Mariah Carey performs at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards before receiving the Video Vanguard Award. (Arturo Holmes/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?"Iconic artists have been honored throughout, including Ricky Martin, who received the first-ever Latin Icon Award following an electric performance on the main stage, and Busta Rhymes, who was honored with the MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award. Mariah Carey was presented with the Video Vanguard Award by Ariana Grande.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFans were also treated to an array of great performances, including from Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter and J Balvin. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD and Nuno Bettencourt delivered a head-banging tribute in honor of 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.VMAs honor late Ozzy Osbourne in tribute medleyYungblud, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)Ozzy Osbourne's son, Jack, and four of his grandchildren opened the VMAs tribute to the "Prince of Darkness" with a welcome video."I wish we could be there with you all tonight as you celebrate my dad's amazing musical journey. I know for sure it would make him incredibly happy to see these great musicians carry on his legacy and help inspire the next generation of rockers," Jack said. "We love you, Dad."Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Yungblud and Nuno Bettencourt performed a medley of Osbourne's greatest hits from both his solo career and his time with Black Sabbath, including "Crazy Train," "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and "Changes."Osbourne died at the age of 76 on July 22.
Alex Warren performs on VMAs stage hours after winning Best New ArtistAlex Warren. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)Alex Warren sang his popular songs "Eternity" and "Ordinary" during his first-ever VMAs performance with dozens of backup singers and musicians accompanying him on stage.
Warren won the Best New Artist award earlier in the night. His song "Ordinary," which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks, was nominated for Best Pop and Song of the Year.
Lady Gaga does 'The Dead Dance' from Madison Square Garden A livestream of Lady Gaga's concert at Madison Square Garden was shown on screens at the MTV Video Music Awards. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters)"Put your paws up MTV!"In a live stream from Lady Gaga's Madison Square Garden show, Mother Monster opened her performance with a spooky rendition of her song "Abracadabra." Gaga, wearing all red and a black wig, danced alongside background dancers, some of whom were inside of a metal cage.
She then went into her song "The Dead Dance," in which she wore an all-white outfit and her dancers imitated ghosts in white, Puritan garb."The Dead Dance," which dropped on Sept. 3, is on the soundtrack for Season 2 of Wednesday. The A Star Is Born actress has a cameo on the new season of the Netflix series as Rosaline Rotwood.
Mariah Carey performs nostalgic medley and accepts Video Vanguard AwardMariah Carey. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)Ahead of receiving this year's Video Vanguard Award, Mariah Carey serenaded audiences with a medley of some of her greatest hits.
Dressed in a luxurious, champagne-colored robe, Carey kicked things off with "Sugar Sweet," before going into "Fantasy," "Heartbreaker," Obsessed," and "It's Like That." She finished the medley with her beloved chart-topper, "We Belong Together."Ariana Grande returned to the stage to hand Carey her Moon Person. The "Touch My Body" singer-songwriter then delivered a moving speech in which she reflected on her career - and joked about how long it's taken MTV to recognize her achievements."Thank you so much, MTV, for giving me the Vanguard Award. I can't believe I'm getting my first VMA tonight. I just have one question: What in the Sam Hell were you waiting for?!"Carey continued, "Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life. Mini movies visualizing the sheer fantasy of it all."She then referenced a slew of iconic music video moments throughout her career, like "going in drag for 'Obsessed,' playing my alter ego, Bianca, in 'Heartbreaker,' escaping the mob in 'Honey' with a hot guy on a remote island."Carey added, "Music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun? That is eternal."AdvertisementAdvertisementAriana Grande introduces Mariah CareyAriana Grande. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images for MTV)Ariana Grande took the stage to introduce this year's Video Vanguard Award recipient, Mariah Carey."She knows no limits with her iconic five-octave range, and has left