The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards started and ended with a bang! Some of the music industry’s most recognizable names in pop, rock, hip-hop and more genres came together to perform, present and accept their own awards — and we’ve compiled the entire winners list right here. In addition to the annual VMAs categories, including Best Album, Video of the Year and Best Group, MTV also gave special awards out to a select handful of artists.
Receiving the first-ever Latin Icon Award, Ricky Martin dedicated the win to his fans and pointed out how long he’s been chipping away at show biz.
“Thank you so much because it’s been 40 years. I started when I was a baby, and we’re still here,” the “Livin’ lad vida loca” hitmaker said during his speech. “We just want to unite countries, we just want to break boundaries. We just want to keep music alive.”
MTV also bestowed its Rock the Bells Visionary Award to Busta Rhymes and the highly coveted Video Vanguard Award to Mariah Carey. Ariana Grande presented her with the trophy and even bowed before her on stage.
Keep reading to see the entire VMAs 2025 winners list!
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records
Artist of the Year
Lady Gaga – Interscope Records
Song of the Year
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Best New Artist
Alex Warren – Atlantic Records
Best Pop Artist
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
MTV Push Performance of the Year
KATSEYE – “Touch” – HYBE/Geffen Records (Jan 2025)
Best Collaboration
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With A Smile” – Interscope Records
Best Pop
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Record
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Best R&B
Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous” – gamma.
Best Alternative
sombr – “back to friends” – SMB Music/Warner Records
Best Rock
Coldplay – “ALL MY LOVE” – Atlantic Records
Best Latin
Shakira – “Soltera“ – Sony Music US Latin
Best Afrobeats
Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records
Best K-Pop
LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again” – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Best Country
Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?” – Columbia Records
Best Album
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet – Island
Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records
Video for Good
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records
Best Direction
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records
Best Cinematography
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records
Best Editing
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)” – Atlantic Records
Best Choreography
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records
Best Visual Effects
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island
Best Art Direction
Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records
Best Group
BLACKPINK
Song of the Summer
Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (From F1® The Movie)” – Atlantic Records
On Scotland’s picturesque west coast, one place was labelled the country’s worst seaside town — and the tenth worst in the UK. It scored poorly in the survey of 3,800 Which? members, with just two stars for its tourist attractions, and middling marks elsewhere.
But locals tell a more nuanced story. While they agreed the high street is “crushed” and “full of empty shops”, they highlighted the town’s charms. From pretty surrounding landscapes to major international events, Ayr, they argued, is far richer than its reputation suggests — just often overlooked by tourists and struggling like the rest of the UK with blighted high streets.
Locals say the town centre is in decline and there are lots of empty shops (Image: Getty)
Irene, who has always worked in Ayr and now runs a small tobacco shop that has survived since 1902, said she had “definitely” seen a decline in the town centre.
Recalling its heyday, she told The Express: “Going back maybe 20 odd years ago, the town was buzzing. The high street was buzzing.” But now there were “very few shops”, and she said more cafes, charity shops, barbers, and nail bars had moved in.
She said a combination of high rents, increased minimum wage, and National Insurance contributions has “crushed all the businesses—not just the small ones, but the large ones as well”.
“There are some independent stores, and just talking to other retailers, I think we’re all in the same boat; we’re all really struggling.”
However, she emphasised that the situation isn’t unique to Ayr and is similar across the UK. She noted how it was a “vicious circle” as more empty buildings reduce footfall for surviving retailers.
Her niche cigar business attracts tourists from caravan holidaying site Haven Park because “they can’t get it anywhere else really,” but the number of visitors is lower than in past times.
Ayr has a long sandy beach and promenade (Image: Getty)
Gordon Pickens, whose traditional family butcher’s has been in Ayr since 1888, linked the decline to the high running costs, which smaller shops cannot afford.
“The trouble with here was they’re all big stores,” he said. “They’re all big premises no one can afford to take on, and they’re all high rates as well. So between the high rates, high rent, people can’t afford to move into them.”
He said nearby Prestwick was faring better thanks to its smaller premises. “They haven’t got the big department stores, so independent shops can afford to open up there. Much cheaper rents and rates.”
However, he told a different story to Which? survey, which gave it three out of five for scenery. He emphasised: “The surrounding areas are lovely. There are golf courses, parks, and a beach — it’s all nice. It’s literally just the shops.”
Locals pointed out nearby sights like Culzean Castle (Image: Getty)
Karen McClelland, who runs a small bed and breakfast in Ayr, said that despite the challenges, her three-bed B&B is usually full from May to September.
Many of her guests come from Glasgow and the central belt, drawn by the racecourse, weddings, and the annual air show, when the “whole town comes alight”. While there had been fewer international visitors since COVID, it had started to pick up.
She believed Ayr’s strong point is “100% the promenade and the beach”, but acknowledged the town centre needed work.
“When it comes to the high street, the town, the shopping area, I don’t think it’s terribly different from many other towns nowadays. We lost a lot of the big shops and it’s kind of taken over by pound shops and charity shops, which is a real shame.”
She also pointed to the success of smaller Prestwick. “I’m old enough to remember the days before shopping centres and before supermarkets,” she added. “So I think it was the advent of the shopping centre [and the retail park] that has killed the high street.”
She believed that Ayr is often overlooked compared to places like Edinburgh, Glasgow, or the West Highland Way, but highlighted the array of activities in the area.
“We’ve got Culzean Castle, there’s Dumfries House, Robert Burns was born here,” she said. “You can easily spend a week in Ayr just having a look at what there is to see.”
