You need to know
Ricky Martin just made history!
The “Private Emotion” musician was named his first Latin icon at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7th.
“Thank you for your love, I don’t even know where to start,” Martin, 53, said on stage after Pal Jessica Simpson presented his award.
“This is very easy. This is for you… I’m obsessed with your applause,” he continued. “So I’m continuing to come back. That’s not just you, here in America, but everything in the world.”
Martin added: “40 years have passed. I started as a baby. We are still here. We just want to unite the country. We just want to break the boundaries. We just want to bring the music to life.”
Martin then dedicated the award to his four children, twins Matteo and Valentino, daughter Lucia and son Ren. (Martin welcomed 17-year-old Matteo and Valentino as single fathers, and later, along with his then-husband, Juwan Joseph, his daughter Lucia (6 years old) and son Ren, nine months apart, welcomed his son Ren.)
“Everything I do, I will do it in you, my heart and heart,” he said before yelling at his team members.
“That’s it! I love you,” concluded Martin.
Before accepting the honor, he delivered energetic medleys of hit tracks, including “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” “Pégate,” “Shake Your Bon-Bon,” “Vente Pa’ Ca,” “María,” and “La Copa de la Vida.”
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LL Cool J is holding this year’s Awards Show. This also features Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Somb, Alex Warren and J Balbin featuring DJ Snake, Post Malone, Doja Cat, Conal Grey, and Tate Mcrae.
Bailey Zimmerman, featuring Kid Laroy, Laura Young and Megan Moloney, will perform on the VMA expansion playstage announced by Doritos, where Young, 24, sings “Mess” and 27, Moloney sings “Six Months Later.”
Click here to see MTV VMA coverage for everyone.
In addition to Martin, special winners Mariah Carey and Busta Rhymes will also perform.
Set to present at the awards show are Ashlee Simpson, Ciara and more, as well as EJAE, REI AMI and Audrey Nuna, who make up the fictional group Huntr/x from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, Drew Barrymore, Livvy Dunne, The Hunting Wives’ Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, Meg Stalter, Nikki Glaser, Paris Hilton, Ice Spice and Rat.
2025 MTV VMAS Air Live Live from UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7th at 8pm on CBS and MTV. The ceremony will also be streamed on Paramount+.
