The 2025 Video Music Awards occurred Sunday evening, airing on CBS, MTV, Paramount+ and different platforms, with LL Cool J internet hosting. The present featured a slew of performances, and several other awards had been handed out. See under for highlights from the present.
Doja Cat Brings the ’80s Again by Performing “Jealous Sort” With Kenny G
Doja Cat kicked off the VMAs with a efficiency of “Jealous Sort.” Whereas the VMAs‘ host LL Cool J completed his opening monologue, Doja Cat appeared in a Max Headroom-influenced video. The singer then carried out her new monitor “Jealous Sort” with a heavily-influenced ’80s-sounding pop vibe, together with a memorable saxophone intro to the tune by Kenny G. Doja danced all around the stage in a white crop prime and black pants, interacting with followers and inspiring them to sing the lyrics again. The background of her efficiency emphasised the retro really feel with vibrant lights of pink and blue. Learn extra. — Lexi Carson
Ricky Martin Performs “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Accepts Latin Icon Award
Ricky Martin gave a high-energy efficiency earlier than accepting the Latin Icon Award on the 2025 Video Music Awards. The singer carried out and accepted the inaugural honor, which celebrates Martin’s “four-decade profession that launched Latin music and tradition into the mainstream,” per MTV. Over the course of his profession, Martin has bought greater than 70 million albums worldwide and nabbed quite a few awards for his music, performing and humanitarian work. J Balvin took the stage to introduce Martin forward of his Latin-flavored efficiency, which kicked off with Martin’s huge hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca” earlier than he launched right into a medley of songs. Martin introduced the power as he carried out within the viewers and onstage. Learn extra. — Kimberly Nordyke
Rosé Wins Tune of the Yr: “I Dedicate This to My 16-Yr-Outdated Self”
Simply meet Rosé on the VMAs stage. The 28-year-old Ok-pop star, a member of supergroup Blackpink, took residence the tune of the yr trophy for her hit tune “APT,” that includes Bruno Mars. The tune has spent 45 weeks on the Billboard Scorching 100. Rosé, sporting a butter yellow robe, appeared ecstatic to win the award throughout her journey to the stage. She took the chance to thank her collaborator, promising to name Mars after she bought off the stage. Throughout her speech, the pop star thanked a number of folks – from her group at her Korean company The Black Label to her U.S. label Atlantic Data – however crucial individual the singer shouted out was herself. She famous that certainly one of her fears was that she may let down her 16-year-old self all through her journey to international stardom. Learn extra. — Nicole Fell
Busta Rhymes Performs Medley, Pays Tribute to Ananda Lewis Whereas Accepting Rock the Bells Visionary Award
Busta Rhymes gave a memorable efficiency of a number of of his hit songs earlier than he accepted the inaugural Rock the Bells Visionary Award. Joined onstage by dancers wearing pink, Rhymes gave a memorable, high-energy efficiency that included his hits “Gimme Some Extra,” “State of affairs,” “Put Your Palms The place My Eyes Might See” and “Move the Courvoisier, Half II.” He was additionally joined by Joyner Lucas, Papoose and GloRilla as they helped carry out a number of of the songs with him. After he carried out the songs, Rhymes took a second to speak to the gang whereas accepting the Visionary Award. “I do know I normally do these lengthy speeches. I’m not gonna do one at the moment,” he started. “However subsequent time y’all take 35 years to offer me certainly one of these, they’re gonna let me speak so long as I would like.” Learn extra. — Katherine Schaffstall
Tate McRae Heats Up VMAs With Efficiency of “Revolving Door” and “Sports activities Automotive”
Tate McRae took an evening off from her international Miss Possessive Tour to carry out a medley of “Revolving Door” and “Sports activities Door” on Sunday evening. McRae hit the stage in a white two-piece set to sing two of her hit songs off her third studio album, So Near What. She started her efficiency with the monitor “Revolving Door” and walked out surrounded by her backup dancers, stripped all the way down to solely underwear. The efficiency additionally marks her first main-stage efficiency on the VMAs. Like within the music video for “Revolving Door,” the singer-dancer nailed the back-bend leg extension, inspiring a viral pattern of followers attempting to copy the transfer on TikTok. When it got here to “Sports activities Automotive,” there was no scarcity of splits made whereas fireplace emerged within the background. Learn extra. — Lexi Carson
Sabrina Carpenter Contains “Defend Trans Rights” Signal Throughout “Tears” Efficiency
