Women Artists, Led by Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande, Own 2025 VMAs

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande were the large winners astatine the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, which were held astatine UBS Arena successful Elmont, N.Y., connected Sunday (Sept. 7). Gaga won 4 awards, much than anyone else, but Grande took the highest illustration award, video of the year, for “Brighter Days Ahead.”

Gaga became the 2nd two-time victor for creator of the year, which was introduced successful 2017. Taylor Swift was the first. Gaga’s 4 awards up her vocation full to 22, which puts her successful 3rd spot connected the all-time leaderboard, down Swift and Beyoncé, who pb with 30 wins each. Gaga’s caller wins alteration her to propulsion up of Madonna, erstwhile the VMAs leader, who has won 20 Moon People.

Women thoroughly dominated the night. Of the 30 awards that were presented this twelvemonth (including societal categories and antecedently announced peculiar awards), pistillate solo artists oregon all-female groups won 22. Male solo artists and 1 all-male radical (Coldplay) won six awards. The different 2 awards went to a brace of male/female collabs (Gaga and Bruno Mars, arsenic good arsenic ROSÉ and Mars).

Of the 10 genre-specific categories, 8 went to pistillate artists: Sabrina Carpenter, champion popular artist; Grande, champion pop; Doechii, champion hip-hop; Mariah Carey, champion R&B; Shakira, champion Latin; LISA featuring Doja Cat & RAYE, champion K-pop; Tyla, champion Afrobeats; and Megan Moroney, champion country. Only 2 genre-specific awards went to antheral artists: sombr (best alternative) and Coldplay (best rock).

Gaga besides took champion absorption for her enactment connected “Abracadabra” (which she co-directed with Bethany Vargas and Parris Goebel). This is the sixth twelvemonth successful a enactment that an creator has won successful that class for directing oregon co-directing their ain video. Swift has won 4 times times since 2020 arsenic the sole manager of her videos. Lil Nas X won 4 years agone for co-directing “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” with Tanu Muino.

Gaga and Mars won champion collaboration for “Die With a Smile.” It’s Gaga’s 3rd triumph successful the category, pursuing “Telephone” (featuring Beyoncé) and “Rain connected Me” (with Grande). This puts Gaga successful a necktie with Swift for the astir wins successful this category. Swift won for collabs with Kendrick Lamar, Zayn and Post Malone.

In summation to winning video of the year, “Brighter Days Ahead” besides won champion long-form video. It’s lone the 4th clip that grant has been presented. Previous winners are Madonna’s The Immaculate Collection (1991), Beyoncé’s Lemonade (2016) and Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film (2022).

Like Grande, Sabrina Carpenter won...