Music fans can mark their calendars for one of the biggest nights in entertainment, as the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards will return with star-studded performances, memorable moments, and fierce competition among today’s hottest artists.
The ceremony will air live on Sunday, September 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, bringing together the music industry’s most celebrated talents for an evening of recognition and entertainment. This year’s event promises to be particularly exciting with the introduction of new categories and an impressive lineup of nominations.
Where to Watch and How to Participate
The 2025 VMAs will broadcast live from UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, marking the second consecutive year the awards show will be held at the Long Island venue. Viewers can tune in on CBS and MTV, while Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to live streaming on the platform. For those unable to watch live, the show will be available on demand the next day for Paramount+ Essential subscribers.
Fan participation remains a cornerstone of the VMAs experience, with voting now open at vote.mtv.com. Voting will continue until Thursday, September 5, at 6 p.m. ET for most categories. The Best New Artist category will remain active during the live broadcast, allowing real-time audience engagement.
Additional voting opportunities exist through social media engagement. Fans could cast extra votes for Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Best New Artist by commenting under pinned posts on the @VMAs Instagram account using artist-specific hashtags through August 8. The “Power Hour,” presented by BACARDÍ Rum, offers double votes across all categories daily from 1-2 p.m. ET between August 7 and September 4.
Record-Breaking Nominations and Competition
Lady Gaga leads this year’s nominations with an impressive 12 nods, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Best Album for her 2025 release “Mayhem.” This marks the third time Gaga has led VMA nominations, following her previous dominance in 2010 and 2020. She currently holds 18 VMA wins and is positioned to expand her already impressive legacy.
Bruno Mars follows closely with 11 nominations, while Kendrick Lamar secured 10 nominations for third place. Rising stars ROSÉ and Sabrina Carpenter each earned eight nominations. Ariana Grande and The Weeknd received seven nominations each, with Billie Eilish earning six and Charli XCX securing five.
One of the most exciting award show storylines involves the ongoing competition between Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the most VMA wins in history. Both superstars are nominated for Artist of the Year, continuing their long-running (friendly) rivalry. Both artists currently rank among the most decorated in VMA history and could add to their impressive totals this September.
The 2025 ceremony also introduces two new genre-specific categories: Best Country Artist and Best Pop Artist. All 19 categories maintain their gender-neutral format, as they have in previous years.
With last year’s broadcast achieving 66 million interactions and breaking records for most social interactions in VMA history, MTV hopes to beat those numbers with this year’s strong lineup and fresh new talent.
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