Having lived there for 25 years and set to enter semi-retirement, she added: “I’ve been looking to potentially downsize and move elsewhere, but you know what, I quite like it and I’m only five minutes from the beach, so I’ll probably end up staying.”
Ayr has a harbour and views over the Isle of Arran (Image: Getty)
Councillor Bob Shields agreed that Ayr town centre, once the shopping destination of Ayrshire, needed regeneration, and stressed that work is under way.
He said: “It doesn’t help any high street to have buildings that are boarded up and looking for new owners. So the council is trying to address that and look at ways of getting smaller businesses to attract them into the town, and try and regenerate a whole new culture of town centre shopping.”
He added: “The internet’s taking its toll on every high street in the country and it’s just a matter of accepting that and deciding how to regenerate it.”
Plans could include attracting more independent businesses, adding housing to the town centre to boost footfall, making transport and parking more accessible, and reviving the esplanade with traditional seaside attractions, like a crazy golf course.
“We lost our railway station for a while due to a major fire at the Station Hotel, so hopefully we’ll be looking at a new railway station and turn it into a transport hub,” he added.
“These are all part of the council’s regeneration plans, but all things in council take their time,” he said. “It’s a long process. Years of degeneration take years of regeneration to fix it all.”
“I think the public is right to be impatient. They walk around the high street and say there’s nothing happening, but to be honest, there is a lot happening,” he said. “We ask the public to be patient, but I can see where they’re coming from.”
Cllr Shields pointed to Ayr’s proven ability to draw crowds. He said the last two International Ayr Shows drew a quarter of a million people, and he predicted Ayr would be the “busiest seaside resort in the whole of the UK” during this year’s September 5-6 event.
“People say there’s nothing to do or see in Ayr,” he said. “I think the criteria depends on what people are looking for. If you want beaches, it’s hard to top Ayr’s beach.”
He also praised its views over the Isle of Arran, championship golf courses, and Glasgow Prestwick Airport just minutes away, and said “it is a matter of building on those things”.
Cllr Shields noted setbacks like soaring building costs, the council not owning the old station hotel site, which means their “hands are tied legally at the moment”, and the sheer time it takes to make changes.
But between its natural beauty and the ability to host events that rival anywhere in the UK, its defenders insist Ayr has all the makings of a great seaside town.
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The booing of a president is not a reliable indicator of a political party’s future, but when a president gets booed each time they are shown on the screen at an event, it isn’t a coincidence.
When a president gets booed during the National Anthem, that’s uncharted territory.
Here is Trump getting booed during the Anthem:
Trump was making his saluting sleeping face, which he must think makes him look serious and patriotic, but in reality, he looks like a confused dope who is trying to do what he thinks a patriotic person would do.
The crowd apparently wanted to make sure that it got its point across, because when Trump was shown on the screen later, he drew even more boos.
Video:
This was the US Open, a tennis tournament. It isn’t like Trump was outside an NFL stadium tailgating before kickoff. Tennis tournaments aren’t known for their vocal crowds with outspoken political beliefs.
This was the protest outside the tournament:
It takes a seriously high level of unpopularity to get booed at a tennis tournament, and there may have never been a president in US history who was booed at a sporting event during the National Anthem.
If I were a House or Senate Republican watching this scene with an ounce of common sense, I might start to suspect that my reelection campaign could be in trouble.
Midterm elections have historically been a referendum on the incumbent president.
If this is how voters feel about Trump at a tennis tournament, imagine how people feel about him when they have to fill up the gas tank, buy groceries, or pay their utility bills.
Voters are angry, and that anger has been turned on Trump and his party.
Donald Trump can’t escape. Everywhere he goes, he is reminded that he is a failed president whom most Americans can’t stand.
What do you think about Trump getting booed at the US Open? Join the discussion in the comments below.
Apple’s best iPhone is about to get even better. With a new design, new colors, and more on the way, here’s what you should be looking forward to from iPhone 17 Pro.
iPhone 17 Pro – Image Credit: AppleInsider
If Apple sticks to its now familiar release cadence, we expect new iPhones to be announced every September. 2025 is unlikely to buck the trend, with an event already set for September 9.
The last year of rumors points to a few big changes this time around, with a bold new design at the top of the pile. This round of iPhones is set to be the best for photographers and gamers yet, so there’s more than a new look to get excited about.
A good detective show is irresistible. Maybe it is the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of a mystery getting solved, or the charm of a character who notices what others miss. Whatever the draw, detective TV shows have long held a special spot in TV history, and for good reason. From the very first episode, they hook you in with a crime or a question, and then, a grizzled veteran or a quirky genius hops in and elevates the tension and curiosity.
The 2000s were a particularly rich decade for detective storytelling because it was the decade that reinvented pre-established formulas and archetypes. Shows began blending genres, adding a layer of humor and history, and sometimes, even teenage angst. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation turned forensic science into a prime-time spectacle, while Veronica Mars gave us a high school noir heroine with a taser. But clearly, that’s not all. We’ve narrowed it down to 10 detective TV shows that defined the 2000s.
10
‘Life’ (2007 – 2009)
Life centers on Detective Charlie Crews, who serves twelve years for a triple homicide he didn’t commit and emerges from prison with a Zen-like calm, a taste for fresh fruit, and a quiet obsession with uncovering the conspiracy that frames him and robbed him of a decade. The show finds him reclaiming his badge and teaming up with Dani Reese, a recovering addict and former undercover narcotics cop, to navigate the murky waters of his past and solve cases.
