The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards were completely dominated by women. The biggest stars were Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, each taking home four awards. Gaga appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, delivering a prerecorded performance, while Grande enjoyed the night and her awards.
But they weren’t the only stars. Sabrina Carpenter was another diva who took the stage both to perform and to collect awards—three in total, including Best Album for Short n’ Sweet. She also won Best Pop Artist and Best Visual Effects for Manchild.
She dazzled from her arrival on the red carpet, wearing a red lace Valentino dress paired with a lilac fur stole—a clear statement of the show to come.
During her high-energy act, Sabrina’s dancers portrayed protesters holding messages in support of the trans community. Signs read “Protect Trans Lives,” “In Trans We Trust,” and “Dolls Dolls Dolls.” Later in the performance, slogans appeared like “Support Local Drag,” “Tip the Dolls,” and, more playfully, “If You Hate, You’ll Never Get Laid.” Her performance also included cameos from Drag Race favorites such as Willam Belli, Laganja Estranja, Symone, and Lexi Love.
“This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity. So to get to be part of something—so often more than not—that is something that can bring you light, make you smile, make you dance, and make you feel like the world is [yours]—I am so grateful. So grateful to do that. So thanks everyone here, but most importantly, my fans, you’ve been there for me, so thank you,” she shared after receiving one of the awards she took home on August 7.
Sabrina’s support for the trans community comes at a crucial moment for the entire LGBTQ+ community. Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, he has implemented several measures aimed at erasing and demonizing trans people, including barring them from competing in women’s sports, serving in the military, and changing the gender on their identification documents. Trump’s campaign against “gender ideology” appears to be one of the core pillars of his administration, designed to maintain cohesive support from the far-right.
This issue goes deeper than it appears. Analysts show that the anti-LGBTQ+ movement is framed as a response to a supposed threat to traditional American values, but it actually masks a perceived threat to the social status of conservative men.
A Tribute to Britney Spears
It seems the ’80s are back. We saw it in Doja Cat’s performance and also in Sabrina Carpenter’s, who emerged from a manhole with a clear message while singing Tears, one of the tracks from her latest album, Man’s Best Friend. It was the first time the song had been performed live.
Sabrina also paid homage to Britney Spears. During a moment in her performance, she made a brief costume change in a phone booth, revealing a silver jeweled top reminiscent of the pop princess’s performance at this same awards show in 2000.
Carpenter delivered a dance break in the rain that immediately brought many viewers back to that iconic moment.
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