Vanguard

On an evening in which she was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Mariah Carey delivered a career-spanning, thoroughly enjoyable medley of hits old and new — and earned a personal tribute from Ariana Grande — at the MTV Video Music Awards, held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. on Sunday night (Sept. 7.).

“She’s given us an anthem for every single occasion,” Grande, who tapped Carey for a “Yes, And?” remix last year, told the arena to introduce the Video Vanguard performance. The Wicked superstar added, “As a vocalist, there’s only one queen, and that’s Mariah.” 

With that, Carey started off the medley with her feathery recent single “Sugar Sweet,” joined by a pair of male dancers in a bedroom backdrop, before the beat abruptly cut to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s boisterous intro to the “Fantasy” remix. The entire medley functioned as a showcase to Carey’s range as a pop superstar, with “Heartbreaker” getting a roller rink routine (and someone playing Bianca, her alter ego from the video), “Obsessed” featuring a masked menace, and “It’s Like That” bringing its finger-snaps into a ballroom, complete with elegant choreography and playful vocals.

Eventually, “We Belong Together” served as a centerpiece of sorts, with Carey backed by a string orchestra and the applause turning raucous as Grande returned to the stage to hand the superstar her award. Carey and Grande blew each other air kisses, and Grande bowed down to her friend before ceding the stage to Carey, who turned to Grande and proclaimed, “I’m so grateful for you and I’m beyond proud of everything you’ve achieved, girl!”

Carey’s acceptance speech was relatively short, but touched upon her history at the VMAs — including a performance alongside the late Whitney Houston, and her own presentation of the Video Vanguard award to the 2025 ceremony host, LL Cool J — as well as her deep appreciation of the music video as a modern art form. “Music evolves, videos evolve — but the fun, that is eternal!” Carey declared before thanking her fans, the Lambily.

Carey also plugged her upcoming album, Here For It All, during the speech; her first studio album in seven years will be released on Sept. 26, and will include “Sugar Sweet” as well as the previously released single “Type Dangerous.”

Click here for the full winner’s list at the 2025 MTV VMAs.