Zen-ful Lens on the Procedural
Standing out from a sea of police procedurals, this one infuses the genre with a healthy dose of metaphysical introspection. Each episode balances standalone cases with a deeper mystery, which is Crews’s wrongful conviction, by weaving in musings, dry humor, and genuine emotion. It ran for two seasons, and while short-lived, it carved out a cult following thanks to its offbeat tone and incredible performances from Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi.
9
‘Inspector George Gently’ (2007 – 2017)
Set against the backdrop of 1960s Britain, Inspector George Gently follows the titular, old-school detective as he tackles crime in the North East of England. Gently, played with gravitas by Martin Shaw, is a principled man navigating a world on the cusp of rapid change. His partner, DS John Bacchus, is younger, impulsive, and often morally conflicted, which creates a compelling generational tension.
Spanning eight seasons, it features cases ranging from domestic tragedies to politically charged murders, and they are all steeped in the era’s cultural upheaval. Which is to say that the show uses its period setting not just as a backdrop, but as a narrative device. Across its run, it also evolves from a solid detective show to a rich and textured character study. In 2017, it wrapped the story with grace and earned critical praise for the same.
8
‘Murdoch Mysteries’ (2008 – Present)
In Toronto, Detective William Murdoch solves crimes using techniques that feel decades ahead of their time. From fingerprinting and blood spatter analysis to even rudimentary lie detectors, Murdoch’s scientific approach to crime solving often leaves his superiors baffled, but he gets the results anyway. The show also introduces real-life figures like Nikola Tesla and Winston Churchill into its cases, along with a charming ensemble.
Redefines How Detectives Think
Now over 18 seasons strong, Murdoch Mysteries is one of Canada’s most enduring TV shows since it first began. Yannick Bisson plays the protagonist with an earnest and quiet charm, and the show’s mix of historical cameos and inventive cases keeps it fresh. It’s not the longevity but the consistency that’s truly impressive. It strikes that rare balance of cozy and cerebral and its legacy lies in how it makes science thrilling long before CSI made it cool.
7
‘Inspector Lynley Mysteries’ (2001 – 2008)
Inspector Lynley Mysteries is set in the moody landscapes of England, and it pairs aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley with the blunt, working-class Sergeant Barbara Havers. The series begins with Lynley investigating a brutal murder in Yorkshire. It also quickly establishes the duo’s contrasting personalities as a source of tension because they always find themselves at odds with each other. One is polished and privileged, and the other is emotionally blunt.
Understands Both People and Puzzles
Adapted from Elizabeth George’s novels, the show’s early seasons stick closely to the source material, while the later episodes branch into original stories, each of which is doused in British melancholy and moral complexity. At the center of this character-driven detective show is Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small’s dynamic, which has friction but also loyalty. BBC ended it in 2008 despite fan campaigns, but it remains a standout.
6
‘Psych’ (2006 – 2014)
Shawn Spencer isn’t psychic, but he is very good at pretending to be. After bluffing his way into a consulting gig with the Santa Barbara Police Department, Shawn launches the titular detective agency built solely on his exceptional observational skills, photographic memory, and a lot of improv. With his best friend Gus, a pharmaceutical rep, Shawn solves crime with a flair and a knack for pop culture references.
Chemistry and Clever Deduction
Psych set itself apart from the pack of gritty, serious-minded detective shows of the 2000s by embracing a whimsical and playful side of the genre. It thrives on the buddy-cop energy, which Shawn and Gus riffing their way through bizarre investigations. The lightning-fast quips, endearing chemistry between James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill, and an endless parade of self-aware jokes, make it lighthearted and refreshing.
5
‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2000 – 2015)
In the underbelly of Las Vegas, a team of forensic investigators turns blood spatter, fiber traces, and DNA into baffling, airtight cases. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows Gil Grissom and his crew as they dissect crime scenes with surgical precision and reveal chilling truths beneath the city’s glamorous surface. Its structure is tight — each episode begins with a crime, then unspools through lab work, field interviews, and high-tech analysis.
Gave Detective TV a Modern Edge
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was a true game-changer because it revolutionized the detective genre by placing forensic science at the forefront of the process of investigating crimes. Spanning 15 seasons and 337 episodes, it not only dominated ratings, but also, with its innovative use of cutting-edge technology and ability to translate complex scientific concepts into captivating stories, inspired a generation of aspiring forensic scientists.
4
‘Wire in the Blood’ (2002 – 2008)
ITV’s Wire in the Blood takes place in the fictional town of Bradfield and follows Dr. Tony Hill, a clinical psychologist with a unique gift for profiling serial killers. He works alongside Detective Inspector Carol Jordan to solve the most disturbing crimes imaginable by diving into the psychology of murder and erasing the line between empathy and obsession.
Looks at the Hunter and the Hunted
Based on Val McDermid’s novels, Wire in the Blood blends grounded police work with eerie insights as Tony uses his own fractured psyche to understand the killers before they strike again. It’s not something original by today’s standards, but back in the day, the series carved out a niche as one of the most intense and cerebral detective dramas of its time. ITV canceled it citing high production costs, but it practically manufactured the profiler archetype.
3
‘Foyle’s War’ (2002 – 2009)
Set during World War II in the coastal town of Hastings, Foyle’s War follows Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, who was retired when he got back into town but finds himself drawn into the world of law enforcement as a series of complex crimes linked to the lingering effects of war surface. Often clashing with military officials who’d prefer he look the other way, Foyle has his driver Sam Stewart and Sergeant Paul Milner by his side.
