FEMALE POP POWER SHINES AT 2025 MTV VMAS AS GAGA, GRANDE AND CARPENTER LEAD WINS

Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter were the big winners at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, each taking home two Moonman trophies in a relatively low-key ceremony that largely spotlighted female pop stars and veteran artists. Gaga, who led the night with 12 nominations, kicked off the evening by winning Artist of the Year, beating out Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Beyoncé—all of whom skipped the event. The singer dedicated her award to fans and her partner, Michael Polansky, before heading to the final stop of her Mayhem Tour at Madison Square Garden.

The three-hour show, hosted mostly off-screen by LL Cool J, handed out just seven awards on-air. All but one went to women, with the exception being Bruno Mars, who won twice for collaborations with female artists: Best Collaboration for Die With a Smile with Gaga, and Song of the Year for Apt, his track with Blackpink’s Rosé. In an emotional speech, Rosé called the honour a dream come true for her 16-year-old self.

Sabrina Carpenter picked up Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet and Best Pop Artist, while Grande scored Best Pop Video and the night’s top honour, Video of the Year, for Brighter Days Ahead. Accepting the award with director Christian Breslauer, Grande reflected on healing and resilience: “If you’re on that journey, please continue onward … there are brighter days ahead.”

The VMAs once again highlighted the global and genre-blending nature of pop music. J Balvin and DJ Snake performed Noventa; multinational girl group Katseye won Push Performance of the Year; and Post Malone and Jelly Roll, performing remotely from Munich, showcased the growing country-pop crossover with Losers. Carpenter also made headlines with a retro-inspired performance of Tears, joined by RuPaul’s Drag Race stars and ballroom icons in support of trans rights.

The ceremony also paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July. Yungblud performed Crazy Train and Changes, joined by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for Mama, I’m Coming Home.Other performers included Sombr, Conan Gray, and TikTok star-turned-artist Alex Warren, who won Best New Artist off-air before singing his runaway hit Ordinary, the year’s longest-running No. 1.