Sabrina Carpenter used her debut efficiency of her tune “Tears” in the course of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards to advocate for transgender rights on Sunday evening. The upbeat efficiency occurred on an outside set that resembled the streets of ’90s New York Metropolis. She was joined by drag queens Honey Balenciaga, Symone, Dashaun Wesley, Richie Shazam, Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Jonte’ Moaning and Denali as she took inspiration from the tune’s music video, which options Colman Domingo wearing drag. Moreover, she was joined by dancers in retro outfits and male dancers in police uniforms. As Carpenter and the performers danced on stage, lots of the drag queens walked forwards and backwards with picket indicators that promoted trans rights. “Defend Trans Rights,” one signal learn, whereas one other acknowledged, “In Trans We Belief.” Learn extra. — Katherine Schaffstall
“Ozzy Ceaselessly!”: Osbourne Honored With Tribute by Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt
The 2025 Video Music Awards paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on Sunday evening, somewhat over a month after he died at age 76. Osbourne — nicknamed the Prince of Darkness — died July 22, simply 17 days after enjoying his last present with Black Sabbath. Osbourne’s son, Jack, launched the tribute alongside along with his 4 daughters by way of a pretaped video, noting he was proud that the present was celebrating “my dad’s superb musical journey.” “I do know for certain it could make me extremely joyful to see these nice musicians keep it up his legacy and assist encourage the subsequent era of rockers,” he mentioned, giving a “particular shout-out” to the 4 performers who took half within the tribute: Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, singer Yungblud and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Learn extra. — Kimberly Nordyke
Mariah Carey Receives First VMA With Video Vanguard Award: “What within the Sam Hill Took You So Lengthy?!”
Mariah Carey lastly obtained her first MTV Video Music Award on Sunday evening when the Grammy-winning famous person singer was honored with the Video Vanguard Award. Although she’d been nominated for eight VMAs through the years, Carey had but to win a aggressive prize at the same time as she was acknowledged with the celebrated Video Vanguard honor. Taking the stage after a efficiency of a medley of her hits, Carey joked of her long-awaited award, “What within the Sam Hill took you so lengthy?!” Previous to receiving her honor, Carey carried out snippets of her many hits, highlighting singles that additionally had notably memorable movies, together with “Honey,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed,” “It’s Like That,” “We Belong Collectively” and the remix of her hit “Fantasy,” full with audio of the late Ol’ Soiled Bastard’s rap intro. Learn extra. — Hilary Lewis
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Singers EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna Current at 2025 VMAs
The women of Huntrix have made it to the VMAs stage. EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, who voice the characters of Rumi, Zoey and Mira within the hit Netflix and Sony Animation film KPop Demon Hunters, offered the album of the yr award to Sabrina Carpenter for Brief ‘N Candy. “These previous few months have been loopy and superb, such an unbelievable experience for us,” EJAE advised the gang when the trio walked onto the stage. The group, minus EJAE,https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/film-tv-music-news/k-pop-demon-hunters-stars-present-mtv-vmas-2025-1236364414/ who was beneath the climate, based on her social media posts, had been on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant over the weekend for a KPop Demon Hunters karaoke social gathering. Learn extra. — Nicole Fell
Girl Gaga Brings “The Useless Dance” to MTV VMAs From Madison Sq. Backyard Live performance
Those that missed the possibility to see Girl Gaga’s Mayhem Ball tour throughout its multi-night stint at New York’s Madison Sq. Backyard had been handled to a part of the present in the course of the 2025 MTV VMAs on Sunday evening. The cable community, which aired this yr’s present on CBS for the primary time, aired Gaga’s efficiency of “Abracadabra” and her new single from Wednesday, season two, half two, “The Useless Dance,” from her live performance at Madison Sq. Backyard. Launched by Rosé, who urged Gaga’s little monsters to place their “paws up,” Gaga, from the Manhattan enviornment stage, the place she towered over a cage stuffed with dancers atop a large pink ballgown, declared “the class is dance or die.” After “Abracadabra,” Gaga dropped down from the highest of the gown into the cage and re-emerged from throughout the cage sporting her “Useless Dance” gray curls. After the cage opened like a gate, Gaga and her dancers moved down an extended runway to the center of the world after which she ran again along with her dancers as she sang, “Do the useless dance.” Learn extra. — Hilary Lewis