È stato l’anno di Ariana Grande e di Lady Gaga. Agli MTV Video Music Awards 2025, la cui cerimonia si è tenuta ieri sera (di notte per l’Italia) alla UBS Arena di Elmont, New York, la prima ha portato a casa quattro premi importanti, per la canzone (in assoluto, nel pop e nel formato long form) e come migliore artista pop. La seconda ha stretto quattro statuette (artista dell’anno, ma anche regia, art direction e collaborazione, quest’ultima per Die With a Smile come bruno Mars) su 12 candidature. «Mi piacerebbe restare qui e vedere queste performance meravigliose esibizioni», ha detto Gaga, «ma devo tornare al Madison Square Garden», dove si esibiva.
Chi si aspettava un trionfo di Not Like Us di Kendrick Lamar, effettivamente uno dei pezzi dell’anno, è rimasto spiazzato. A fronte di 10 nomination, la canzone ha sì ricevuto un premio, ma per la fotografia. Tra le canzoni hip hop è stata preferita Anxiety di Doechii. Snobbato anche Bad Bunny. Miglior pezzo latin è Soltera di Shakira.
Il premio per l’album è andato a Sabrina Carpenter, non l’ultimo ovviamente ma Short n’ Sweet che ha battuto Bad Bunny, Lamar, Gaga, Morgan Wallen e The Weeknd. In ambito rock, i Coldplay hanno avuto la meglio su Green Day e Linkin Park. Back to Friends di Sombr premiato come Best Alternative, ma non come Best New Artist (è Alex Warren). La canzone dell’anno è Apt della coppia Rosé e Bruno Mars. A Mariah Carey il premio Best R&B e il Michael Jackson Video Vanguard.
Ecco l’elenco dei vincitori (in neretto) e candidati in ogni categoria.
Video of the Year
Brighter Days Ahead – Ariana Grande
Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
Die With a Smile – Lady Gaga e Bruno Mars
Apt. – Rosé e Bruno Mars
Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter
Timeless – The Weeknd e Playboi Carti
Artist of the Year
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Kendrick Lamar
Lady Gaga
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Song of the Year
Alex Warren – Ordinary
Billie Eilish – Birds of a Feather
Doechii – Anxiety
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Gracie Abrams – I Love You, I’m Sorry
Lady Gaga e Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile
Lorde – What Was That
Rosé e Bruno Mars – Apt.
Tate McRae – Sports Car
The Weeknd e Playboi Carti – Timeless
Best New Artist
Alex Warren
Ella Langley
Gigi Perez
Lola Young
Sombr
The Marías
Best Pop Artist
Ariana Grande
Charli xcx
Justin Bieber
Lorde
Miley Cyrus
Sabrina Carpenter
Tate McRae
MTV Push Performance of the Year
Agosto 2024 – Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy)
Settembre 2024 – Ayra Starr – Last Heartbreak Song
Ottobre 2024 – Mark Ambor – Belong Together
Novembre 2024 – Lay Bankz – Graveyard
December 2024 – Dasha – Bye Bye Bye
Gennaio 2025 – Katseye – Touch
Febbraio 2025 – Jordan Adetunji – Kehlani
Marzo 2025 – Leon Thomas – Yes It Is
Aprile 2025 – Livingston – Shadow
Maggio 2025 – Damiano David – Next Summer
Giugno 2025 – Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
Luglio 2025 – Role Model – Sally, When the Wine Runs Out
Best Collaboration
Bailey Zimmerman with Luke Combs – Backup Plan (Stagecoach Official Music Video)
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Luther
Lady Gaga &. Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile
Post Malone ft. Blake Shelton – Pour Me a Drink
Rosé & Bruno Mars – Apt.