Thoughtful and Unforgettable
Foyle’s War elevates the genre by flawlessly integrating the detective elements with historical context and sociopolitical commentary. Michael Kitchen’s performance is magnetic, and it proves the character does not need theatrics to command a room. The pacing is slow, the tone is reflective, and the mysteries are always rooted in human behavior. The series even transitions into Cold War espionage in later seasons but never loses its soul.
2
‘Veronica Mars’ (2004 – 2007)
Rob Thomas’s brainchild, Veronica Mars, transports you to the sun-drenched and morally murky town of Neptune, California, and tells the story of high school student Veronica Mars, who moonlights as a private investigator under the guidance of her ex-sheriff father. After her best friend Lilly is murdered and her father falls from grace, sharp-tongued Veronica uses her deductive skills and street smarts to solve a wide range of cases involving the town’s elite.
Revolutionary Girl Detective
Each of the three seasons builds around a central mystery, like Lilly’s murder, a deadly bus crash, and campus conspiracies. And at the same time, standalone cases keep the pace brisk and the stakes grounded. Veronica Mars ran for three seasons (plus a fan-funded movie and Hulu revival), and its cult status is well-earned. Kristen Bell’s performance is perfect and the show’s writing strikes an ideal balance between mystery and sincerity. The first season, in particular, is often cited as one of the best mystery arcs in TV history.
1
‘Monk’ (2002 – 2009)
Adrian Monk was once the best detective in San Francisco. But when his wife is murdered, and he is unable to solve the mystery, he develops a cascade of phobias and obsessive-compulsive behaviors that cost him his badge. Now working as a private consultant, Monk solves cases that baffle the police by using his attention to detail and encyclopedic memory, all while being aided by his assistants, Sharona Fleming and later Natalie Teeger.
Funny, Heartfelt, and Empathetic
Monk’s quirks are both his curse and his superpower, and the show, instead of treating them as comic relief, makes them a part of a portrait of grief and resilience, and we see it in the way Monk navigates crime scenes and everyday life with equal difficulty. Running for eight seasons and winning multiple Emmys, Monk was a genre-defining hit, mainly because of Tony Shalhoub’s masterful performance. As a matter of fact, the finale drew 9.4 million viewers, a record for scripted cable drama at the time.
Even though Reacher has been doing incredibly well onPrime Video so far, it should consider changing its current approach and leaning more into the adaptation strategy adopted by another great thriller show on the streamer. After three seasons, Reacher boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 96%.
Like most TV shows, Reacher, too, has experienced a fair share of highs and lows in quality, especially in season 2. However, it remains one of Amazon Prime Video’s most valuable IPs in the action thriller genre and is one of the most defining additions to the streamer’s dad show catalog.
Reacher is set to return to Prime Video with its fourth installment after the release of the Neagley spin-off show. It has also been confirmed that season 4 of the Alan Ritchson series will be based on Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow. After season 4, however, it is hard not to see how Reacher could benefit from a different adaptation approach.
Like Bosch, Reacher Can Consider Adapting Multiple Books In One Season
Reacher‘s ability to consistently land in critics’ good books is impressive. However, before it, Bosch achieved the same for seven seasons straight. The Titus Welliver show experienced absolutely no dips in quality and boasts an almost perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%. What is even more surprising is that Bosch achieved these feats by adopting a completely different storytelling approach than Reacher.
While Reacher has only picked one Jack Reacher book per season, Bosch boldly borrowed story beats from many Michael Connelly novels in each installment and weaved them together into one cohesive narrative. Despite taking many creative liberties and only using its source material as a foundation for its storytelling, Bosch never left viewers disappointed.
Bosch‘s success with this mosaic-style storytelling proves that Reacher, too, might benefit from picking multiple books for one season instead of only adapting one Lee Child novel at a time. Instead of merely unfolding the Alan Ritchson character‘s adventures in one small town, Reacher could walk through a wider array of locations and conflicts in one season.
Although Reacher‘s approach has worked quite well so far, audiences might eventually grow tired of its recurring trope of a lone hero arriving in a new town, solving one major case, and moving on by the season’s end. To keep things refreshing, Reacher could really benefit from incorporating the stories of multiple Lee Child novels in one season.
Adapting Multiple Books Would Come With One Major Risk For Reacher
Since most viewers are already used to Reacher adapting only one book per season and have also learned to appreciate how it sticks to the original book series’ format, a sudden shift in its adaptation approach may not be received too well. Speaking of shifts, even the storytelling pace of the series would suddenly change with the new approach, which might initially seem jarring for fans.
While Neagley’s filming has been wrapped, Reacher season 4’s shooting is reportedly underway.
Unfolding in several locations and featuring a more diverse roster could also significantly increase the show’s budget. All these potential issues make it hard not to believe that, even though Reacher will eventually have to change its storytelling approach, it cannot suddenly emulate Bosch‘s formula. Instead, it will have to slowly evolve and carefully prepare audiences for a broader narrative structure.
When you’re talking about Blondie frontwoman and style icon Debbie Harry, nothing is predictable. She appeared at our interview with opaque cat eye sunglasses and her signature shag haircut stylishly mussed. The smirk on her lips told me that our conversation would be memorable.
Decades before, she crashed onto the rock ’n’ roll scene with new wave and genre-bending band Blondie in 1970s New York City. It wasn’t without work and a lot of risk-taking— throughout her career, Harry has not been wanting to shy away from risks. From being the first musician to rap in a No. 1 Billboard song to pursuing a solo career and an acting career post-Blondie break-up, following her creative instinct is something that comes naturally.
“The seeds of creativity aren’t really just numbers and letters. It’s a lot more. It has to do with us. It has to do with soul,” Harry said.
