Mariah Carey’s whistle tones are the gift that keeps on giving, and her legendary Video Vanguard performance at the 2025 MTV VMAs proved her pop culture staying power.
Of course, she served powerhouse vocals across a medley of all her chart-topping hits, from “Fantasy” to “Obsessed” and her new track, “Sugar Sweet,” from her upcoming 16th studio album, Here For It All.
Ariana Grande then bestowed Mariah with the honor, referring to Mimi as her lifelong idol and the “blueprint” for so many musical acts.
Though Mariah won her first-ever Moon Person awards tonight, she’s a VMA veteran with a ton of history. She made her debut on the beloved awards show in 1991, when she showed off her five-octave vocal range with a masterful performance of “Emotions.” Then she opened the show with the late Whitney Houston when they “accidentally” pulled up in the same outfit in 1998.
MC being honored with the coveted Video Vanguard Award is a full-circle moment for the pop icon, who presented this year’s host, LL Cool J, with the same honor in 1997. Mariah’s Video Vanguard performance also marks her first time at the VMAs in 20 years, since she sang The Emancipation of Mimi’s “We Belong Together” in 2005.
Say it with me: I-con-ic!
