The 2025 Video Music Awards (VMAs) just took place yesterday (or should we say, this morning), and the star power at the awards ceremony was incredible, to say the least. From Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter to Rosé of Blackpink and the girls of Katseye, the VMAs cemented its status as one of the American music scene’s largest and most important awards shows.
But the show didn’t just stop with pop music. This year, things got global. We saw the addition of a couple of new award categories, alongside awards for K-pop, Afrobeats and Latin music. And while these awards only make up a small portion of all the other prizes handed out at the VMAs, they mark a shift in the music scene, as international, multicultural artists begin gaining greater recognition for their work.
If you didn’t keep up with the nominations at the awards, we’ve got you. Lady Gaga led the charge with 12 nominations, while Bruno Mars followed closely with 11. Ultimately, both stars walked away with major awards. Gaga took home the award for Artist of the Year—no surprise there, considering she’s still on her epic Mayhem global tour—and Mars snapped up with the award for Song of the Year alongside Rosé for their earworm Apt.
On the stage, rising girl group Katseye performed Gnarly and Gabriela, while Carpenter played her new track Tears (with rain pouring down the set). And there was even a medley performed by Mariah Carey, and a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne put on by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Yungblud and Nunu Bettencourt.
Ahead, get a look at some of snaps from the event—plus, scroll down a little further to check out the full list of winners at the VMAs 2025.
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande, Brighter Days Ahead—WINNER
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
Lady Gaga—WINNER
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
Rosé & Bruno Mars, APT.—WINNER
Tate McRae, Sports Car
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, Timeless
Song of the Summer
Addison Rae, Headphones On
Alex Warren, Ordinary
Benson Boone, Mystical Magical
BigXthaPlug & Bailey Zimmerman, All the Way
Chappell Roan, The Subway
Demi Lovato, Fast
Doja Cat, Jealous Type
Huntr/x, Golden
Jessie Murph, Blue Strips
Justin Bieber, Daisies
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea, Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)
Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae, What I Want
Ravyn Lenae Featuring Rex Orange County, Love Me Not
Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
Sombr, 12 to 12
Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1: the Movie)—WINNER
Best New Artist
Alex Warren—WINNER
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías
Best Pop Artist (New Category)
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
January 2025—Katseye, Touch—WINNER
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
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton, Pour Me a Drink
Rosé & Bruno Mars, APT.
Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco, Sunset Blvd
Best Pop
Alex Warren, Ordinary
Ariana Grande, Brighter Days Ahead—WINNER
Ed Sheeran, Sapphire
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, Die with a Smile
Rosé & Bruno Mars, APT.
Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
Best Hip-Hop
Doechii, Anxiety
Drake, Nokia
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll, Somebody Save Me
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red, Whatcha Kno About Me
Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
LL COOL J ft. Eminem, Murdergram Deux
Travis Scott, 4X4
Best R&B
Chris Brown, Residuals
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs, Mutt (Remix)
Mariah Carey, Type Dangerous—WINNER
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
Sombr, back to friends—WINNER
The Marías, Back to Me
Best Rock
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?
Shakira, Soltera
Best K-Pop
Aespa, Whiplash
JENNIE, Like Jennie
Jimin, Who
Jisoo, Earthquake
Lisa ft. Doja Cat & Raye, Born Again—WINNER
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 ft. Asake, Get It Right
Tyla, Push 2 Start—WINNER
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz, Piece of My Heart
Best Country (New Category)
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
Megan Moroney, Am I Okay?—WINNER
Morgan Wallen, Smile
Best Album
Bad Bunny, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Kendrick Lamar, GNX
Lady Gaga, Mayhem
Morgan Wallen, I’m the Problem
Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet—WINNER
The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow
Best Long Form Video
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
Charli XCX, Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Doechii, Anxiety
Eminem ft. 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
Lady Gaga, Abracadabra
Rosé & Bruno Mars, APT.
Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild
Best Art Direction
Charli XCX, Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
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
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
Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1: The Movie)
Best Choreography
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
Tate McRae, Just Keep Watching (From F1: The Movie)
Lady Gaga, Abracadabra
Rosé & Bruno Mars, APT.
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