Singer Mariah Carey took to the stage at the 2025 VMAs to perform a medley of her greatest hits and accept the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the biggest award of the evening. Dressed in a champagne-colored, feather-trimmed silk bathrobe, the 56-year-old removed it to reveal a corseted gold crystal-covered bodysuit, which she paired with matching sparkling boots. The singer had skipped the red carpet earlier, but during her performance, it was her jewellery that was the true star of the show. She wore a 204.38-carat “Rosée Éternelle” diamond necklace and matching chandelier earrings from Levuma, valued at $10 million.
The “Fantasy” singer is the oldest recipient of the Video Vanguard Award to date, and on receiving her award from presenter Ariana Grande, jokingly quipped “I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight. I just have one question, what in the Sam Hell were you waiting for?”
© Getty Images for MTVPast recipients include Katy Perry, who received the award in 2024, as well as Madonna, Janet Jackson, George Michael, Britney Spears and Beyoncé. Mariah received the award in recognition of her profound impact on pop culture and music videos.
During her nostalgic career-spanning medley performance at New York’s UBS Arena, Mariah sang some of her iconic hits including “Heartbreaker”, “We Belong Together” and “Fantasy”.
At one point during the performance, she slipped into her British alter ego Bianca for a seamless transition into “Obsessed” and “It’s Like That”.
© Getty Images for MTVThe Vanguard Award was particularly meaningful for Mariah, who presented the same award to LL Cool J – this year’s VMAs host – back in 1997, a moment she referenced in her speech. She also thanked MTV and her fans.
“Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life… movies visualizing the sheer fantasy of it all,” she said. “And let’s be honest, sometimes there’s just an excuse to put in the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life.”
“After all this time, I’ve learned that music evolves, videos evolve – but the fun, that is eternal. Thank you, MTV, for playing my videos. And to our fans, the Lambily, I love you so much,” she added.
© Billboard via Getty ImagesEarlier in the evening during the VMA pre-show, the singer also picked up her first-ever Moon Person trophy, winning best R&B video for “Type Dangerous”.
During her speech, Mariah also plugged the release of her sixteenth studio album “Here For It All”, which is set to be released on September 26.
