Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter Dominate a Star-Studded, All-Female 2025 VMA Ceremony

7 September 2025

At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena in New York, the glitzy night belonged to women, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter emerging as the biggest winners. Lady Gaga swept multiple awards, including Artist of the Year, a spotlight that solidified her commanding presence on pop music’s biggest awards stage

Ariana Grande stood out with her emotionally charged performance and took home the ultimate honor, Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead.” In doing so she added to her accolades, also capturing Best Pop Video. Meanwhile Sabrina Carpenter was crowned Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet and recognized as Best Pop Artist, underscoring her rapidly ascending influence.

The evening also paid tribute to legendary figures. Mariah Carey received the Video Vanguard Award in recognition of her storied and enduring impact on music. Honored as the Latin Icon was Ricky Martin, while Busta Rhymes earned the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award for his pioneering contributions.

Lady Gaga accepts the Artist of the Year award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. Manny Carabel/Getty

Other key artists walked away with wins across genre-specific categories. Doechii earned Best Hip-Hop, Shakira won Best Latin, Tyla was crowned Best Afrobeats, Sombr took Best Alternative and Coldplay snagged Best Rock. Tate McRae also triumphed with both Song of the Summer and Best Editing for her viral hit “Just Keep Watching,” marking her as one of the most lauded emerging talents of the night. And Alex Warren captured Best New Artist, further confirming the ceremony’s embrace of next-gen voices.

The event was also notable for its red-carpet celebrations. Pop’s elite turned fashion night into a bold runway, with standout appearances by Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Katseye and more each pushing the envelope in high-impact style.

In summary, the 2025 VMAs were a vibrant testament to female empowerment in music, with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter at the forefront. Their wins, paired with iconic tributes and genre-defining performances, showcased a dynamic shift in the cultural moment one that embraced both legacy and emergent voice with equal applause.