Mariah Carey was honored with the Video Vanguard Award at tonight’s MTV Video Music Awards, where she also performed a career-spanning medley. She began with a new song, “Sugar Sweet,” before diving into classics like “Fantasy,” “Heartbreaker,” and “Obsessed.” She continued with “It’s Like That” and “We Belong Together” (with a string ensemble). Watch the performance below.
Carey was presented with the award by Ariana Grande. “I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight,” Carey—tonight’s winner of Best R&B for “Type Dangerous”—said in her speech. “I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” She continued with a reflection on her career and history with the VMAs. See the speech below.
Though she’d never taken home a trophy before tonight, Carey has been a VMAs fixture for decades. She first performed on the show in 1991, then again in 2005 off the back of The Emancipation of Mimi, which saw a 20th anniversary reissue earlier this year. Carey’s new album, Here for It All, is out September 26; the 11-track project includes the singles “Type Dangerous” and “Sugar Sweet.”
Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
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