2025 MTV VMAs: Taylor Swift Makes History, Mariah Carey Honoured with Video Vanguard Award

Historic Night at the VMAs

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, taking place on Sunday, September 7 at New York’s UBS Arena, will make history as the first VMA ceremony to be broadcast on both MTV and CBS.

Record-Breaking Achievements

Taylor Swift has cemented her place in VMA history, tying with Beyoncé for the most overall wins at 30 awards, making her the most awarded solo artist at the VMAs.

Swift’s collaboration with Post Malone, ‘Fortnight’ from her album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, dominated the night by winning multiple awards including video of the year, song of the summer, best collaboration, best editing, and best direction.

Star-Studded Performances

The event will showcase a mix of breakout stars and VMA veterans, featuring performances from Alex Warren and Sombr to Sabrina Carpenter and Ricky Martin. The highlight of the evening will be Mariah Carey, named as this year’s Video Vanguard Award recipient, who is set to perform a medley of her biggest hits.

Notable Nominees

Kendrick Lamar received 10 nominations, primarily for his Grammy-winning Drake diss track ‘Not Like Us’. Sabrina Carpenter earned eight nominations, including Video of the Year for her single ‘Manchild’.

New Categories and Format

The 2025 VMAs introduces two new award categories: Best Country and Best Pop Artist, with country music making a strong showing through artists like Megan Moroney, who is up for her first Moon Person, and Bailey Zimmerman, who is nominated for Best Collaboration and Song of the Summer.