Most recently, the fashion icon released a line of clothing inspired by her lifelong punk aesthetics and androgynous style. In collaboration with Oregon-based brand Wildfang, her most recent foray into fashion is indicative of one thing: Debbie Harry is still hungry to do more.
As Blondie gears up for its most recent album produced by John Congleton of St. Vincent, set to release early next year, Harry sat down for a conversation on her influential style in her new fashion line, how AI has nothing on her, doing the “wrong” thing and how that “old search for soul” is motivating her as she steps into the studio once again.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I noticed in researching your career that there’s just so much reinvention. You’ve constantly reinvented yourself from a harmony singer to a lead singer in a band to soloist to an actress to band member again and now as a fashion collaborator. What do you think pushes you to constantly reinvent yourself and pursue new creative passions?
There are some things that I absolutely loved, but I didn’t take the chance. … At this stage in the game, I have to follow my rules. And I think for a young woman or a young girl to find that out about herself, it creates an awareness of who you are and your personality. And that’s sort of what young people do. They look for themselves, they look for who they are. And fashion can be a big part of that.
What would you describe as your style philosophy?
I think comfort. I want to put on what I’m going to wear and I want to feel right in it, and then I don’t want to have to think about it. I don’t want to have to be walking around the room making sure that my seams are straight, or my sleeves are right; I just want to have it on. I want to look great and I want to be comfortable in it.
For Wildfang, I got introduced to them through suits, and you know, I’ve always worn suits, like little boy things, and they’re fun. I think fun is an important thing to embody in what you do, that and some kind of silliness or fearlessness, that’s what turns people on, so I’m all for that. I’ve been doing it for so long, but I encourage younger artists to break the rules.
“I think fun is an important thing to embody in what you do, that and some kind of silliness or fearlessness, that’s what turns people on, so I’m all for that,” Debbie Harry said.
(Rob Roth)
Something that I really love about your style is this very DIY approach to fashion that you’ve always had. Especially with the infamous zebra print pillowcase dress and other looks where you seem to tear things up and put different pieces together. How does this DIY approach translate for you today?
Sometimes when you start out, you have to experiment. And I’m really in favor of that. I think experimentation is the key to success, and that’s always been that way for me. I was sort of lucky in not having many options when I started and I did things that were wrong. They weren’t really styles at the time. They weren’t appropriate for the era. But doing things that you feel strongly about, coupled with the workability of a piece of clothing, even if it’s wrong, it could be right for you. So, I always tell people not to be afraid to do something that might be considered wrong.
I think that sort of applies to, as you were saying earlier, do it yourself, like taking that zebra striped pillowcase and making a hot little number out of it was the right thing. I don’t know, it just worked for me. I don’t know if everybody wants to be that individualistic. So that’s why finding a line of clothes that fits you right and suits your activities and your frame of mind, your mood, it’s all very, very personal, very important.
I wanted to talk about your new album. I’m really excited to hear it. I listened to “Pollinator,” and I really loved this very fresh, almost rebellious sound that permeated the music. How would you describe the essence of your upcoming album?
I think our tradition has always been to cover a lot of different styles and to embody some different moods. So in that respect, it’s a very traditional Blondie album. I think the thing that makes people carry on with us is that we’re excited about what we do, and we work hard at it, and it’s not sort of like, oh, well, I guess let’s do [an album]. We write songs. We write stuff that’s about our lives and about today.
I know for a fact that when I write a song with Chris [Stein], he usually comes in with a demo of the track. And then, this has happened from Day 1. I would say, “Chris, what are you thinking when you’re writing this music? What’s going through your head? Are you saying any particular phrase? Are you thinking of a particular word? Were you thinking about a special evening or a special event, a special movie?”
It’s very easy for him to come up with a definition in words. Many times, that would be a jumping-off point for me, with like “Heart of Glass” or “Dreaming.” More recently, we have a song on the new album called “A Man with No Face.” And so I asked him, “What was that root? What was your mantra? What were you thinking of?” And very often that led me in a really good direction.
So did he lead a lot of the writing, or was this a joint collaboration between the band for the album?
Yes, well, we had a lot of contributors. Glen Matlock [original Sex Pistols bassist] started playing bass with us a little while ago, and he contributed a song that is so terrific. It’s just a wonderful song, and it really sticks in your head. It reminds me of his contribution to the Sex Pistols; it has that feel to it. It’s a great, simple, three-chord, four-chord song with a great feel. It’s on the album, and it’s called “Sleepwalking.”
There’s also some really great dance music [in the album]. It’s very rock and roll, but yet, we’ve always managed to squeeze in elements of other sounds in music and other styles of music, other moods of music. And Blondie has always done that. We’ve always embodied the present. So it feels like Blondie.
“Blondie has always done that. We’ve always embodied the present. So it feels like Blondie,” Debbie Harry said on upcoming Blondie album.
(Rob Roth)
That genre-blending is obviously a recurring theme in Blondie’s music. Between having the first [Billboard] No. 1 rap song to the reggae influences and playing around with styles in general, I notice that you never really let genre limit you. What are your thoughts on breaking the barrier of genre and not staying within a musical box?
I think that there was a time when it wasn’t done, and I think that was back in the ’70s. It’s quite a few years ago when the styles weren’t blended. If you did a reggae album, you did a reggae album, and if you did a rock album, you did a rock album. But then we started mixing in influences because we were so urban. These were the influences that were around us [in New York City], and it just seemed normal; I don’t know how else to explain it. These were the things that we liked.
