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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Ariana Grande won Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead” at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. Lady Gaga led the competitive winners with four awards, while Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each won three. The ceremony was held September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, with LL Cool J as host.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, with LL Cool J hosting. Ariana Grande won the night’s top prize, Video of the Year, for “Brighter Days Ahead.” Lady Gaga was the ceremony’s biggest competitive winner with four awards, while Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each won three.
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2025 MTV VMAs major award winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Video of the Year | Ariana Grande — “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Artist of the Year | Lady Gaga |
| Song of the Year | Rosé and Bruno Mars — “APT.” |
| Best New Artist | Alex Warren |
| Best Pop Artist | Sabrina Carpenter |
| Best Album | Sabrina Carpenter — Short n’ Sweet |
Genre and performance category winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| MTV PUSH Performance of the Year | KATSEYE — “Touch” |
| Best Collaboration | Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars — “Die With a Smile” |
| Best Pop | Ariana Grande — “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Best Hip-Hop | Doechii — “Anxiety” |
| Best R&B | Mariah Carey — “Type Dangerous” |
| Best Alternative | sombr — “back to friends” |
| Best Rock | Coldplay — “ALL MY LOVE” |
| Best Latin | Shakira — “Soltera” |
| Best K-Pop | LISA featuring Doja Cat and RAYE — “Born Again” |
| Best Afrobeats | Tyla — “PUSH 2 START” |
| Best Country | Megan Moroney — “Am I Okay?” |
| Best Group | BLACKPINK |
| Song of Summer | Tate McRae — “Just Keep Watching” from F1 The Movie |
Craft and video-making awards
The VMAs also recognized the directors, editors, choreographers, cinematographers, and visual-effects teams behind the year’s videos.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Long Form Video | Ariana Grande — “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Video for Good | Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish — “Guess” |
| Best Direction | Lady Gaga — “Abracadabra” |
| Best Art Direction | Lady Gaga — “Abracadabra” |
| Best Cinematography | Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us” |
| Best Editing | Tate McRae — “Just Keep Watching” |
| Best Choreography | Doechii — “Anxiety” |
| Best Visual Effects | Sabrina Carpenter — “Manchild” |
Special honors
| Honor | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award | Mariah Carey |
| Rock the Bells Visionary Award | Busta Rhymes |
| Latin Icon Award | Ricky Martin |
The biggest stories from the 2025 VMAs
Lady Gaga led the ceremony with four competitive wins
Lady Gaga had the strongest competitive showing of the night. She won Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration alongside Bruno Mars for “Die With a Smile.” Her video “Abracadabra” also won both Best Direction and Best Art Direction, giving Gaga four awards overall.
#1 Best Overall
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- Short n' Sweet showcases the scintillating spirit of Sabrina Carpenter, the pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence
Ariana Grande took home Video of the Year
Grande’s “Brighter Days Ahead” won Video of the Year, the ceremony’s top video honor. The song also earned her Best Pop, while the project won Best Long Form Video. That gave Grande three competitive awards and made her one of the evening’s central winners.
Sabrina Carpenter won Best Album and two additional awards
Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Artist, Best Album for Short n’ Sweet, and Best Visual Effects for “Manchild.” The official category name was Best Album, not Album of the Year.
For listeners who collect physical releases, Sabrina Carpenter Short n’ Sweet vinyl is a natural companion to the win. Amazon-searchable records include an Amazon-exclusive LP variant, but colors, editions, prices, and availability can change, so check the current product listing before buying.
“APT.” won Song of the Year
Rosé and Bruno Mars won Song of the Year for “APT.” The collaboration appeared in several major award conversations, while LISA—working with Doja Cat and RAYE—won Best K-Pop for “Born Again.”
The ceremony balanced current hits with career recognition
Alongside the competitive categories, the 2025 VMAs honored three influential artists with special awards: Mariah Carey received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Busta Rhymes received the Rock the Bells Visionary Award, and Ricky Martin was named a Latin Icon.
Rank #3
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- Short n' Sweet showcases the scintillating spirit of Sabrina Carpenter, the pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence
At-a-glance winner totals
- Lady Gaga: four competitive awards.
- Ariana Grande: three competitive awards.
- Sabrina Carpenter: three competitive awards.
Lady Gaga’s four wins made her the night’s leading competitive winner. Grande’s three included Video of the Year, and Carpenter’s three included Best Album.
Complete 2025 MTV VMAs winners list
For quick reference, the full competitive list is:
- Video of the Year: Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
- Artist of the Year: Lady Gaga
- Song of the Year: Rosé and Bruno Mars, “APT.”
- Best New Artist: Alex Warren
- Best Pop Artist: Sabrina Carpenter
- Best Album: Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
- MTV PUSH Performance of the Year: KATSEYE, “Touch”
- Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile”
- Best Pop: Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
- Best Hip-Hop: Doechii, “Anxiety”
- Best R&B: Mariah Carey, “Type Dangerous”
- Best Alternative: sombr, “back to friends”
- Best Rock: Coldplay, “ALL MY LOVE”
- Best Latin: Shakira, “Soltera”
- Best K-Pop: LISA featuring Doja Cat and RAYE, “Born Again”
- Best Afrobeats: Tyla, “PUSH 2 START”
- Best Country: Megan Moroney, “Am I Okay?”
- Best Group: BLACKPINK
- Song of Summer: Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching” from F1 The Movie
- Best Long Form Video: Ariana Grande, “Brighter Days Ahead”
- Video for Good: Charli xcx featuring Billie Eilish, “Guess”
- Best Direction: Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
- Best Art Direction: Lady Gaga, “Abracadabra”
- Best Cinematography: Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
- Best Editing: Tate McRae, “Just Keep Watching”
- Best Choreography: Doechii, “Anxiety”
- Best Visual Effects: Sabrina Carpenter, “Manchild”
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the 2025 MTV VMAs held?
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were held on September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. LL Cool J hosted the ceremony.
Who won the most awards at the 2025 MTV VMAs?
Lady Gaga was the night’s biggest competitive winner with four awards: Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Direction, and Best Art Direction.
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Who won Video of the Year at the 2025 MTV VMAs?
Ariana Grande won Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead.” The video also won Best Pop and Best Long Form Video.
Best Value
Who won Best Album at the 2025 MTV VMAs?
Sabrina Carpenter won Best Album for Short n’ Sweet. She also won Best Pop Artist and Best Visual Effects for “Manchild.”
The Bottom Line
Lady Gaga led the 2025 MTV VMAs with four competitive wins, but Ariana Grande claimed the evening’s top prize: Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead.” Sabrina Carpenter also had a three-award night, including Best Album for Short n’ Sweet.
Quick Recap
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