Lady Gaga won Artist of the Year, Alex Warren won Best New Artist, and Ariana Grande snagged Video of the Year. See who else took home a Moon Person this year.

Lady Gaga won Artist of the Year, Alex Warren won Best New Artist, and Ariana Grande snagged Video of the Year. See who else took home a Moon Person this year.

The 2025 MTV VMAs winners: See the full list

Lady Gaga won Artist of the Year, Alex Warren won Best New Artist, and Ariana Grande snagged Video of the Year. See who else took home a Moon Person this year.

By Daysia Tolentino

and Jason Lamphier

Jason Lamphier is a senior editor at who covers news and music. Before joining EW, he was an editor at The New York Observer, Out, and Interview.

EW's editorial guidelines

on September 7, 2025 11:52 p.m. ET

Thanks to amazing performances, wild fashion choices, and unexpected moments, the MTV Video Music Awards is typically one of the buzzier awards shows — and this year was no exception.

LL Cool J was back as host of the 2025 VMAs, which took place at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and aired live on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.

The ceremony boasted performances from the likes of Doja Cat, Lola Young, Tate McRae, Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone with Jelly Roll, and Lady Gaga. In addition, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Yungblud, and Nuno Bettencourt came together for a riveting tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne.

When it came to the coveted Moon Person trophies, Gaga, who led the nominations with 12 nods, had the biggest night, scoring four wins, including Artist of the Year. Her smash duet with Bruno Mars, "Die With a Smile," also snagged an award, for Best Collaboration. Mars, who trailed closely behind Gaga with 11 noms, scooped up Song of the Year for "Apt.," his hit with Blackpink singer Rosé.

Lady Gaga accepts the Artist of the Year award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.

Manny Carabel/Getty

Other lucky winners: Alex Warren, who may end up having the biggest single of 2025 with his chart-topper "Ordinary," took home Best New Artist; Tate McRae snatched Song of Summer for "Just Keep Watching"; and Ariana Grande won Video of the Year for "Brighter Days Ahead."

Ricky Martin accepted the first-ever Latin Icon Award, presented to him by his onetime tour mate Jessica Simpson, after performing a set that included his 1999 hit "Livin' la Vida Loca." Busta Rhymes also took the stage for a medley of his songs before he was honored with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award.

This year's Video Vanguard Award went to Mariah Carey, who played an electrifying selection of her own gems for the occasion, including "Fantasy," "Honey," "Heartbreaker," "Obsessed," "It's Like That," and "We Belong Together." When she accepted her Moon Person, Carey was quick to point out that the trophy was — shockingly — her first VMA.**

Mariah Carey accepts the Video Vanguard Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty

Below, read the complete winners list.

Video of the Year

**WINNER: Ariana Grande – "Brighter Days Ahead"****Billie Eilish – "Birds of a Feather"**Kendrick Lamar — "Not Like Us"**Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars — "Die With a Smile"**Rosé and Bruno Mars — "Apt."**Sabrina Carpenter — "Manchild"**The Weeknd and 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

Billie Eilish – "Birds of a Feather"**Alex Warren — "Ordinary"**Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars — "Die With a Smile"****WINNER: Rosé and Bruno Mars — "Apt."****Gracie Abrams — "I Love You, I'm Sorry"**Tate McRae — "Sports Car"**

Best New Artist

**WINNER: Alex Warren****Ella Langley**Gigi Perez**Lola Young**Sombr**The Marías

Best Pop Artist

Ariana Grande**Charli XCX**Justin Bieber**Lorde**Miley Cyrus****WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter****Tate McRae**

Song of Summer

Addison Rae – "Headphones On"**Alex Warren – "Ordinary"**Benson Boone – "Mystical Magical"**BigXthaPlug ft. 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 ft. Tate McRae – "What I Want"**Ravyn Lenae ft. Rex Orange County – "Love Me Not"**Sabrina Carpenter – "Manchild"**Sombr – "12 to 12"****WINNER: Tate McRae – "Just Keep Watching"**

MTV Best Push Performance of the Year

Shaboozey – "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"**Ayra Starr – "Last Heartbreak Song"**Mark Ambor – "Belong Together"**Lay Bankz – "Graveyard"**Dasha – "Bye Bye Bye"****WINNER: Katseye – "Touch"****Jordan Adetunji – "Kehlani"**Leon Thomas – "Yes It Is"**Livingston – "Shadow"**Damiano David – "Next Summer"**Gigi Perez – "Sailor Song"**Role Model – "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out"

Best Collaboration

Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs – "Backup Plan"**Kendrick Lamar and SZA – "Luther"****WINNER: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – "Die with a Smile"****Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – "Pour Me a Drink"**Rosé and Bruno Mars – "Apt."**Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco – "Sunset Blvd"

Alex Warren — "Ordinary"****WINNER: Ariana Grande – "Brighter Days Ahead"****Ed Sheeran — "Sapphire"**Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars — "Die With a Smile"**Rosé and Bruno Mars — "Apt."**Sabrina Carpenter — "Manchild"

Best Hip-Hop

**WINNER: Doechii – "Anxiety"****Drake – "Nokia"**Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – "Somebody Save Me"**GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – "Whatchu Kno About Me"**Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us"**LL Cool J ft. Eminem – "Murdergram Deux"**Travis Scott – "4x4"

