On Monday (August 18), MTV announced the first round of performers added to the lineup for the 2025 MTV VMAs. The awards show – hosted by LL Cool J and airing live on CBS and MTV from New York’s UBS Arena on September 7 – will feature performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Ricky Martin, Sombr, Alex Warren, J Balvin with DJ Snake, and Busta Rhymes, with Balvin set to premiere new songs live. Ricky Martin and Busta Rhymes will also receive special honors during the ceremony, with Martin set to receive the VMAs inaugural Latin Icon Award, while Busta will be presented with the first-ever Rock the Bells Visionary Award. This year’s show will also see the introduction of two new categories, Best Country and Best Pop Artist, and includes first-time nominees like Warren, Sombr, ROSÉ, Lola Young, The Marías, JENNIE, Jimin, and JISOO. Lady Gaga leads all nominees with 12 total nods, followed closely by her chart-topping collaborator Bruno Mars (11), and Kendrick Lamar (10), with fan voting currently open through September 5 on the VMAs website. (People)
