Lady Gaga Ariana Grande And Sabrina Carpenter Dominate 2025 VMAs

MTV VMAs 2025 delivered a verdict written in neon and nostalgia, crowning Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter as its dominant forces. Yet, beneath the confetti, a forensic analysis reveals a ceremony grappling with its own relevance amidst glaring superstar absences and a pivot towards legacy over shock value.

Pop Royalty Claims the Throne

This year’s VMAs became a powerful showcase for female titans of the industry. The results silenced any debate, cementing their status at the apex of the music world.

Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter each secured two coveted Moon Person trophies, painting a clear picture of who currently defines the pop landscape. Their victories underscored a trend of celebrating established female artistry.

Lady Gaga Victory Lap Before the Mayhem

With an astonishing 12 nominations, Lady Gaga was the undeniable heavyweight champion entering Long Island’s UBS Arena. She wasted no time in claiming her first prize, the prestigious Artist of the Year award.

Gaga's win was a decisive statement, placing her ahead of absent powerhouses like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Dressed in a stunning baroque black gown, she delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech before making a dramatic exit to perform the final show of her Mayhem tour at Madison Square Garden—a power move that itself became a major talking point.

A Message Beyond the Music

"I cannot begin tell you what this means to me," Gaga declared, dedicating the award to her fans and partner. She offered a profound message of resilience and self-reliance.

"I hope as you navigate through the mayhem of daily life, you are reminded of the importance of the art of your life," she continued, "that you can count on yourself and your simple skills to keep you whole." This sentiment resonated deeply, becoming one of the most quoted moments from the VMAs 2025 broadcast.

A Galaxy of Missing Stars

Despite the high-profile wins, a palpable sense of absence permeated the three-hour event. The ceremony felt conspicuously light on the spontaneous, electrifying energy that once defined the VMAs.

With LL Cool J serving as a mostly off-screen emcee, the show awarded only seven trophies during the main telecast. This stripped-back approach highlighted the non-attendance of major nominees, sparking debate online about the show's current pull for A-list talent.

Grande and Carpenter's Emotional Peaks

Amidst the quiet patches, Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande provided moments of genuine emotional weight. Their wins for Album of the Year and Video of the Year, respectively, served as the night’s narrative anchors.

Carpenter's victory for Short n' Sweet was a career-defining moment, while Grande's triumph with "Brighter Days Ahead" offered a message of hope and healing that captured the cultural zeitgeist.

Ariana Grande's 'Brighter Days Ahead'

Accepting the night's top honor, Video of the Year, Ariana Grande, alongside director Christian Breslauer, articulated the profound meaning behind her work. She described the project as a journey of healing and self-discovery.

"This project is about the hard work that is healing all different kinds of trauma and coming home to our young selves," Grande shared. "If you’re on that journey, please continue onward, because I promise there are brighter days ahead."

Sabrina Carpenter's Statement Performance

Sabrina Carpenter didn't just win big; she delivered one of the evening's most talked-about performances. Her retro-inspired staging of "Tears" was a vibrant spectacle.

Crucially, she used her platform to make a powerful statement on protecting trans rights by featuring a who's who of stars from RuPaul's Drag Race and ballroom culture icons. This move was widely praised for its boldness and allyship.

VMAs 2025 Winners

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the key winners from the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. The night celebrated a diverse array of talent, with pop's leading women taking home the most prestigious honors.

Globalization of Pop on Full Display

While legacy acts and pop queens dominated headlines, the VMAs also made deliberate nods to the shifting, borderless nature of modern music. The list of winners and performers reflected an increasingly interconnected global soundscape.

From Latin superstars to K-Pop phenoms, the stage at UBS Arena served as a microcosm of global pop culture in 2025.

Key Cross-Cultural Moments

The Night was punctuated by performances and wins that transcended geographical and genre boundaries, highlighting a key strategy for MTV in maintaining its international relevance.

Honoring the Icons

In a strategic shift, the modern VMAs seem more focused on celebrating its history than creating new, chaotic moments. The introduction of lifetime achievement awards has become a central pillar of the broadcast.

This year, the show paid tribute to pioneers of Latin pop, hip-hop, and rock, grounding the night in a sense of reverence for the artists who paved the way.

Mariah Carey

The night's most anticipated honor went to the incomparable Mariah Carey, who was presented with the Video Vanguard Award. Fittingly, it was Ariana Grande—an artist heavily influenced by Carey—who did the honors.

After a stunning medley of her timeless hits, Carey, now the eighth consecutive woman to receive the award, playfully questioned the delay. "I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight," she joked. "I just have one question: what in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?"

The Drama of Music Videos

Carey celebrated the art form that defined her career, emphasizing its role in storytelling and creative expression. "Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life," she explained.

She cheekily added, "Let’s be honest, sometimes they’re just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life." Her speech was a perfect blend of humor, gratitude, and diva flair.

Tributes to Hip-Hop and Rock Royalty

The ceremony also took time to honor other monumental figures. Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin received inaugural awards, while the late Ozzy Osbourne was remembered in a powerful musical tribute.

Key Tributes of the Night:

• Busta Rhymes: The hip-hop pioneer received the Rock the Bells Visionary Award, presented by LL Cool J. He tore through a medley of his hits before accepting the honor with his signature humor.
• Ricky Martin: As the inaugural Latin Icon honoree, Martin performed a vibrant medley of career-spanning hits like "Livin’ La Vida Loca," reminding everyone of his global impact.
• Ozzy Osbourne: English rocker Yungblud led a moving tribute to the "prince of darkness," joined by Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for a medley of Black Sabbath and Ozzy solo classics.

A VMAs in Transition

Ultimately, the VMAs 2025 painted a portrait of an institution at a crossroads. While it successfully crowned the reigning queens of pop and paid heartfelt tribute to its icons, the absence of top-tier nominees and a lack of unpredictable, viral moments suggest a show that is becoming more retrospective than revolutionary. The triumphs of Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter were undeniable highlights, providing the emotional and artistic core of a ceremony that honored the past while cautiously navigating its future. As the music landscape continues its rapid evolution, the challenge for the VMAs will be to prove it can still define the culture, not just reflect it. To dive deeper into cutting-edge revelations, VIP exclusives, and live-pulse updates, unlock your edge at NewsIQ today.