We liked Donna Summer, we liked Giorgio Moroder. We liked all these different varieties of sounds and styles. And it just fed into what we were doing. We were at a time, fortunately, where we went from analog to digital, and it made so many more things possible that everybody today is really used to all the things that I’m saying, because that’s what’s done. This is what it’s all about. But there was a time when it was about discovery.
It goes along with my ideas about what I was saying about fashion, discovering what you are, who you are and what you want to look like. It sort of applies to what we did with music. We had feelings about rap. We had feelings about reggae. We had feelings about dance music and club music. It was part of our underpinnings, so to speak. And so therefore it became obvious in the music when the music sort of transcended just a basic rock four-by-four.
The world has become a much smaller place because of digital communications and the improvement in communication. If only that communication went beyond the arts and so that we had this understanding in other aspects. I mean, we have intercultural understandings in food and fashion and music and art, and we should have it in every phase of our lives.
How do you think Blondie as a band and as a collaboration between artists is growing and changing over the years?
Well, one thing I know is practice. “Practice and you get to Carnegie Hall” is the old saying. But, when you keep playing, you just get better and better at what you do. And I think that applies to anything, like writing. I mean, the more that you’ve written, the better you become at it, and then the easier it is for you to say things that resonate within you, and that take place in your life and your observation of life.
And we’re lucky [to have new technology] now, because the brain works very quickly. We see things and we can change things very instantly. Nowadays, you can actually make your thoughts fact just as easily. And so I think it serves us well.
I remember when cassettes became a threat to vinyl. And how the guys from the record companies were all sort of going, “Oh my God, anybody can copy an album and make it into a cassette, and then they don’t have to buy the album!” So we weathered that storm, and then cassettes went to CDs or 8-tracks, and it’s sort of the same thing now when we’re looking at AI. So everybody’s saying, “Oh my god, AI! What will we do?”
Well, AI is much more comprehensive than any of those transitions. And I have seen AI-generated pictures of me, and I look at them and I just say, “Oh, well, that’s AI, that’s not me.” I can tell. So, I think people are worried about it, and I don’t know how much time anyone should worry. The seeds of creativity aren’t really just numbers and letters. It’s a lot more. It has to do with us. It has to do with soul. And, bring back that old search for soul. That’s something that was very obvious in the 1960s, to make something with soul. And basically that’s what the contrast with AI is. I’ve been played songs that were built on an algorithm, and I found them kind of boring.
So you’re personally not worried about AI. You feel like it’s not a threat to musicians, because music needs soul?
That would be my preference. But I think that somewhere, somehow along the line, somebody will come up with an AI piece of music or artwork that is stunning.
I think if you do stuff that’s mistakes or wrong, that becomes the best art of all. I can remember, when I was in school, centuries ago, that we’d go down and we’d buy these little 45s. Very often, the B-side would have mistakes, they would never have been pressed or released in today’s world, but something about mistakes that lead to a “Oh well, maybe we can use that?” moment, and it just grows from there.
I read this really beautiful interview that you did with Gaga 10 years ago, and in it, she was expressing how much you inspired her and how much seeing a lead female musician made a big difference for her in her career. How is that for you to see your impact on younger artists and see them taking some nods from you in their work?
It’s great. I mean, we did the same thing, we all do that, we absorb what’s around us. I don’t think that I want to take eight bars of so and so’s song and throw them into mine, but the impetus, or the feeling of their song, triggered something in me. Sometimes if I go to a live show, I’ll come out with maybe just a beat that they’re playing that I’ve really liked, and that will inspire a bit of a lyric. This creates this sort of a mantra-like effect, where you’re just feeling that thing, and then a phrase comes to your head and your mind because of something that happened to you that day or that week. And it’s like puzzle pieces. It’s really fun. It’s really fascinating.
But no matter what was your inspiration, you are going to describe something only like the way you would do it. And that’s what the value is for me.
“I think if you do stuff that’s mistakes or wrong, that becomes the best art of all,” Debbie Harry said.
(Rob Roth)
Is there something that you’re excited for in this new stage of your career, and something that you’re looking forward to?
Well, I’m excited for the album to come out. [“Am I releasing the title?” she asks her manager beside her.] Okay, we’re calling it “High Noon.” And it’s very funny. I was just playing one of my old songs, very old songs, and I actually used that name, “High Noon,” in a lyric. So there is a continuity with the way that we think and the way that we lead our lives. And it’s very important. And it’s a building block kind of thing. It’s Legos. That’s right, our life is nothing but Legos.
I was really curious, was there was ever a pivotal moment in your career that really impacted the way that you approach music or approach creative pursuits?
Well, I don’t know if there was any one extreme, pivotal moment, but I think working in an ensemble situation was a really, really valuable lesson. I think when you’re in the recording studio, it’s very intense and very focused. It’s like when you catch someone on a candid camera, like a candid film or video; it’s very revealing.
Being in the studio like that, I think that a pivotal moment for me was to not be afraid of that, to not hold on to my idea for fear that anything else would be terrible, but sort of see it as building blocks. I think that’s what art is about, it’s something that actually grows, it’s almost like it’s another level of being. It’s about consciousness, I suppose. Embodying all the stuff that’s around you that you can’t really escape. You can escape it if you isolate yourself, and make yourself stick to something because that’s what you know, but I think that searching and trying to express yourself is art.
