The Top 5 Best Performances at the VMAs Teach a Lesson in Iconography
The way I’m still thinking about Sabrina Carpenter...
While MTV’s Video Music Awards—aka the VMAs—have honored the art of music videos since the ’80s, the beloved awards show is also responsible for introducing some of the most iconic live performances in pop culture history. They’re the kinds that alter your brain chemistry from a young age and leave an impression on artists for years to come.
Since its inception, artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Britney Spears have made the VMAs their playground for building their own legacies. In 2009, Lady Gaga made a statement against celebrity culture with a bloody performance of “Paparazzi,” Beyoncé announced her pregnancy with Blue Ivy in 2011, and Taylor Swift made history with her Lover-era medley in 2019. Of course, newcomers like Chappell Roan and Doechii took the stage at UBS Arena for last year’s show, and this year’s ceremony is bringing fresh faces like sombr and Tate McRae to the main stage.
Before we get into the best performances of the night, though, here’s an important disclaimer: Ricky Martin, Busta Rhymes, and Mariah Carey’s are not included, as their longer, career-spanning honors are on a whole other level. Just know that they’re still incredibly special and legendary! So without further ado, here are the 5 best performances from the 2025 VMAs, ranked.
sombr
I wasn’t expecting sombr to start his first-ever awards show performance by hiding in a vintage photo booth, but it perfectly captured the suave Lower East Side essence that made him into the rising musician he is today.
The Best Alternative winner oozed confidence as he took on his hit “back to friends” with a four-piece band in front of a dive bar backdrop. He then slid into his disco-infused dance floor anthem, “12 to 12,” complete with a light-up floor and massive disco ball. Of course, his entourage of hot and edgy dancers didn’t hurt, either. “This one is for the girls that get it!” he exclaimed before hitting high notes, screaming into the mic in true rock star fashion, and ending his performance with a sassy hip pop.
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD, and Nuno Bettencourt
MTV honored the legacy of the late “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne, with one hell of a tribute put on by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD, and Nuno Bettencourt.
A shirtless and oiled-up YUNGBLUD kicked off the performance with emotional, gritty vocals on Black Sabbath’s “Crazy Train” after kissing the golden cross chain that Ozzy gifted him weeks before his passing. He then threw on a fur coat to sing “Changes” before Ozzy’s close friends, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, hopped up to perform his 1991 track, “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
Though the rockers all hail from different generations, they were brought together by one pop culture icon and a mutual love for music. In the words of YUNGBLUD: “Ozzy forever, man!”
Tate McRae
Though Tate McRae is in the thick of her Miss Possessive Tour, she still tore up her VMAs main stage debut. Longtime fans know Miss McRae was always worthy of the Main Pop Girl title, and the general public started watching when her track “Greedy” took off in 2023.
But in our good year 2025, Tate’s performance of her So Close to What hits “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car” proves that she’s in it for the long haul. Not only did she pull through with entirely new choreography for both tracks—she effortlessly hit her marks and remained on key through black sand and fiery pyrotechnics. If you weren’t a Tater Tot before, her VMAs moment definitely made you one!
Sabrina Carpenter
Just when I thought Sabrina couldn’t outdo her Short n’ Sweet medley from last year’s show, she brought literal tears to my eyes with her live debut of “Tears.” After releasing a Rocky Horror Picture Show–inspired music video starring Colman Domingo, Sabrina also stood on business with her message to protect the dolls in her VMAs performance.
Set in ’80s NYC, she emerged from a “sewer” in a stunning fringe look to strut in support of trans rights alongside notable LGBTQIA+ performers, from Honey Balenciaga to Lexi Love. After hitting the same dance break she did in the track’s music video, she stripped down to a bedazzled bra and sheer black tights to shut the stage down in the rain. Sabrina, the woman icon you are!!!
Lady Gaga
Despite the fact that her performance was pre-recorded during her Mayhem Ball show at Madison Square Garden, Gaga still absolutely DELIVERED for her fifth VMAs performance. I mean, are we surprised? She changed the game for so many artists since her debut in 2008, and her iconic VMAs performances raised the bar for iconography.
This marked her return to MTV’s fan-favorite awards show since she won the one and only Tricon Award and performed a Chromatica medley in 2020. Now, she’s back with her Mayhem hit, “Abracadabra,” and the live debut of her newest disco-inspired track, “The Dead Dance.” Nearly 20 years into her career, Gaga still has the vocal chops, choreo skills, and one-of-a-kind fashion sense that initially made fans fall in love with her. My paws have never been up higher!
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