Mariah Carey Wins First-Ever VMA with Video Vanguard Award at 2025 MTV VMAs

Mariah Carey Wins First-Ever VMA, Crowned with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, held on September 7 at UBS Arena in New York, legendary singer Mariah Carey made history by winning her first-ever VMA after more than three decades in the music industry. She was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, recognizing her pioneering contributions to music videos, artistry, and pop culture.

The night also saw Carey win Best R&B Video for her new single “Type Dangerous,” from her upcoming album Here for It All. The pop icon then graced the stage with a powerful medley of her biggest hits, including “Fantasy,” “Honey,” “Obsessed,” “Sugar Sweet,” and “It’s Like That.” Her performance marked her first VMAs appearance in 20 years, and it was introduced by Ariana Grande, who also presented Carey with the Vanguard Award.

In her acceptance speech, Carey thanked MTV for their role in shaping the music video era, expressed gratitude to her devoted fan base; the Lambily, and teased the release of her new album, which is set to arrive in two weeks.

A Storied Career of Accolades

Mariah Carey’s VMAs breakthrough adds to a career already filled with remarkable achievements:

• Billboard Records: 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles, the most by any solo artist.
  
  

• GRAMMY Awards: 6 wins, including Best New Artist (1991) and the Global Impact Award (2024).
  
  

• American Music Awards: 10 wins, including a Special Achievement Award in 2000.
  
  

• Billboard Music Awards: 14 wins.
  
  

• World Music Awards: 19 wins.
  
  

• Other Honors: Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Billboard Icon Award (2019), BET Ultimate Icon Award (2025), and multiple hall of fame inductions.
  
  

In total, Carey has received 167 awards from 304 nominations over her career.

What This Win Means

The Video Vanguard Award cements Mariah Carey’s place not just as one of the best-selling female artists of all time, but also as a visionary who reshaped the landscape of music videos and pop performance. It fills a notable gap in her extensive trophy cabinet and underscores her enduring influence on music across generations.

Source:

CNN/EW/People.com