From Sabrina Carpenter crawling out of a manhole, to Lady Gaga transforming into a haunted doll to Mariah Carey earning her long-awaited first award at the ceremony, the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards certainly did not disappoint when it came to juicy moments.

Held at New York’s UBS Arena on Sunday (Sept. 7), the VMAs — which were hosted by rap superstar LL Cool J — saw some of music’s biggest stars descended on the arena for an evening of antics. Mariah Carey, who took home the Video Vanguard Award after a career-spanning mashup performance, remarked that this was somehow her first Moon Person in the ceremony’s history. “And I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” she jokingly growled into the microphone.

Across the other categories, Lady Gaga was the evening’s most nominated artist, earning 12 nods for her work over the last year. After making a brief appearance at the top of the show to accept the artist of the year award, Gaga also gave fans a high-octane, pre-taped performance from The Mayhem Ball of “Abracadbra,” alongside the television debut of her newest song, “The Dead Dance.”

Meanwhile, Carpenter — who was nominated for eight awards and took home album of the year — wowed audiences with her head-turning performance of “Tears.” Using her platform to advocate for queer and trans rights, Sabrina was joined on stage by former stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race, including season 17 contestant Lexi Love, while other dancers held up signs urging the audience at home to “Protect Trans Rights.”

Below, check out some of the best photos taken at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.