Andy Warhol, when he started out, was so criticized in the art scene for using print work instead of doing everything by hand. Using that medium, he was really heavily criticized for that. In today’s world, it’s nothing, it’s normal. He took a chance and did something that’s “wrong,” but absolutely right. I love that idea. Especially coming out of the “punk thing,” that little era, that little moment, that little glitch in time, when you had people like the Talking Heads doing what they were doing, I think that was a breakthrough.
But even Gaga, with the way that she “pounds” music out, I think at one time that would’ve been considered “wrong.” The way that she is a pianist, and she will stand up and play with her knee, that kind of stuff. And, well, Little Richard did that too, and Elton John, and these are expressions of passion. That’s the complete value, is passion.
Is passion what motivates you to continue making music, or what would you say is your motivation?
I have to feel right about it; it has to feel like an automatic thing. I’m very fortunate that I’m very musical, that I like hearing music. I like odd chord changes; when I was singing with the Jazz Passengers, that was sort of like going to college for me, they used all kinds of time signatures and harmonics and things. That was really exciting for me. And, I don’t know, I’m just very lucky, I guess. I’m lucky I get to enjoy oddities in my life. I’m going to keep creating until I can’t anymore.
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
The MTV Video Music Awards show has been a yearly hallmark of the music industry for three decades, and the tradition continued on Sunday (September 7) night in New York’s UBS Arena.
The star-studded awards show pre-announced a few key wins — Mariah Carey (with the Video Vanguard Award), Busta Rhymes (Rock the Bells Visionary Award), and Ricky Martin (Latin Icon Award) — but the rest were doled out with shiny moonperson trophies to the voted-in winners of the night’s biggest prizes in real time, in between all of the showstopping performances and tributes.
Here’s a look at all of the 2025 MTV VMAs winners (noted in bold), and keep refreshing for additional updates throughout the night!
Video of the Year
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records
Best Collaboration
WINNER: Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile” – Interscope Records Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)” – Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “luther” – pgLang/Interscope Records Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me a Drink” – Mercury Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records
Best Pop
WINNER: Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Record Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island
Best Album
WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet – Island Bad Bunny – DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS – Rimas Entertainment Kendrick Lamar – GNX – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – Mayhem – Interscope Records Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow – XO/Republic Records
MTV Push Performance of the Year
WINNER: January 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch” – HYBE/Geffen Records August 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE September 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song” – Mavin Records/Republic Records October 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together” – Hundred Days Records/Virgin Music November 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard” – Artist Partner Group Inc. December 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye” – Warner Records February 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “KEHLANI” – 300 Entertainment March 2025 – Leon Thomas – “YES IT IS” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records April 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow” – Republic Records May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer” – Sony Italy/Arista Records June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island July 2025 – ROLE MODEL – “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” – Interscope Records
Song of the Year
WINNER: ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Alex Warren – “Ordinary” – Atlantic Records Billie Eilish – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Darkroom/Interscope Records Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry” – Interscope Records Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile” – Interscope Records Lorde – “What Was That” – Republic Records Tate McRae – “Sports Car” – RCA Records The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records
Artist of the Year
WINNER: Lady Gaga – Interscope Records Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment Beyoncé – Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records Kendrick Lamar – pgLang/Interscope Records Morgan Wallen – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records Taylor Swift – Republic Records The Weeknd – XO/Republic Records
Song of Summer
WINNER: Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching” Addison Rae – “Headphones On” Alex Warren – “Ordinary” Benson Boone – “Mystical Magical” BigXthaPlug featuring Bailey Zimmerman – “All the Way” Chappell Roan – “The Subway” Demi Lovato – “Fast” Doja Cat – “Jealous Type” Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – “Golden” Jessie Murph – “Blue Strips” Justin Bieber – “Daisies” Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng and Shenseea – “Shake It to the Max (Fly) (remix)” Morgan Wallen featuring Tate McRae – “What I Want” Ravyn Lenae featuring Rex Orange County – “Love Me Not” Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” Sombr – “12 to 12”
Best New Artist
WINNER: Alex Warren – Atlantic Records Ella Langley – SAWGOD/Columbia Records Gigi Perez – Island Lola Young – Island sombr – SMB Music/Warner Records The Marías – Nice Life/Atlantic Records
Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for MTV
Best Alternative
WINNER: sombr – “back to friends” – SMB Music/Warner Records Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song” – Island Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up” – KIDinaKorner/Interscope Records Lola Young – “Messy” – Island mgk & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road” – EST 19XX/Interscope Records The Marías – “Back to Me” – Nice Life/Atlantic Records
Best Country (new category)
WINNER: Megan Moroney – “Am I Okay?” – Columbia Records Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m in Love with You” – Mercury Nashville Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You” – CoJo Music / Warner Music Nashville Jelly Roll – “Liar” – BBR Music Group/BMG/Republic Records Lainey Wilson – “4x4xU” – Broken Bow Records Morgan Wallen – “Smile” – Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for MTV
Best R&B
WINNER: Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous” – gamma. Chris Brown – “Residuals” – Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA Records Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)” – EZMNY Records/Motown Records PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l” – OVO Sound Summer Walker – “Heart of a Woman” – LVRN/Interscope Records SZA – “Drive” – Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA Records The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless” – XO/Republic Records
Best K-Pop
