The 2025 MTV VMAs took place Sunday night at the UBS Arena in New York, with Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey honored for their contributions to music.
Busta received the first-ever MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award, taking the stage alongside hype man Spliff Star before accepting the honor. He performed a medley of hits from throughout his career, including “Break Ya Neck” and “What’s the Scenario.” Joyner Lucas joined him for “Gimme Some More,” while Papoose and GloRilla helped him perform “Touch It” and “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” respectively.
He then began his speech, saying the award is one he’s been waiting 35 years to receive. He gave special thanks to host LL COOL J for inspiring him to rap, Mona Scott-Young, his parents and children and took some time to pay tribute to the late MTV VJ Ananda Lewis for welcoming hip-hop artists in the ’90s.
Mariah’s honor was for her profound impact on music videos and popular culture. She accepted the Video Vanguard Award, presented by Ariana Grande, following a performance including “Heartbreaker,” “Fantasy,” “Obsessed” and “We Belong Together.”
Much like Busta, she joked about the wait for the recognition. Mariah then thanked Ariana and MTV for the award.
“Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life, mini movies visualizing the sheer fantasy of it all. And let’s be honest, sometimes they’re just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life, ” she said. “After all this time, I’ve learned that music evolves, videos evolve — but the fun, that is eternal. Thank you, MTV, for playing my videos. And to our fans, the Lambily, I love you so much.”
Mariah — who also won her first-ever Moon Person trophy for best R&B video for “Type Dangerous” — concluded with a reminder of her upcoming album, Here For It All, set to arrive in two weeks.
Other highlights from the show include Tyla’s best Afrobeats win for “Push 2 Start” and Doja Cat’s performance of her latest single, “Jealous Type.”
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
