Only Lady Gaga could win the biggest award of the night and headline her own show in the same evening.
At the 2025 MTV VMAs, held this evening (September 7) at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, the 39-year-old superstar kicked off the ceremony by winning “Artist of the Year”—but her time at the show was short-lived.
“I wish I could stay and watch all these amazing performances,” Gaga told the cheering crowd during her acceptance speech. “But I have to go back to Madison Square Garden.”
That’s because, just 18 miles away, Gaga’s highly-anticipated Mayhem Ball Tour was set to take over The World’s Most Famous Arena for the fourth time. While the VMAs began at 8PM ET, Gaga shared on Instagram earlier that she wouldn’t hit the stage until 9:30, giving her just enough time to grab her award, deliver a moving speech, and dash out of Long Island before transforming into her concert persona.
However, Gaga fans still got their fix. The 14-time Grammy winner had already pre-taped her performance the night before during her MSG show, delivering a theatrical mini-set featuring her hit “Abracadabra.” She also delivered a live debut of “The Dead Dance,” which is tied to her upcoming role in Wednesday season 2, part 2, where she plays Rosaline Rotwood. The track’s Tim Burton-directed music video dropped just days earlier, with Gaga transforming into a cracked porcelain doll among a haunting graveyard of broken toys. You can read more about Gaga’s role, and her surprise appearance at the Netflix x Spotify Graveyard Gala while watching the music video for “The Dead Dance” here.
Even though she had to leave early, Gaga made sure to honor her fellow artists in the room. “Being an artist is an attempt to connect the souls of people all over the world,” she said. “It’s a craft meant to reach into someone’s heart, remind them to dream, and build a sense of community.”
She went on to dedicate her win to her audience — “the stage deserves to be yours,” she said — before heading back to Manhattan to keep the night going.
Her speech also included a sweet dedication to fiancé Michael Polansky, who co-wrote several tracks on Mayhem, including the fan favorite “Blade of Grass,” inspired by his proposal. “Creating this year with you was a beautiful, beautiful dream,” she shared. “I dedicate this to you, my love.”
Heading into the night, Gaga was the most-nominated artist this year, with her name in a whopping 12 categories,
You can watch Lady Gaga’s VMA performance below and let us know what you think of it by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
For more coverage from the 2025 MTV VMAs, click here.
