Who got honored the year for top music awardsat the 41st anniversary of the MTV VMAs?
This year, the date was set for Sunday September 7, 2025 at 8PM ET/PT. New in 2025? For the first time ever, the MTV VMAs was broadcast on network CBS as well as on MTV and Paramount+.
UBS Arena near NYC once again served as the VMAs' home for the second year in a row.
Hosting the 2025 edition of the MTV VMAs was rapper and actor LL Cool J.
MTV VMA 2025 nominees & winners
This year's 2025 MTV VMA nominees (also see WINNERS, below) had Lady Gaga leading the list with a whopping 12 nominations including best song, video, album and artist of the year. along with best collaboration, pop, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography, visual effects.
Lady Gaga leads the pack at the 2025 MTV VMAs followed by Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.
Lady Gaga was followed closely behind by Bruno Mars, with 11 nominations.and Kendrick Lamar with 10. Sabrina Carpenter and first-time nominee Blackpink’s ROSÉ were tied with eight, while Ariana Grande and The Weeknd werre tied with seven. Billie Eilish had six.
Rounding out artist of the year nomineee? They included Beyoncé and Swiftare, Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen and The Weeknd.
MTV VMA 2025 performers
Live performances on awards night included top nominee Lady Gaga along with Sabrina Carpenter, Alex Warren, Conan Gray,Tate McRae, Jelly Roll, Post Malone and Ricky Martin who was also honored with the Latin Icon Award. Doja Cat also performed her latest mega-hit, "Jealous Type" with a live debut performance during the show.
Sombr and J Balvin featuring DJ Snake and Busta Rhymes (who was honored with the inaugural Rock The Bells Visionary Award), also performed. Also taking the stage for a special performance was Mariah Carey as the recipient of this year's Vanguard Award.
Just up ahead, check out the complete list of MTV VMA nominees and WINNERS plus fun facts, videos, and related resources about the MTV's music video "Oscars"...
Sean Cosgrave is a frequent editorial contributor to Chiff.com.
• More than a two dozen categories have been dropped by the VMA lineup over the years, including Best Artist Website and Best Video Game Soundtrack (and does anyone remember Ringtone of the Year?)
• The award for Quadruple Threat of the Year was given out just once, in 2007, to Justin Timberlake.
• Madonna is the winning-est music artist of all time with 20 Moonmen, more than Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson combined.
• American audiences were stunned by the twerkfest by Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke at the 2013 VMA's, wracking up more than 150 formal complaints to the FCC for their naughtier-than-thou performance.
• The first nominees for music videos in Spanish were announced at the 2005 VMAs that also featured live performances by Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Tego Calderon.
• The most awarded music video of all time is Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," which took home a total of nine Moonmen at the 1987 VMAs.
2025 MTV VMA Nominees & 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
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
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 the 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)”
More about the MTV VMA's around the Web:
Elsewhere on the Web, check out major links to star profiles, red carpet fashion photos, and lots of history & fun facts behind the MTV Video Music Awards.
2025 MTV Video Music Awards - The official site with complete list of this year's nominees, winners, presenters and performers, photo galleries and video clips.
MTV Video Music Awards - Wikipedia - The online encyclopedia with a complete history of the awards, hyperlinks to lists of winners by year dating back to 1984, and related resources.
When: Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 8 PM ET/PT 
