It feels surreal to even write this, but last night, Mariah Carey finally received her first-ever VMA. Yes, you read that right, her first. Far too late if you ask me, but we’ll take the win because it’s what she’s deserved for decades.

Taking the stage to accept the MTV Video Vanguard Award, Mariah’s signature wit was in full force. “Thank you, MTV, for giving me the Vanguard Award. I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight,” she said with a sly smile. “I just have one question. What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” And honestly? She’s not wrong.

This is Mariah Carey we’re talking about. A living legend with an unmatched catalog, countless No. 1 hits, and music videos that defined entire eras of pop culture.

From the sweetness of “Dreamlover” to the cinematic drama of “We Belong Together,” she has always delivered visuals that were larger than life, inspiring generations of pop stars that followed. To think it took until 2025 for MTV to finally honor her feels absurd, but seeing it happen was still emotional and long overdue.

Before her acceptance speech, Mariah reminded everyone why she’s the definition of an icon. She took the stage for a medley of hits, including “Dreamlover,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed,” “Like That,” and of course, “We Belong Together.”

Every note was effortless, every moment glittering in true Mariah fashion. “After all this time, I’ve learned that music evolves, videos evolve, but the fun, that is eternal,” she told reporters after the show, reminding us why she has always been in a league of her own in the first place.

The timing couldn’t be better either. Mariah’s sixteenth studio album, “Here For It All,” drops September 26th, and if last night’s performance was any preview, she’s not slowing down anytime soon. The Voice. The Vision. The Vanguard. Mariah Carey finally got her VMA, and the world feels a little more right because of it.