The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, held this past Sunday, delivered a night of fresh faces and captivating performances that have gained attention for many upcoming artists and celebrated already-established singers.
The Artist who ended the night with the most Moon Person Awards is Lady Gaga with wins in four categories. These categories include Best Collaboration (“Die With a Smile” ft. Bruno Mars), Artist of the Year, Best Direction and Best Art Direction.
Best Direction honors the artist’s and directors’ creative vision behind the video, while Best Art Direction acknowledges the designers’ visual contributions for the finished piece. These categories, therefore, also extend recognition to other members of the production team, with co-directors Bethany Vargas and Parris Goebel receiving credit for Best Direction, while art director Wesley Goodrich was recognized for Best Art Direction.
Lady Gaga won both categories with her “Abracadabra” music video, which aired during the event alongside a rendition of her song, “The Dead Dance.” The performances, filmed in advance, allowed Gaga to accept her awards live before racing across New York to Madison Square Garden to continue her Mayhem Ball Tour.
Another artist whose name was mentioned frequently throughout the night was Sabrina Carpenter, whose rapid rise in popularity in recent years was emphasized by three Moon Person Awards. She claimed Best Pop Artist, Best Album for Short n’ Sweet and Best Visual Effects for her music video “Manchild.” Carpenter’s latest release, Man’s Best Friend, featuring “Manchild,” dropped on August 29 and has already cemented her standing as one of pop music’s main voices currently.
The category of Best Pop Artist is new to the VMAs this year, which makes Sabrina Carpenter the inaugural artist for this award, but she wasn’t the only inaugural winner for a category. The VMAs also introduced a Best Country Video award this year, which went home with Megan Moroney for her song “Am I Okay?.” Instead of receiving this award during the ceremony, Moroney was surprised on the red carpet before the event.
Megan Moroney has, much like Sabrina Carpenter, risen significantly in popularity in recent years after her hit single “Tennessee Orange” went viral on social media. That momentum has fueled increased attention for her album Am I Okay?, drawing listeners not only to its charting tracks but also to some of the more overlooked songs from this album that showcase Moroney’s range as an artist. Her VMA win recognizes this rising attention and her ability to hop on the movement of making country music more mainstream.
The Best Push Performance category is part of MTV’s Push Initiative, which highlights emerging artists by providing performance opportunities, music video promotion and interviews to amplify the impact of their breakout work. Each month, MTV features a different artist or group, and KATSEYE won this category for their performance of “Touch,” which originally took place in January 2025.
MTV’s Push Initiative highlights artists on the verge of becoming big, and KATSEYE is clearly on that path. While their label as a global group may set them apart from most pop groups, KATSEYE’s performances are impossible to ignore. Their music and choreography strikes a balance between hype and precision, which has also led to their recent viral ad for Gap.
On the topic of performances during the ceremony, one artist was impossible to overlook: Tate McRae. She showed off her extensive experience in dance with dramatic choreography and striking visuals to her songs “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car.” Beyond her performance, McRae also took home the award for Song of the Summer with “Just Keep Watching (From the F1 Movie).” Although Tate McRae has been releasing music for quite some time, she too has received mounting attention as of recent just like another performer of the night, Sombr.
Sombr received the award for Best Alternative Video for “Back to Friends” during the red carpet pre-show, before taking the stage later in the ceremony to perform the track along with his hit “12 to 12.” He was also a finalist for Best New Artist but ultimately lost to Alex Warren.
While Lady Gaga drew much of the spotlight with her multiple wins and devotion to her tour, this year’s VMAs also highlighted a new generation of artists rising in the industry. From Sabrina Carpenter’s ascent in pop music to the much-talked-about performances of Tate McRae and Sombr, the night underscored that pop culture’s future is already here.