Mariah Carey lands her first MTV VMA and asks, “What were you waiting for?”

Mariah Carey has at last won an MTV Video Music Award.

Even though the superstar has been nominated eight times throughout her career, she finally received her very first Moon Person trophy for Best R&B Video with her single Type Dangerous at the 2025 MTV VMAs on Sunday night.

Shortly after, Ariana Grande presented Mariah with the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, honoring her lasting impact on the entertainment industry.

“Thank you so much to MTV for giving me the Vanguard Award. I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight,” she said as she began her speech. “I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill (hell) were you waiting for? I’m kidding. I love you.”

Mariah reflected on her past experiences with the award show, remembering how she presented the Video Vanguard Award to LL Cool J in 1997 and opened the ceremony alongside Whitney Houston the following year.

“Being here brings back amazing memories, like when I presented LL Cool J for his Vanguard Award. Or when Whitney Houston and I opened the show with a faux standoff where we both had our dresses, and we were like, ‘Try it on me.’ It was a moment,” the 56-year-old shared. “Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life. Many movies visualize the sheer fantasy of it all. And let’s be honest, sometimes there’s just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life.”

She also explained how she enjoys creating music videos because they allow her to step into different roles, such as playing her “alter-ego” Bianca in the video for 1999’s Heartbreaker and pretending to escape with a “hot guy to a remote island” in 1997’s Honey.

“Well, that one really wasn’t much of a stretch, but you know, it happened anyway,” she joked.

Mariah closed her speech by thanking her loyal fans, known as the Lambs, for their support over the years.

“After all this time, I’ve learned that music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun is eternal. Thank you, MTV, for playing my videos, and to my fans, the Lambily, I love you so much,” the Believe singer added.

Earlier in the evening, Mariah performed a medley of her biggest hits for the audience, including Sugar Sweet, Fantasy, Honey, Heartbreaker, Obsessed, and We Belong Together, among others.

The singer-songwriter is also preparing to release her new album, Here for It All, on 26 September.

Mariah now joins the ranks of Katy Perry, Shakira, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez, who have also been honored with the Video Vanguard Award.