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – Sunset Blvd
Best Pop
Alex Warren – Ordinary
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Lady Gaga ft. Bruno Mars – Die with a Smile
Rosé ft. Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Best Hip Hop
Doechii – Anxiety
Drake – Nokia
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me
GloRilla ft. Sexyy Red – Whatchu Kno About Me
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
LL Cool J ft. Eminem – Murdergram Deux
Travis Scott – 4X4 – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Best R&B
Chris Brown – Residuals
Leon Thomas ft. Freddie Gibbs – Mutt (Remix)
Mariah Carey – Type Dangerous
Partynextdoor – N o C h i l l
Summer Walker – Heart of a Woman
SZA – Drive
The Weeknd, Playboi Carti – Timeless
Best Alternative
Gigi Perez – Sailor Song
Imagine Dragons – Wake Up
Lola Young – Messy
MGK and Jelly Roll – Lonely Road
Sombr – Back to Friends
The Marías – Back to Me
Best Rock
Coldplay – All My Love
Evanescence – Afterlife (dalla serie Netflix Devil May Cry)
Green Day – One Eyed Bastard
Lenny Kravitz – Honey
Linkin Park – The Emptiness Machine
Twenty One Pilots – The Contract
Best Latin
Bad Bunny – Baile Inolvidable
J Balvin – Rio
Karol G – Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido
Peso Pluma – La Patrulla
Rauw Alejandro ft. Romeo Santos – Khé
Shakira – Soltera
Best K-pop
Aespa – Whiplash
Jennie – Like Jennie
Jimin – Who
Jisoo – Earthquake
Lisa ft. Doja Cat ft. Raye – Born Again
Stray Kids – Chk Chk Boom
Rosé – Toxic Till the End
Best Afrobeats
Asake ft. Travis Scott – Active
Burna Boy ft. Travis Scott – TaTaTa
Moliy, Silent Addy, Skillibeng ft. Shenseea – Shake It to the Max (Fly) (Remix)
Rema – Baby (Is It a Crime)
Tems ft. Asake – Get It Right
Tyla – Push 2 Start
Wizkid ft. Brent Faiyaz – Piece of My Heart
Best Country
Chris Stapleton – Think I’m in Love With You
Cody Johnson ft. Carrie Underwood – I’m Gonna Love You
Jelly Roll – Liar
Lainey Wilson – 4x4xU
Megan Moroney – Am I Okay
Morgan Wallen – Smile
Best Album
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Lady Gaga – Mayhem
Morgan Wallen – I’m the Problem
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Best Long Form Video
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Bad Bunny – Debí Tirar Más Fotos (Short Film)
Damiano David – Funny Little Stories
Mac Miller – Balloonerism
Miley Cyrus – Something Beautiful
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Video for Good
Burna Boy – Higher
Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Doechii – Anxiety
Eminem ft. Jelly Roll – Somebody Save Me
Selena Gomez ft. Benny Blanco – Younger and Hotter Than Me
Zach Hood ft. Sasha Alex Sloan – Sleepwalking
Best Direction
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Rosé ft. Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Best Art Direction
Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Lorde – Man Of The Year
Miley Cyrus – End of the World
Rosé ft. Bruno Mars – Apt.
Best Cinematography
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Miley Cyrus – Easy Lover
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Best Editing
Charli xcx – Guess featuring Billie Eilish
Ed Sheeran – Sapphire
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching
Best Choreography
Doechii – Anxiety
FKA Twigs – Eusexua
Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Tyla – Push 2 Start
Zara Larsson – Pretty Ugly
Best visual effects
Ariana Grande – Brighter Days Ahead
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Rosé ft. Bruno Mars – Apt.
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching
The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
Best Group (categoria social)
aespa
All Time Low
Backstreet Boys
Blackpink
Coldplay
Evanescence
Fuerza Regida
Grupo Frontera
Imagine Dragons
Jonas Brothers
Katseye
My Chemical Romance
Seventeen
Stray Kids
The Marías
twenty one pilots
Song of the Summer (categoria social)
Addison Rae – Headphones On
Alex Warren – Ordinary
Benson Boone – Mystical Magical
BigXthaPlugg ft. Bailey Zimmerman – All The Way
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Demi Lovato – Fast
Doja Cat – Jealous Type
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI – Golden
Jessie Murph – Blue Strips
Justin Bieber – Daisies
MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It To The Max (FLY) (Remix)
Morgan Wallen ft. Tate McRae – What I Want
Ravyn Lenae ft. Rex Orange County – Love Me Not
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
sombr – 12 to 12
Tate McRae – Just Keep Watching