entertainment news
Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga stun with big performances and wins at MTV's Video Music Awards
Ozzy Osbourne and Mariah Carey among musicians also honoured last night
The Associated Press · Posted: Sep 08, 2025 7:47 AM PDT | Last Updated: September 8
Ariana Grande accepts the award for video of the year for Brighter Days Ahead at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (Charles Sykes/Invision/Associated Press)
Pop singer Ariana Grande claimed the top prize at the MTV Video Music Awards, while Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter scored major honours at a star-studded celebration of fan favourites in New York on Sunday.
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In addition to video of the year, Grande took home the award for best pop video, and had the audience buzzing when she thanked her "therapists and gay people" during her acceptance speech.
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Gaga, the night's top nominee, kicked things off by winning artist of the year before later delivering on her promise to perform. She hit the stage at Madison Square Garden after her acceptance speech in a streamed performance, which sent the audience into a frenzy at the UBS Arena, where the VMAs were being held.
In her earlier remarks, Gaga stressed the deeper meaning of artistry.
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"Being an artist is an attempt to connect the souls of people all over the world," said Gaga, who performed Abracadabra and The Dead Dance, a single from the Netflix series Wednesday.
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"Being an artist is a discipline and craft into reaching someone's heart where it grows its roots, reminding them to dream. Being an artist is a responsibility to smile, dance, cry."
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She dedicated the award to her fans and paid homage to her fiance, Michael Polansky, who co-executive produced her latest album, Mayhem. "Creating with you has been a beautiful thing," she said.
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Going into the show, history was on the line with Taylor Swift and Beyonce vying to become the most awarded artist in VMAs history. Each have 30 and were only nominated in the artist of the year category, so Gaga's win will leave them tied for another year.