2025 MTV Video Music Awards: Ariana Grande wins video of the year for Brighter Days Ahead

Kellie Balaam

PerthNow

3 Min Read

18 hours ago

Updated

18 hours ago

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Ariana Grande has won video of the year at the VMAs — one of the biggest music awards at the star-studded event.

The 32-year-old singer and actress took home the coveted trophy at the New York ceremony on Sunday night (US time) in front of fellow celebrities and music industry greats.

She received the “moon man” for her 26-minute short film for her song Brighter Days Ahead from her 7th studio album Eternal Sunshine.

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Grande, who had to lift her head due to the microphone being too tall, brought the music video’s director Christian Breslauer onto the stage to help accept the award.

She began her handwritten speech by thanking fans for supporting her since she was a teenager.

“Art has been a safe space for me since I was a kid. I’m so grateful I get to do this with my life, and to have such fiercely loving and supportive fans,” she said.

“Thank you for growing with me and being so supportive of me as a human being, navigating in real time, which creative itch needs to be scratched next.”

Grande said her latest album was about healing from trauma.

“If you’re on that journey, please continue onward because I promise there are brighter days ahead,” she said.

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She handed the microphone over to Breslauer, who praised her for being “a brilliant collaborator”.

It marked the star’s third award for the evening, having also won best pop and best long-form video for the same song.

Other major winners of the night included Lady Gaga, who won artist of the year, accepting her award before jetting off to her concert at Madison Square Garden.

Sabrina Carpenter took home three awards for best album, best pop artist and best visual effects for her new song Manchild.

Song of the year went to Rose and Bruno Mars’ Apt.

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Performance highlights of the prestigious event included Tate McRae’s medley of hit songs Revolving Door and Sportscar where she showed her incredible dance ability and Carpenter’s debut performance of her new song Tears.

Mariah Carey was the 2025 Video Vanguard Award honoree and took the stage to perform several hits like, Obsessed and It’s Like That.

She accepted her first VMA ever 35 years into her career for best R&B for her song Type Dangerous.

And the late Ozzy Osbourne was honoured with a special tribute performance by Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.