MTV VMAS 2025: Blackpink's Rose makes history with Song of the Year triumph, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande win big

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were nothing short of electric, with Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga setting the night’s tone with career-defining moments, while tributes to legends Mariah Carey and Ozzy Osbourne added heart and nostalgia. Moreover, BLACKPINK’s Rosé's catchy collaboration with Bruno Mars to snag Song of the Year for their sizzling hit APT., making Rosé the first-ever K-pop artist to take home the trophy — and yes, she’s basically making history while looking flawless.

Grande picked up two major honours — Video of the Year and Best Pop Video.

Lady Gaga, the night’s most-nominated artist, kicked things off by snagging Artist of the Year before storming the stage at Madison Square Garden. Her performance of Abracadabra and The Dead Dance from Netflix’s Wednesday had fans at UBS Arena in a frenzy. In a deeply personal speech, Gaga reflected on the meaning of artistry:

“Being an artist is an attempt to connect the souls of people all over the world… Being an artist is a responsibility to smile, dance, cry.”

She dedicated her award to fans and her fiancé Michael Polansky, who co-produced her latest album Mayhem.

Presented with the Video Vanguard Award by Ariana Grande — who crowned her “the soundtrack of our lives” — Mariah Carey dazzled in a satin robe-turned-bodysuit before launching into a powerhouse medley of hits from Fantasy to We Belong Together. She also revisited gems from The Emancipation of Mimi, celebrating its 20th anniversary. “I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight,” Carey quipped. “What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?”

The late Prince of Darkness got a fitting send-off as Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD and Nuno Bettencourt tore through a medley of Osbourne classics like Crazy Train and Mama, I’m Coming Home. His son Jack and grandchildren joined via video, declaring: “In the words of our papa, ‘Let’s go crazy.’” The tribute closed with a roar of “Ozzy forever, man!”

Hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes received the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award, celebrating his decades-long influence. His high-energy set included Gimme Some More and Pass the Courvoisier, Part II, alongside Joyner Lucas, Papoose and GloRilla. In his speech, he honored the late Ananda Lewis, calling her “an incredible woman that loved the culture very much.”

Ricky Martin, meanwhile, was named the first Latin Icon Award recipient. After a dynamic set, he dedicated the honor to his four children and reflected on his four-decade career: “We just want to unite countries, break boundaries, and keep music alive.”

Host LL Cool J was briefly interrupted by a Max Headroom-style video of Doja Cat before she hit the stage with Jealous Type — lipstick in hand, Kenny G on sax, and the crowd in full applause.

With Taylor Swift and Beyoncé still tied as the most-awarded VMA artists in history, Gaga’s Artist of the Year win kept the competition hot for another year.

Other performers including Conan Gray, Tate McRae, Jelly Roll, Post Malone, J Balvin, Sabrina Carpenter and more rounded out a night that mixed high-octane performances with poignant tributes — the kind of spectacle only the VMAs can deliver.

With inputs from the Associated Press