WINNER: LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again” – Lloud Co./RCA Records aespa – “Whiplash” – SM Entertainment/Virgin Music Group JENNIE – “like JENNIE” – OA Entertainment/Columbia Records Jimin – “Who” – BIGHIT MUSIC JISOO – “earthquake” – Warner Records Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom” – JYP/IMPERIAL/Republic ROSÉ – “toxic till the end” – Atlantic Records
Best Afrobeats
WINNER: Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records Asake & Travis Scott – “Active” – YBNL Nation/EMPIRE Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It to the Max (FLY) (Remix)” – gamma. Rema – “Baby (Is It a Crime)” – Mavin Global Holdings Ltd / Jonzing World Entertainment / Interscope Records Tems ft. Asake – “Get It Right” – RCA Records/Since ’93 Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece of My Heart” – Starboy/RCA Records
Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
WINNER: Mariah Carey
Rock the Bells Visionary Award
WINNER: Busta Rhymes
Latin Icon Award
WINNER: Ricky Martin
Best Pop Artist (new category)
Ariana Grande – Republic Records Charli xcx – Atlantic Records Justin Bieber – Def Jam Recordings Lorde – Republic Records Miley Cyrus – Columbia Records Sabrina Carpenter – Island Tate McRae – RCA Records
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Drake – “NOKIA” – OVO/Santa Anna/Republic Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” – CMG/Interscope Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records LL COOL J ft. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux” – Def Jam Recordings Travis Scott – “4X4” – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Bad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – Rimas Entertainment J Balvin – “Rio” – Capitol Records KAROL G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” – Bichota Records/Interscope Records Peso Pluma – “LA PATRULLA” – Double P Records Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?” – Sony Music US Latin Shakira – “Soltera” – Sony Music US Latin
Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Bad Bunny – “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (Short Film)” – Rimas Entertainment Damiano David – “FUNNY little STORIES” – Sony Italy/Arista Records Mac Miller – “Balloonerism” – Warner Records Miley Cyrus – “Something Beautiful” – Columbia Records The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – XO/Republic Records
Video for Good
Burna Boy – “Higher” – Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me” – Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Younger and Hotter Than Me” – SMG Music/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope Records Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – “Sleepwalking” – Arista Records
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island
Best Art Direction
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Lorde – “Man of the Year” – Republic Records Miley Cyrus – “End of the World” – Columbia Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records
Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Miley Cyrus – “Easy Lover” – Columbia Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island
Best Editing
Charli xcx – “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” – Atlantic Records Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire” – Gingerbread Man Records/Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (from ‘F1® The Movie’)” – Atlantic Records
Best Choreography
Doechii – “Anxiety” – Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records FKA twigs – “Eusexua” – Atlantic Records Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us” – pgLang/Interscope Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records Tyla – “PUSH 2 START” – FAX Records/Epic Records Zara Larsson – “Pretty Ugly” – Epic Records
Best Visual Effects
Ariana Grande – “brighter days ahead” – Republic Records Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra” – Interscope Records ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – Atlantic Records Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild” – Island Tate McRae – “Just Keep Watching (from ‘F1® The Movie’)” – Atlantic Records The Weeknd – “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – XO/Republic Records
Stock futures gained momentum on Sunday evening as investors brace for fresh inflation data and political turmoil overseas that could ripple through the bond market.
That comes as Friday’s dismal jobs report ratcheted up recession fears while also locking in odds for a rate cut later this month from the Federal Reserve.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 94 points, or 0.21%. S&P 500 futures were up 0.23%, and Nasdaq futures added 0.38%.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury was flat at 4.091%. The U.S. dollar was up 0.05% against the euro and up 0.65% against the yen after Japan’s prime minister announced he will step down after less than a year in office.
More political turmoil in the world fourth-largest economy could rattle the bond market as investors gauge whether the next leader will lean toward fiscal discipline or more profligacy.
Similarly, France’s government faces a confidence vote on Monday after bond vigilantes sent French yields higher on expectations for more gridlock and no progress on reining in deficits.
U.S. oil prices rose 0.32% to $62.07 per barrel, and Brent crude added 0.40% to $65.76. That’s despite key OPEC+ members agreeing on another production hike meant to grab more market share.
Gold fell 0.64% to $3,630 per ounce, but still hovering near record highs after recession fears sent safe-haven assets higher last week.
More recession signals were lurking in the latest jobs data. On Sunday, Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi point out that most U.S. industries have been shedding jobs rather than adding them for several months, warning that “this only happens when the economy is in recession.”
Such labor market weakness basically guaranteed a Fed rate cut. According to CME’s FedWatch tool, Wall Street is certain that some kind of cut is coming when the central bank announces its policy decision on Sept. 17. The only question is whether it will be 25 basis points or 50 basis points. Right now, a 92% probability of a quarter-point cut is priced in.
Perhaps the only thing that could put a rate cut in doubt is a surprise spike in inflation. The effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on inflation has been more muted that anticipated, but investors will get crucial updates.
On Wednesday, the producer price index for August will come out, and economists expect a 0.3% month increase, cooling from the 0.9% surge in July.
On Thursday, the consumer price index is due, and Wall Street sees a 0.3% gain, accelerating from the 0.2% pace a month earlier. On an annual basis, the CPI is also seen heating up, with August expected to see a yearly pace of 2.9%, up from 2.7% in July.
But inflation in core consumer prices should remain steady at a monthly rate of 0.3% and an annual rate of 3.1%. Still, both the headline CPI and core CPI would continue to be above the Fed’s 2% target.
On Tuesday, the Labor Department will publish preliminary benchmark revisions to its establishment survey data for 2025. With revisions earlier this year mostly trimming prior readings, more downward revisions could be due.
Meanwhile, Fed Governor Lisa Cook is fighting Trump’s attempt to fire her, and a judge hearing the case could issue a ruling in the coming week, clarifying whether she will be able to participate in the FOMC meeting.
In addition, the Senate could vote on Trump’s nomination of White House economic adviser Stephen Miran to the Fed’s board of governors, allowing him to take part in the meeting.
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