VMAs 2025 winners: Gaga, Grande and Rosé lead the night
TL;DR:
- Ariana Grande wins Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead.”
- Lady Gaga is Artist of the Year, four wins total.
- Rosé and Bruno Mars take Song of the Year for “APT.”
- Alex Warren is Best New Artist. Sabrina Carpenter wins Best Album.
- Special honors go to Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards took place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. LL Cool J hosted the show, which aired on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. Lady Gaga entered with 12 nominations and left as the night’s top winner. Ariana Grande scored the show’s biggest trophy. Rosé made VMAs history with a major songwriting win.
Top winners at a glance
- 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 Album, Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet.
Why it matters
These results show the current center of pop. Gaga’s sustained dominance, Grande’s visual storytelling, and Rosé’s cross-border hit point to a global, female-led year in mainstream music. Awards like Best K-Pop, Afrobeats and Latin also reflect wider genre reach and more diverse stars.
Complete winners, key categories
Below are the headline winners most readers look for first. Use the table to scan fast, then scroll for more moments and context.
| Category | Winner | Work |
| Video of the Year | Ariana Grande | “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Artist of the Year | Lady Gaga | — |
| Song of the Year | Rosé & Bruno Mars | “APT.” |
| Best New Artist | Alex Warren | — |
| Best Album | Sabrina Carpenter | Short n’ Sweet |
| Best Pop | Ariana Grande | “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Best Pop Artist | Sabrina Carpenter | — |
| Best Collaboration | Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars | “Die With a Smile” |
| 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 Afrobeats | Tyla | “Push 2 Start” |
| Best K-Pop | Lisa feat. Doja Cat & Raye | “Born Again” |
| Best Country | Megan Moroney | “Am I Okay?” |
| Best Long Form Video | Ariana Grande | “Brighter Days Ahead” |
| Video for Good | Charli XCX | “Guess” feat. Billie Eilish |
| Best Direction | Lady Gaga | “Abracadabra” |
| Best Cinematography | Kendrick Lamar | “Not Like Us” |
| Best Editing | Tate McRae | “Just Keep Watching (From F1 the Movie)” |
| Best Visual Effects | Sabrina Carpenter | “Manchild” |
| Best Art Direction | Lady Gaga | “Abracadabra” |
| Best Group | BLACKPINK | — |
| Song of the Summer | Tate McRae | “Just Keep Watching (From F1 the Movie)” |
The big three storylines
1) Ariana Grande’s year of visuals
Grande’s “Brighter Days Ahead” topped a stacked Video of the Year field. She also won Best Pop and Best Long Form Video, confirming a strong creative run that connected with voters and viewers. The video won over entries from Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga with Bruno Mars.
2) Lady Gaga’s four-trophy night
Gaga converted the most nominations into the most wins, including Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration for “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars. She also earned craft nods such as Best Direction and Best Art Direction for “Abracadabra,” underlining both impact and execution.
3) Rosé and Bruno Mars claim Song of the Year
“APT.” won Song of the Year, giving Rosé one of the night’s defining headlines and marking a milestone for K-pop crossovers at the VMAs. The track edged out hits from Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, and The Weeknd with Playboi Carti.
Special honors
Mariah Carey received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and performed a career-spanning medley. Busta Rhymes accepted the Rock the Bells Visionary Award. Ricky Martin was honored with the Latin Icon Award.
Five moments viewers will talk about
- Grande’s clean sweep in video categories capped a strong awards season push.
- Gaga’s Artist of the Year speech kept momentum behind her Mayhem era and her Bruno Mars team-up.
- Rosé’s win landed a rare Song of the Year for a K-pop artist, signaling wider voting shifts.
- Sabrina Carpenter’s two craft wins plus Best Album showed broad support across voters.
- Genre winners told a global story, from Tyla’s Afrobeats win to Lisa’s K-pop collaboration and Shakira’s Latin victory.
The full context for new readers
The VMAs are an annual MTV show that awards music videos, artists and albums across genres. The 2025 ceremony moved to broadcast TV on CBS while simulcasting on MTV, a change that expands reach to casual viewers. The show also leaned into social voting for categories like Song of the Summer, which Tate McRae won with “Just Keep Watching.”
Quick checklist
- Want the headline winners fast? Check the table above.
- Need the specialty awards? See Special honors.
- Looking for genre winners? Scan the Best Latin, Afrobeats, K-pop, Rock, and Country rows.
- Missed the show live? Watch highlights on official MTV and network platforms by region.
What happens next
Winners often surge on streaming and video views in the week after the show. Expect playlist adds, trending clips, and fresh behind-the-scenes content. Keep an eye on Gaga’s and Grande’s channels for new edits and live clips, as well as Rosé and Bruno Mars for “APT.” promo beats. MTV will roll out replay packages and digital extras on its event hub.
Sources:
- People, “MTV VMAs 2025: See the Complete Winners List!”, https://people.com/mtv-vmas-2025-winners-list-11802070, updated Sep 7, 2025.
- ABC News, “MTV VMAs 2025: See the full winners list,” https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/mtv-vmas-2025-winners-list/story?id=125256821, Sep 7, 2025.
- Pitchfork, “MTV VMAs 2025 Winners: See the Full List Here,” https://pitchfork.com/news/mtv-vmas-2025-winners-see-the-full-list-here/, Sep 7, 2025.
