On Sunday, September 7th, your favorite artists and influencers showed out for the 2025 VMA Awards. This was a jam-packed night filled with many unforgettable moments and controversial winners. If you missed the award show, keep reading to see who the winners of each category were.
Video of the Year:
Ariana Grande won for Video of the Year with her song “Brighter Days Ahead.” She was up against songs: “Birds of a Feather,” “Not Like Us,” “Die with a Smile,” “APT.,” “Manchild,” and “Timeless.” According to social media, many believe that Grande’s win was well-deserved. She has a beautifully produced video with spectacular editing skills. If you haven’t seen it yet, click here to watch her award-winning video.
Artist of the Year:
Lady Gaga won the award for Artist of the Year. Social media seems to be very split about this decision. Many believe that others she was up against, such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, were more deserving of the award. Both of them have been dominating the music charts, and Beyoncé’s recent Cowboy Carter Tour was the highest-grossing country tour in history. She was also up against Kendrick Lamar, who is coming off of a career-high moment. The internet seems to believe that the other nominees had a better year musically than Lady Gaga. What are your thoughts?
Best Pop Artist:
Sabrina Carpenter won the award for Best Pop Artist. This comes off as no surprise considering that she’s been dominating the music charts! Her new album “Man’s Best Friend” has been gaining traction since its release on August 29th, and her music has been in everyone’s rotation. This award was well-deserved and it’s not a debate! Congrats Sabrina!
Best Hip-Hop:
Doechii took the Best Hip-Hop award home. Many find this to be a controversial take. She won for the song “Anxiety,” which the majority of people consider to be overplayed and not real “hip hop.” The other nominee, Kendrick Lamar, put out “Not Like Us,” which has become a cultural phenomenon and a staple for Hip Hop music. Social media thinks he was more than deserving of this award and should’ve won. What’s your take?
Best R&B:
Mariah Carey won the award for Best R&B. This is her first VMA Award, and many were confused by this. There were more popular songs in the category, such as Chris Brown’s “Residuals” or Leon Thomas’ “MUTT.” Mariah Carey hasn’t been a prevalent artist since the early 2000s. Her win confused many Twitter users, who even considered the voting to be rigged. Regardless, Mariah Carey has an iconic career and deserves this celebration. Congrats to her!
Whether your favorite artist won an award or not, the VMA Awards is always an iconic night that gets the internet jumping. Join the discussion and let us know your opinions about the recent winners.