Mariah Carey Breaks the VMA Drought with a Night of Triumph

After years of nominations without a win, Mariah Carey has finally claimed her first competitive MTV Video Music Award, while also receiving the evening’s most prestigious honor: the Video Vanguard Award.

The moment carried tremendous symbolic weight. Carey, a pop and R&B legend with a career spanning decades, had been nominated multiple times but never managed to take home a trophy. That changed when her video “Type Dangerous”, from her latest album, won Best R&B Video — a victory that both thrilled her fans and corrected a long-standing oversight in the award’s history.

The highlight of the night, however, was the presentation of the Vanguard Award. Introduced by Ariana Grande, Carey took the stage with her trademark mix of humor and emotion. She playfully joked about how long it took for the recognition to arrive, while also reflecting on the importance of music videos in shaping her artistry, calling them a way to give visual life to her songs’ emotions and fantasies.

Her celebratory performance was a spectacle in itself: a medley of her career-defining hits including “Fantasy”, “Heartbreaker”, “Obsessed”, “It’s Like That”, and “We Belong Together.” Each song was accompanied by staging that evoked the era in which it was released, offering the audience both nostalgia and proof of her enduring influence.

Other artists also had a shining night. Lady Gaga secured the titles of Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration, Ariana Grande walked away with Video of the Year, Rosé of BLACKPINK triumphed with Song of the Year, and Ricky Martin was honored as Latin Icon, celebrating his decades-long cultural impact.

The show also introduced new categories, highlighting country and afrobeat for the first time, signaling a shift towards greater inclusivity and representation of global sounds.

Still, it was Mariah Carey who stood at the center of the night’s narrative. Already one of the most decorated artists in the music industry, she finally added the VMAs to her collection — and did so in spectacular fashion. With her win and her career-spanning celebration, Carey not only received overdue recognition but also reminded the world why she remains one of the defining voices and personalities of pop history.