The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards ended up being Lady Gaga’s night. Coming in with 12 nominations, she walked away as the evening’s top winner, taking home Video of the Year for her Bruno Mars collaboration ‘Die with a Smile’. The track also won Best Collaboration and Best Pop.
Gaga didn’t just shine in music categories—her solo single ‘Abracadabra’ cleaned up in the visuals, winning Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
Bruno Mars, who followed Gaga with 11 nominations, also won Best R&B for his collab with ROSÉ, ‘APT’. Kendrick Lamar, with 10 nominations, scored wins in Best Hip-Hop and Best Direction for ‘Not Like Us,’ solidifying his reputation as one of the most respected visual and lyrical storytellers in music.
The 2025 VMAs didn’t just celebrate pop and hip-hop—they embraced Afrobeats, K-pop, and Latin music, underscoring how global the music industry has become.
From Gaga’s domination to breakout wins for newcomers, the 2025 VMAs reflected a year where music blurred genres, crossed borders, and delivered unforgettable moments.
J Balvin performs during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 07, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images )
2025 MTV Video Music Awards Winners
Video of the Year
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead” – WINNER
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga – WINNER
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”
Doechii – “Anxiety”
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Gracie Abrams – “I Love You, I’m Sorry”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
Lorde – “What Was That”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.” – WINNER
Tate McRae – “Sports Car”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Best New Artist
Alex Warren – WINNER
sombr
The Marías
Best Pop Artist
Ariana Grande
Charli xcx
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter – WINNER
Tate McRae
MTV Push Performance of the Year
August 2024 – Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
September 2024 – Ayra Starr – “Last Heartbreak Song”
October 2024 – Mark Ambor – “Belong Together”
November 2024 – Lay Bankz – “Graveyard”
December 2024 – Dasha – “Bye Bye Bye”
January 2025 – KATSEYE – “Touch” – WINNER
February 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – “Kehlani”
March 2025 – Leon Thomas – “Yes It Is”
April 2025 – Livingston – “Shadow”
May 2025 – Damiano David – “Next Summer”
June 2025 – Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
July 2025 – Role Model “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”
Best:
Collaboration
Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – “Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “Luther”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile” – WINNER
Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton – “Pour Me A Drink”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Selena Gomez, benny blanco – “Sunset Blvd”
Pop
Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead” – WINNER
Ed Sheeran – “Sapphire”
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”
ROSÉ & Bruno Mars – “APT.”
Sabrina Carpenter – “Manchild”
Hip-Hop
Doechii – “Anxiety” – WINNER
Drake – “NOKIA”
Eminem feat. Jelly Roll – “Somebody Save Me”
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – “Whatchu Kno About Me”
Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”
LL Cool J feat. Eminem – “Murdergram Deux”
Travis Scott – “4X4”
R&B
Chris Brown – “Residuals”
Leon Thomas & Freddie Gibbs – “MUTT (REMIX)”
Mariah Carey – “Type Dangerous” – WINNER
PARTYNEXTDOOR – “N o C h i l l”
Summer Walker – “Heart of a Woman”
SZA – “Drive”
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – “Timeless”
Alternative
Gigi Perez – “Sailor Song”
Imagine Dragons – “Wake Up”
Lola Young – “Messy”
mgk & Jelly Roll – “Lonely Road”
sombr – “Back to Friends” – WINNER
The Marías – “Back to Me”
Rock
Coldplay – “All My Love” – WINNER
Evanescence – “Afterlife” (From the Netflix Series Devil May Cry)
Green Day – “One Eyed Bastard”
Lenny Kravitz – “Honey”
Linkin Park – “The Emptiness Machine”
Twenty One Pilots – “The Contract”
Latin
Bad Bunny – “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”
J Balvin – “Rio”
KAROL G – “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”
Peso Pluma – “LA PATRULLA”
Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos – “Khé?”
Shakira – “Soltera“ – WINNER
K-pop
aespa – “Whiplash”
JENNIE – “like JENNIE”
Jimin – “Who”
JISOO – “earthquake”
LISA ft. Doja Cat & RAYE – “Born Again” – WINNER
Stray Kids – “Chk Chk Boom”
ROSÉ – “toxic till the end”
Best Afrobeats
Asake & Travis Scott – “Active”
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – “TaTaTa”
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – “Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)”
Rema – “Baby (Is It a Crime)”
Tems feat. Asake – “Get It Right”
Tyla – “Push 2 Start” – WINNER
Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece of My Heart”
Country
Chris Stapleton – “Think I’m In Love With You”
Cody Johnson with Carrie Underwood – “I’m Gonna Love You”
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