In addition to her performance, Carey was presented the Video Vanguard Award by Ariana Grande, which honors artists for their contributes and impact on music videos and pop culture. During her acceptance speech, she recalled special memories from VMAs past, such as presenting the same award to LL Cool J in 1997 and having a "standoff" with fellow iconic diva Whitney Houston.

"I've learned that music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun? That is eternal," she said. "Thank you MTV for playing my videos, and to my fans, I love you so much."

Hosted by LL Cool J, the 2025 MTV VMAs featured performances from some of the day's biggest artists, such as Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Alex Warren, Tate McRae, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and more. Don't miss out on all of the jaw-dropping red carpet looks and see which of your favorite artists were crowned winners and took home an iconic moonman trophy.