Who's ready to lead 2025 MTV Video Music Awards with legendary history?

LL Cool J was announced as the host of the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, bringing his decades-long connection with the event back into the spotlight. 

The ceremony was scheduled for Sunday 7 September at New York’s UBS Arena and for the first time, the event would air live on both CBS and MTV, while Paramount Plus would stream it for viewers around the world.

The 57-year-old rap legend was not just hosting but also competing for an award, with his track Murdergram Deux with Eminem had been nominated for Best Hip Hop.

Other contenders in the category included Doechii’s Anxiety, Drake’s NOKIA, Eminem and Jelly Roll’s Somebody Save Me, GloRilla and Sexyy Red’s WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME and Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.

LL Cool J’s history with the VMAs went back decades, as he first took home a Moon Person trophy in 1991 for Best Rap Video with Mama Said Knock You Out. In 1997, he became the first rapper to win the Video Vanguard Award. 

The music icon returned in 2022 as a co-host alongside Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow. However, in recent years, he joined the 2023 celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary and in 2024 he was part of Def Jam Recording’s 40th anniversary tribute.

Lady Gaga led this year’s nominations with an impressive twelve, making it the third time she topped the list, a record no one else had achieved. Whereas, Bruno Mars followed with eleven nominations and Kendrick Lamar had ten.

Rosé and Sabrina Carpenter scored eight each, earning spots in major categories like Best Pop and Artist of the Year.