

Video of the Year:

Ariana Grande for Brighter Days Ahead

Artist Of The Year:

Lady Gaga

Song Of The Year:

APT by ROSÉ & Bruno Mars

Best New Artist:

Alex Warren

Best Pop Artist:

Ariana Grande

MTV Push Performance of the Year:

KATSEYE for Touch

Best Collaboration:

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars for Die With a Smile

Best Pop:

Ariana Grande for Brighter days ahead

Best Hip-Hop:

Doechii for Anxiety

Best R&B:

Mariah Carey for Type Dangerous

Best Alternative:

Sombr for Back to friends

Best K-Pop SONG:

LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE for Born Again

Best Album:

Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter

Best Afrobeats:

Tyla for Push 2 Start

Best Country:

Megan Moroney for Am I Okay?

Song of the Summer:

Just Keep Watching for Tate McRae

Best Rock:

Coldplay for All My Love

Best Latin:

Shakira for Soltera

Best Long Form Video:

Brighter Days Ahead by Ariana Grande

Video for Good:

Charli xcx for Guess featuring Billie Eilish

Best Direction:

Lady Gaga for Abracadabra

Best Art Direction:

Lady Gaga for Abracadabra

Best Cinematography:

Kendrick Lamar for Not Like Us

Best Editing:

Tate McRae for Just Keep Watching

Best Choreography:

Doechii for Anxiety

Best Visual Effects:

Sabrina Carpenter for Manchild

Best Group:

BLACKPINK

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award:

Mariah Carey

Rock the Bells Visionary Award:

Busta Rhymes

Latin Icon Award:

Ricky Martin