At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, Ariana Grande emerged as a major winner, demonstrating her enduring star power and emotional connection with fans. Her visually stunning short film, Brighter Days Ahead, won Video of the Year, Best Pop, and Best Long Form Video, solidifying her place at the top of this year’s awards.
At the UBS Arena near New York City, Grande took home three of the night’s most prestigious awards. Her short film Brighter Days Ahead not only captured Video of the Year, but also claimed Best Pop and Best Long Form Video, showcasing her creative evolution and cinematic vision.
In her emotional acceptance speech for Best Pop, Grande extended heartfelt gratitude to a diverse list of supporters:
“Thank you for bringing these songs and this vision to life… Thank you to my therapist and gay people. I love you.”
Earlier, accepting Video of the Year, she reflected on the project’s deeper significance:
“This project is about the hard work that is healing all different kinds of trauma and coming home to our young selves and creating safety in our own lives, which is a lifelong process and a daily exercise.”
Ariana Grande Secures Big Wins with “Brighter Days Ahead”
Brighter Days Ahead—a 26-minute short film that accompanies Ariana Grande’s deluxe album Eternal Sunshine—marked her directorial debut, co-directed with Christian Breslauer. The film follows Grande through a journey of memory restoration and introspection, visually realizing themes of healing and self-reflection.
While Grande claimed the top video honors, Lady Gaga dominated the broader awards scene, returning with two major wins:
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Artist of the Year
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Best Collaboration for Die With a Smile with Bruno Mars
Rosé, alongside Bruno Mars, picked up Song of the Year for their collaboration APT., and Sabrina Carpenter earned Album of the Year for Short n’ Sweet.
Despite multiple nominations, Kendrick Lamar left the event without an award—highlighting the competitiveness of this year’s VMA field.
The ceremony balanced contemporary pop with nostalgic flair. Grande herself appeared alongside veteran performers like Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, and Ricky Martin, who were honored with lifetime awards. Tribute performances included a stunning homage to Ozzy Osbourne.
Emerging acts like Doja Cat, Tate McRae, and others paid their respects to music past by weaving retro choreography from the 1980s and 1990s into their performances.
For Ariana Grande, these VMA victories marked a deeply personal moment in her career—one rooted not just in artistic excellence, but in emotional truth. Her willingness to acknowledge her therapist and LGBTQ+ community in her acceptance speech highlighted her commitment to vulnerability and inclusivity.
Through Brighter Days Ahead, Ariana Grande chose to tell a story of healing and return, bringing audiences along on a journey toward self-reconnection and acceptance—an approach that resonated powerfully with both critics and viewers.
With her win at the VMAs, Ariana Grande further cements her position as one of pop music’s most enduring and emotionally impactful artists. The acclaim for Brighter Days Ahead affirms her prowess as both a musician and visual storyteller.
As she continues promoting the Eternal Sunshine era, fans eagerly anticipate what more she’ll create—on screen, on stage, and beyond.
Source- EWN
