The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards delivered historic wins, dazzling performances, and viral red-carpet moments—but as with every year, the conversation did not end with the trophies handed out on stage. The show, held September 7 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, crowned Lady Gaga the night’s biggest winner with four awards, while Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each scored three. BLACKPINK celebrated major group and solo victories, and icons like Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, and Busta Rhymes were honored with special lifetime achievements. Yet for all the headlines about triumph, another narrative has dominated fan chatter and social media feeds: the artists who walked away empty-handed, despite arriving with heavy momentum and major nominations.
Among the most discussed snubs was Billie Eilish, whose Hit Me Hard and Soft era has been hailed as one of her strongest yet. Despite six nominations, including Video of the Year for “Guess” and Song of the Year for “Birds of a Feather,” she only secured one trophy—Video for Good—leaving fans puzzled by the lack of recognition in categories like Best Album.
Here are the biggest snubs the 2025 VMAs.
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Billie Eilish
The Grammy-winning singer entered the night with six nominations, including Video of the Year for “Guess” and Song of the Year for “Birds of a Feather.” It was surprising that Hit Me Hard and Soft was not nominated for Best Album, but even more surprising that she won only Video for Good for “Guess.”
Kendrick Lamar
Similarly, Kendrick Lamar took home only one VMA, for Best Cinematography. The rapper earned 10 nominations, and given his dominance at the 2025 GRAMMYs with “Not Like Us,” it was surprising that he won only Best Cinematography, especially since the VMAs are primarily fan-voted.
Bad Bunny
Once again, Bad Bunny didn’t win the VMA for Best Latin. Despite the massive success of his latest album, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos the prize went to Shakira’s “Soltera.” Despite the Best Latin category existing since 2018, the Puerto Rican superstar has never won.
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