Viewers might want their MTV, but musicians? They want their Moon Person — and the trophies were handed out at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Sunday (Sept. 7) at New York’s UBS Arena.
Going into the night, Lady Gaga — who already has 18 VMAs wins over the course of her career — led in nominations with an impressive 12 nods. She ended up walking away the big winner of the night, with artist of the year, best art direction, best direction, as well as best collaboration for “Die With a Smile” alongside Bruno Mars. Ariana Grande was also another big winner with three victories, taking home the Moon Person trophies for video of the year and best long-form video for “Brighter Days Ahead,” as well as best pop. Sabrina Carpenter also took home three trophies: pop artist, album for Short n’ Sweet and best visual effects for “Manchild.”
ROSÉ, like Gaga, also won with her own Bruno Mars collab, taking the trophy for their Billboard Hot 100 hit “APT.,” which peaked at No. 3 on the tally. Her BLACKPINK bandmate LISA was also victorious, snagging the best K-pop award for “Born Again” with Doja Cat and RAYE.
Among the non-competition category honorees were Mariah Carey, with the iconic singer feted as this year’s recipient of the Video Vanguard Award. The celebrated musician also be performed a medley of her career-spanning hits. Another legend who received an honor was Ricky Martin, who was celebrated with the VMA’s first Latin Icon Award after performing a medley of his own megahits. Busta Rhymes was also honored with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and like the others, delivered a medley of his career-spanning songs.
Keep reading for the full list of winners.
Video of the year
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
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
WINNER: Lady Gaga
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”
WINNER: ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Tate McRae – “Sports Car”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Best new artist
WINNER: Alex Warren
sombr
The Marías
Best pop artist
WINNER: Ariana Grande
Charli xcx
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
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”
WINNER: January 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch”
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”
WINNER: Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me A Drink”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd”
Best pop
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best hip-hop
WINNER: Doechii – “Anxiety”
Drake – “NOKIA”
Eminem feat. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “Whatchu Kno About Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
LL Cool J feat. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”
Travis Scott – “4X4”
Best R&B
Chris Brown – “Residuals”
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)”
WINNER: Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous”
PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l”
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”
WINNER: sombr – “Back to Friends”
The Marías – “Back to Me”
Best rock
WINNER: Coldplay – “All My Love”
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 – “Khé?”
WINNER: Shakira – “Soltera“
Best K-pop
aespa – “Whiplash”
JENNIE – “like JENNIE”
Jimin – “Who”
JISOO – “earthquake”
WINNER: LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again”
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 feat. Asake – “Get It Right”
WINNER: Tyla – “Push 2 Start”
Wizkid feat. 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”
WINNER: Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?”
Morgan Wallen – “Smile”
Best album
Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Best long-form video
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
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”
Video for good
Burna Boy – “Higher”
WINNER: Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Eminem feat. 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”
WINNER: Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Best art direction
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us
WINNER: Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
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”
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
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”
WINNER: Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching “(From F1 The Movie)
Best choreography
WINNER: Doechii – “Anxiety”
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.”
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching “(From F1 The Movie)
The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow”
Song of summer
Addison Rae – “Headphones On”
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Benson Boone – “Mystical Magical”
BigXthaPlug feat. 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 feat. Tate McRae – “What I Want”
Ravyn Lenae feat. Rex Orange County – “Love Me Not”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
sombr – “12 to 12”
WINNER: Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)”
Best group
aespa
All Time Low
Backstreet Boys
WINNER: BLACKPINK
Coldplay
Evanescence
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
KATSEYE
My Chemical Romance
SEVENTEEN
Stray Kids
The Marías
Twenty One Pilots
This story originally appeared on Billboard
