Mariah Carey wins first VMA with Vanguard award, performs career-spanning medley [VIDEO]

A historic night at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards as Mariah Carey claims her long-overdue Vanguard Award with a performance that spanned her career

Mariah Carey finally had her MTV moment. On September 7, at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, the pop and R&B legend received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award — her first-ever MTV VMA trophy. The win came after decades of shaping music video culture, nine prior nominations without a victory, and a career that has stretched across more than 30 years. For her devoted fans, known as the Lambily, the moment felt like vindication. For MTV, it was a chance to rewrite history and correct a glaring oversight.

Carey, 56, marked the occasion with a career-spanning medley that reminded viewers why she remains one of the most influential artists in pop history. Dressed in a shimmering gold catsuit that caught every spotlight, she cycled through fan favorites like “Fantasy,” “Honey,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed,” “It’s Like That,” and the emotional powerhouse “We Belong Together.” She even included her newest single “Sugar Sweet” from her upcoming album Here For It All, tying her legendary past to her still-active present.

A Performance Designed Around Storytelling

Unlike the tightly choreographed routines of her younger peers, Carey’s set leaned into theatrical staging and visual storytelling. Each song came with its own set design, evoking the music videos that helped cement her status as a pop culture icon.

• “Sugar Sweet” opened with a pastel-colored, bedroom-inspired scene. Soft lights and dancers surrounded Carey, setting a flirtatious, playful tone.
• “Fantasy” switched to carnival visuals, complete with roller-skating dancers circling her in tribute to the iconic amusement park setting of the original video.
• “Honey” went glamorous, with masked dancers nodding to the masquerade aesthetic of the late ‘90s.
• “Heartbreaker” amped up the energy, glowing in red and neon to simulate a nightclub vibe. Carey delivered the cheeky verses with smirks and sass.
• “Obsessed” leaned dark and confrontational, with dancers surrounding her like paparazzi. She leaned into the diss-track edge of the 2009 hit.
• “It’s Like That” mashed up elements of “Breakdown” and “Type Dangerous” for a hybrid that bridged her older R&B flavor with modern trap flourishes.
• “We Belong Together” closed the set in emotional fashion, with Carey switching into a flowing gown as mist filled the stage and a live string ensemble underscored her soaring vocals.

The performance ended with pyrotechnics and Carey stretching her arms wide, basking in applause as the screen behind her lit up with “Video Vanguard.”

A Long-Overdue Honor

For years, Carey’s omission from VMA wins had been a sore spot among fans. She had been nominated nine times — for classics like “One Sweet Day” and “We Belong Together” — but never walked away with a trophy. Her music videos, however, were undeniably formative. Honey brought spy-thriller action into R&B visuals. Fantasy set the template for playful, high-concept videos with hip-hop cameos. Obsessed became a meme years after its release thanks to its cinematic storytelling.

The Video Vanguard Award has in recent years gone to contemporaries like Jennifer Lopez, Missy Elliott, and Shakira, raising the question: why not Mariah? MTV answered that question this year, finally awarding her the honor.

Introduced by Ariana Grande, Carey accepted the award with equal parts shade and sincerity. She playfully jabbed MTV for “taking so long” to recognize her contributions, then quickly turned heartfelt, thanking her fans for their loyalty across decades of chart dominance, reinventions, and personal ups and downs.

“This one’s for the Lambily,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “You’ve been with me through every era. Thank you for never letting go.”

Balancing Legacy and Longevity

Mariah Carey’s VMA set was not about athletic choreography or viral dance moments. Instead, it was a showcase of vocal precision, diva energy, and the sheer weight of her catalog. At 56, Carey delivered whistle notes that reminded everyone of her technical gifts, even if her movement remained minimal. Critics called parts of the performance “low energy,” but fans countered that she’s never been about choreography — her strength has always been her voice and her visuals.

This medley also doubled as a promo for her upcoming album Here For It All, due September 26, proving that she’s not just performing for nostalgia. By blending new material with classics, Carey reminded audiences she’s still an active force in music — not a legacy act content to coast.

Mixed But Passionate Reactions

On X (formerly Twitter), reactions poured in within minutes.

Fans celebrated her long-overdue recognition:

• “WE DID IT LAMBS!!!!! Mariah Carey just won her first #VMAs… I’m so happy for you my queen.”
• “The VMAs wouldn’t be ICONIC without MARIAH CAREY PERFORMING AND RECEIVING THE VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD.”

Others defended her style against critics demanding more movement:

• “Why are people expecting her to dance like Beyoncé? She’s always had two left feet… her mother was an opera singer, she’s not meant to dance. She’s meant to sing.”

But some were underwhelmed by her stage presence:

• “This is a great mix… but mama give me some stage presence????”
• “She gave more energy on her speech than this performance.”

Accusations of lip-syncing surfaced too, though many attendees insisted she sang live with light backing tracks. The chatter was polarized but lively — which, for Carey, is par for the course.

Why It Matters

Mariah Carey’s Vanguard Award wasn’t just about one night at the VMAs. It was about re-centering her place in pop history. Her videos pushed boundaries, her collaborations shaped the crossover between pop and hip-hop, and her voice remains unmatched. The fact that she won her first VMA in 2025, after more than three decades of dominance, says as much about MTV’s history of overlooking women — and particularly women of color — as it does about Carey’s resilience.

In the end, the performance and award cemented her as not just a hitmaker, but a video innovator whose influence can be seen in every new generation of artists. As she continues into her fourth decade in music, Mariah Carey finally got the flowers she has long deserved.