Sabrina Carpenter and Alex Warren Confirmed for 2025 VMAs First Round

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards: A Night to Remember

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are set to be one of the most anticipated events in the music industry. This year’s ceremony promises to deliver unforgettable performances, exciting awards, and a celebration of the biggest names in music. With several top artists vying for multiple honors, the event is shaping up to be a showcase of talent and creativity.

New Categories and Big Names

This year's VMAs will introduce two new categories: Best Country and Best Pop Artist. These additions reflect the evolving landscape of music and recognize the growing influence of these genres. Among the highly nominated artists are Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, and Sabrina Carpenter. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift continue their rivalry for the title of most VMAs wins ever, as both are nominated for Artist of the Year.

Key Details About the 2025 VMAs

When: The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards will air live on Sunday, September 7, at 8 p.m. ET. Red carpet coverage will begin earlier in the evening.

Where: The event will take place at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. This is the second consecutive year that the venue has hosted the ceremony.

How to Watch: Viewers can tune in live on CBS and MTV. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can watch the show on the streaming service, while Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have access to the broadcast on demand the following day.

Voting for the 2025 VMAs

Fans have several ways to participate in the voting process. They can visit vote.mtv.com to cast their votes for all categories by Friday, September 5, at 6 p.m. ET. Voting for Best New Artist will remain open during the live show. Song of the Year will narrow down to six nominees on Monday, August 18, at 12 p.m. ET, with voting continuing until September 5 for other categories.

Additionally, fans can earn extra votes for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Best New Artist by commenting under the pinned posts on @VMAs Instagram using artist-specific hashtags through Friday, August 8, at 6 p.m. ET. During Power Hour presented by Bacardi, which runs daily from 1 to 2 p.m. ET from Thursday, August 7, through Thursday, September 4, fans can get double the votes per category.

Who Is Nominated?

Lady Gaga leads the nominations with 12 nods, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year. Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar follow closely with 11 and 10 nominations, respectively. Other artists with multiple nominations include Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Jelly Roll, Doechii, and Miley Cyrus.

First-time nominees with multiple nods include Alex Warren, Gigi Perez, Lola Young, and The Marías. Damiano David, Rosé, Jennie, Jimin, and Jisoo each received their first solo nominations. Busta Rhymes will be honored with the first-ever MTV VMA Rock the Bells Visionary Award, while Ricky Martin will receive the first-ever Latin Icon Award.

Performers at the 2025 VMAs

MTV announced the first round of performers on August 18, featuring Sabrina Carpenter alongside Alex Warren, J Balvin featuring DJ Snake, Sombr, and honorees Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin.

Host of the 2025 VMAs

LL Cool J will host the 2025 VMAs. This marks his first time hosting the event solo, after previously co-hosting in 2022 with Jack Harlow and Nicki Minaj. LL Cool J has a rich history with the VMAs, having won his first Moon Person in 1991 and becoming the first rapper to win the Video Vanguard Award in 1997. His experience and charisma are expected to make the ceremony even more entertaining.