Mariah Carey wins Video Vanguard award at 2025 MTV VMAs

American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey said music videos were her “way of life” as she was recognised with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).

Carey, 56, is best known for her distinct vocal range and chart-topping hits including the evergreen festive track, All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Prior to receiving her award on Sunday night, which recognises artists and creatives for their impact, influence and contributions to the industry, the singer returned to the VMAs stage for the first time since 2005 to perform a medley of hits including Sugar Sweet, Fantasy and, channelling her British alter ego Bianca, Obssesed and It’s Like That.

As she accepted the Video Vanguard Award, Carey said: “Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life.

“Let’s be honest, sometimes there’s just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life.

“Music evolves, video evolves, but the fun is eternal.”

Earlier in the evening, the singer won her first VMA award, taking the best R&B prize for her new song Type Dangerous which she released in June.

“This is amazing MTV, I don’t know why it took you so long!” she joked in a video message ahead of performing.

Introducing Carey, Ariana Grande said the singer had created a “pop playbook” and provided “an anthem for every occasion”.

Previous recipients of the Vanguard award include David Bowie, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

Carey began her career in the late 1980s, after reportedly getting her demo tape in the hands of Tommy Mottola, the former head of Columbia Records where she was later signed.

She went on to marry Mottola in what became a tumultuous relationship which ended in divorce in 1998.

While at Columbia Records she released her debut self-titled album which won the singer her first Grammy awards, one for best new artist and another for best female pop vocalist in 1991.

She released Emotions that same year followed by Music Box in 1993 and her holiday-themed Merry Christmas in 1994 which featured her hit song, All I Want for Christmas Is You, earning the singer the nickname “The Queen of Christmas”.

The track became a holiday classic and peaked at number one in the UK singles charts.

Carey went on to pick up three more Grammy awards in 2006 for best contemporary R&B album with The Emancipation of Mimi, best R&B song for We Belong Together and best female R&B vocal performance for the same song.

She has since gone on to sell more than 200 million albums worldwide with two records topping the UK album charts, Music Box and Daydream.

Carey later married American comedian and TV presenter Nick Cannon, who featured in the singer’s 2008 music video for Bye Bye.

In 2011, Carey gave birth to their twins, Moroccan Scott and Monroe, however a few years later Cannon confirmed that the pair had split, with their divorce reportedly finalising in 2016.

Over her career she has worked with industry stars including Rick James, Jay-Z, Carole King, George Michael, and Whitney Houston and was inducted to the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2022, described by the institution as the “all-time most successful female songwriter in chart history”.

The singer was also among the artists who was nominated for the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but did not make the cut for this year’s induction ceremony.

The singer will release her new album Here For It All on September 26.