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After more than three decades of shaping pop culture through both her voice and visuals, Mariah Carey is finally getting her flowers at the MTV VMAs. The legendary singer will be honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at this year’s ceremony, airing live from UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7. LL COOL J will host the show, which will broadcast coast-to-coast on CBS, simulcast on MTV, and stream on Paramount+.
The moment is as full-circle as it gets: Mariah Carey will accept the same award she once handed to LL COOL J back in 1997. It also marks her first return to the VMAs stage in 20 years.
Though her name has long been synonymous with pop dominance, Carey’s VMA history has always been a curious case. She’s never actually won a Moon Person, despite being nominated multiple times—and despite delivering some of the most iconic music videos of the ’90s and 2000s. Known for iconic videos like “Honey,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed,” and “Touch My Body,” Carey’s visuals have blended humor, glamour, and narrative in a way few artists could replicate.
And she’s not just looking back—she’s still making history. Carey is also in the running for Best R&B this year with her new single “Type Dangerous,” one of two tracks she previewed from her upcoming album Here For It All, arriving September 26.
At long last, the Vanguard is Mariah’s. It’s not just recognition—it’s a celebration of an artist who helped define what music videos, pop stardom, and global influence could look like. The only question left: how will she shut down the VMAs stage this time?
