Lady Gaga accepts the "Artist of the Year" award onstage during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 7, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)It's that time of year again: The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are officially here.
Hosted by LL Cool J, the awards kicked off at 8 p.m. ET following an MTV pre-show, where several early Moon Person statues were handed out, including the award for Best New Artist for Alex Warren and Best Country, which went to Megan Moroney for 'Am I Okay?'The 2025 MTV VMAs will honor a select group of iconic artists, including Mariah Carey, who will receive the Video Vanguard Award to celebrate her decades of groundbreaking music videos. Also receiving career honors at the 2025 MTV VMAs are Ricky Martin, who will receive the Latin Icon Award, and Busta Rhymes, who will be honored with the MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFans have an array of great performances to look forward to. Lady Gaga will be bringing her popular tour, the Mayhem Ball, to the main stage. Sabrina Carpenter, fresh off the release of her new album, Man's Best Friend, will be taking the stage at tonight's awards show. Also set to perform are Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Tate McRae, Conan Gray, Doja Cat and many more.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD and Nuno Bettencourt will deliver a performance to honor the recently deceased "Prince of Darkness," Ozzy Osbourne.
Follow along with the blog below for Yahoo's live coverage of the star-studded awards show and the red carpet.
Lady Gaga wins Artist of the Year: 'The way you move through your life is iconic and rare'Lady Gaga accepts the "Artist of the Year" award onstage during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)Lady Gaga made a quick stop at UBS Arena to accept the MTV VMA for Artist of the Year. Fans were surprised to see her at the awards show, considering the fact that she's headlining her "Mayhem Ball" tour at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night too."I cannot begin to tell you what this means to me. I thought about what it means to be rewarded for being an artist. Being rewarded for something that is already so rewarding. Being an artist is an attempt to connect the souls of people all over the world," Gaga said. "Being an artist is a responsibility to make the audience smile, dance, cry [and] release at any turn. It is a method of building understanding. Of celebrating community."As Gaga continued, she acknowledged the difficulties of everyday life at this time."I hope as you navigate through the mayhem of daily life, you are reminded of the importance of the art of your life," she said. "That you can count on yourself and your simple skills to keep your hope. Your rehearsal. Your discipline. Your craft deserves to be rewarded for its passion."Dedicating the award to her Little Monsters, Gaga added, "The way you move through your life is iconic and rare. It is entirely yours ... You very much deserve a stage to shine on, and I give you all my applause."Lola Young performs chart-topping song, 'Messy'British singer songwriter Lola Young performs on stage during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)Lola Young was the second performer of the night, as part of the VMAs' Extended Play Stage, which highlights rising artists.
Young sang "Messy," her song that went viral on TikTok and peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart for several weeks, starting in January. She is nominated for two awards tonight: Best New Artist and Best Alternative Song for "Messy."Doja Cat kicks off the festivitiesDoja Cat launched this year's MTV VMAs with a performance of her hit track, "Jealous Type." The R&B songstress wasn't alone when she hit the stage - she was joined by legendary saxophonist and composer Kenny G. Just before Doja Cat appeared, she took over the stage - interrupting host LL Cool J in the process.
Tyla wins Best Afrobeats for 'PUSH 2 START'Tyla. (Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)Tyla took home the Moon Person for Best Afrobeats for her track "PUSH 2 START.""It's just a blessing to be here and winning another award," said the South African singer, who won in the same category last year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementTate McRae wins Song of Summer for 'Just Keep Watching'Tate McRae, left, and Nessa Diab. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for MTV)Tate McRae was awarded the Song of Summer award for her song, "Just Keep Watching," which was featured in F1 The Movie."I feel very blessed and honored to be here," McRae said during the VMAs preshow. "The vibes are good."Tyla looks dreamy in a minidress Tyla. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for MTV)Tyla is here! The South African singer-songwriter opted for a simple yet luxurious look: A white Chanel minidress with a semi-structured bodice and gold chains draped acro