Mariah Carey’s Long-Awaited MTV Recognition: A Triumphant Return to the VMAs Stage
After an illustrious career spanning over three decades, pop icon Mariah Carey finally received her well-deserved recognition at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home the prestigious Video Vanguard Award. With characteristic humor and grace, Carey addressed the audience, expressing disbelief at receiving her first VMA while playfully questioning the timing: “What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” Her return to the VMAs stage after a twenty-year absence marked a significant moment not just in her career, but in the landscape of pop culture. Since her debut album in 1990, Carey has been an MTV fixture, delivering countless hits and memorable videos that have shaped generations of music lovers. Her acceptance speech touchingly acknowledged this history, referencing iconic moments from her past MTV appearances and celebrating the enduring power of music: “Music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun? That is eternal.”
The 2025 VMAs proved to be a watershed moment for Carey, who won not just the Video Vanguard Award but also took home the Moonman for Best R&B Video for her recent hit “Type Dangerous.” These victories represent her first and second VMA wins, despite having been nominated nine times throughout her illustrious career dating back to 1996 when she received her first nod for “One Sweet Day.” The dual recognition feels like a long-overdue acknowledgment of Carey’s immense contribution to music video culture. When Ariana Grande presented her with the Video Vanguard Award during the broadcast, it symbolized a passing of the torch between two vocal powerhouses who have dominated different eras of pop music. For longtime fans, seeing Carey finally clutching a Moonman trophy represented the closing of a curious gap in her otherwise trophy-laden career.
Interestingly, Carey has a rich history with the VMAs beyond her nominations. Years before receiving her own Video Vanguard Award, she was on the other side of the ceremony, presenting the same prestigious honor to LL Cool J in 1997. She also handed the Best Group Video award to Foo Fighters in 1996, demonstrating her consistent presence in the MTV universe across musical genres and eras. Perhaps her most memorable presenting moment came in 1998 when she joined forces with the late Whitney Houston to announce Will Smith as the winner of Best Male Video for “Just the Two of Us.” This connection to Whitney Houston extended beyond just presenting duties, leading to one of the most iconic moments in VMAs history that Carey herself referenced in her acceptance speech.
That unforgettable 1998 moment between Carey and Houston stands as one of the VMAs’ most celebrated segments. The two vocal powerhouses, often pitted against each other by the media, subverted expectations with a playful skit where they both arrived on stage wearing identical “custom” Vera Wang dresses, feigning outrage before laughing it off. The segment brilliantly defused rumors of a rivalry between the singers and showcased their mutual respect and sense of humor. This clever self-awareness and willingness to play with their public personas demonstrated why both women were not just exceptional vocalists but beloved cultural figures. When Carey referenced this moment in her 2025 acceptance speech, it served as both a tribute to Houston’s memory and a reminder of Carey’s long-standing relationship with MTV, despite her extended absence from the ceremony.
Carey’s 2025 VMAs appearance marked her first attendance at the ceremony since 2005, making it a true comeback moment. During her previous appearance, she had performed a medley of hits from her comeback album “The Emancipation of Mimi,” which had reignited her career after a challenging period. Twenty years later, her 2025 performance followed a similar format but spanned her entire career, including classics like “Fantasy” alongside newer material like “Obsessed” and her recent single “Type Dangerous.” The performance demonstrated Carey’s remarkable longevity and continued relevance in a constantly evolving musical landscape. Despite the decades that had passed since her last VMAs appearance, Carey showed that her voice, stage presence, and star power remain undiminished, captivating a new generation of viewers alongside loyal fans who have followed her since the beginning.
Looking to the future, Carey used her VMAs platform to remind fans that her first album in seven years, “Here for It All,” would be released on September 26, 2025. The album’s lead single, “Type Dangerous,” which won her the Best R&B Video award that very night, had debuted in June to positive reception. According to sources close to the singer, Carey is optimistic about this new chapter in her career, with both she and her team having “high hopes” for the upcoming album. This VMAs triumph serves not just as recognition of Carey’s past achievements but as a launching pad for her next musical era. For an artist who has consistently reinvented herself while maintaining her distinctive voice and style, this recognition from MTV represents both a celebration of her legacy and an embrace of her continuing artistic journey. The Moonman trophies may have been long in coming, but their arrival coincides perfectly with what appears to be yet another renaissance in Mariah Carey’s extraordinary career.