Chris Brown – "Residuals"**Leon Thomas and Freddie Gibbs – "Mutt (Remix)"****WINNER: Mariah Carey – "Type Dangerous"****PartyNextDoor – "No Chill"**SZA – "Drive"**Summer Walker – "Heart of a Woman"**The Weeknd and Playboi Carti – "Timeless"

Best Alternative

Gigi Perez – "Sailor Song"**Imagine Dragons – "Wake Up"**Lola Young – "Messy"**MGK and Jelly Roll – "Lonely Road"****WINNER: Sombr – "Back to Friends"****The Marías – "Back to Me"

**WINNER: Coldplay – "All My Love"****Evanescence – "Afterlife"**Green Day – "One Eyed Bastard"**Lenny Kravitz – "Honey"**Linkin Park – "The Emptiness Machine"**Twenty One Pilots – "The Contract"

Bad Bunny – "Baile Inolvidable"**J Balvin – "Rio"**Karol G – "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido"**Peso Pluma and Netón Vega – "La Patrulla"**Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos – "Khé?"****WINNER: Shakira – "Soltera"**

Best Afrobeats

Asake and Travis Scott – "Active"**Burna Boy and Travis Scott – "TaTaTa"**Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, and Shenseea – "Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)"**Rema – "Baby (Is It a Crime)"**Tems ft. Asake – "Get It Right"****WINNER: Tyla – "Push 2 Start"****Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – "Piece of My Heart"

Aespa – "Whiplash"**Jennie – "Like Jennie"**Jimin – "Who"**Jisoo – "Earthquake"****WINNER: Lisa ft. Doja Cat and Raye – "Born Again"****Rosé – "Toxic Till the End"**Stray Kids – "Chk Chk Boom"

Best Country

Chris Stapleton – "Think I'm in Love with You"**Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood – "I'm Gonna Love You"**Jelly Roll – "Liar"****WINNER: Megan Moroney – "Am I Okay?"****Morgan Wallen – "Smile"**Lainey Wilson – "4x4xU"

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 ft. Billie Eilish – "Guess"****Doechii – "Anxiety"**Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – "Somebody Save Me"**Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco – "Younger and Hotter Than Me"**Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – "Sleepwalking"

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**

Best Direction

Ariana Grande – *Brighter Days Ahead *- Directed by Christian Breslauer**Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish – "Guess" - Directed by Aidan Zamiri**Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" - Directed by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar****WINNER: Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra" - Directed by Lady Gaga, Bethany Vargas, and Parris Goebel****Rosé and Bruno Mars – "Apt." - Directed by Bruno Mars and Daniel Ramos**Sabrina Carpenter – "Manchild" - Directed by Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia**

Best Art Direction

Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish – "Guess" - Art Direction by Daniel Lane**Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" - Art Direction by Freyja Bardell****WINNER: Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra" - Art Direction by Wesley Goodrich****Lorde – "Man of the Year" - Art Direction by Chad Keith and Jenny Lass**Miley Cyrus – "End of the World" - Art Direction by David Meyer**Rosé and Bruno Mars – "Apt." - Art Direction by Elizabet Puksto

Best Cinematography

Ariana Grande –* Brighter Days Ahead* - Cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth**Ed Sheeran – "Sapphire" - Cinematography by Nic Minns****WINNER: Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" - Cinematography by Xiaolong Liu****Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra" - Cinematography by Xiaolong Liu**Miley Cyrus – "Easy Lover" - Cinematography by Benoît Debie**Sabrina Carpenter – "Manchild" - Cinematography by Chris Ripley**

Best Choreography

**WINNER: Doechii – "Anxiety" - Choreographed by Robbie Blue****FKA Twigs – "Eusexua" - Choreographed by Zoi Tatopoulos**Kendrick Lamar – "Not Like Us" - Choreographed by Charm La'Donna**Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra" - Choreographed by Parris Goebel**Tyla – "Push 2 Start" - Choreographed by Lee-ché Janecke**Zara Larsson – "Pretty Ugly" - Choreographed by Zoi Tatopoulos**

Best Visual Effects

Ariana Grande – *Brighter Days Ahead *- Visual Effects by Mathematic**Lady Gaga – "Abracadabra" - Visual Effects by Yeap Crew, Yura Karikh, and Igor Eyth**Rosé and Bruno Mars – "Apt." - Visual Effects by Maksymilian Rafal Ojster****WINNER: Sabrina Carpenter – "Manchild" - Visual Effects by Vania Heymann and Tal Baltuch****Tate McRae – "Just Keep Watching" - Visual Effects by Daniel Saldivar and White Rhino VFX**The Weeknd – *Hurry Up Tomorrow *- Visual Effects by Zeke Faust**

Best Editing

Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish - "Guess"**Ed Sheeran - "Sapphire"**Kendrick Lamar - "Not Like Us"**Lady Gaga - "Abracadabra"**Sabrina Carpenter - "Manchild"****WINNER: Tate McRae - "Just Keep Watching" (From F1® the Movie)****

Video Vanguard Award

**WINNER: Mariah Carey**

MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award

**WINNER: Busta Rhymes**

Latin Icon Award

**WINNER: Ricky Martin****

- MTV Video Music Awards

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