Global pop superstar Lady Gaga is back on the MTV Video Music Awards stage officially, as part of an already stacked roster of performers. Slated to broadcast live on September 7 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS and Paramount+, the 2025 VMAs are shaping up to be another night to remember in terms of music, spectacle, and moments of history-making.
Pacing at TIMES’s Heels with 12 Nominations
As per Variety, Gaga is the leading nominee at the 2025 VMA with an impressive 12 nods for her songs Die With a Smile, Abracadabra, and her new chart-breaker album Mayhem. In hot pursuit are Bruno Mars with 11 nods and Kendrick Lamar with 10. Rounding out the top spots are Rose (8), Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd (7 apiece).
Gaga’s dominance of the nomination list adds another level of excitement to her VMA performance, which will undoubtedly include songs from Mayhem—even perhaps her new single The Dead Dance.
A Star-Studded Performer Lineup
Lady Gaga will be accompanied by a diverse group of performers that includes Post Malone, Doja Cat, DJ Snake, Conan Gray, Sombr, J Balvin, Alex Warren, Tate McRae, and Jelly Roll. The evening will also include a performance and presentation of the coveted Video Vanguard Award to Mariah Carey. Busta Rhymes will be presented with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award, with Ricky Martin becoming the first-ever winner of the newly created Latin Icon Award.
New Single Ties to Netflix’s Wednesday
Gaga’s VMA return is also in synch with the launch of her new single, The Dead Dance, releasing on September 3, 2025—the same date the second half of Wednesday Season 2 hits Netflix. Gaga not only composed the song for the series but also appears in a cameo as Rosaline Rotwood, an enigmatic Nevermore Academy instructor caught up in Wednesday Addams’ (Jenna Ortega) gothic path.
A teaser trailer for the season teases Gaga’s involvement. Though she doesn’t make a on-screen appearance, a spooky voiceover thought to be hers closes out the clip with, “Beware, there will be a price to pay.”
The “Mayhem Ball” Tour Rolls On
Currently in the midst of her Mayhem Ball tour, Gaga launched the North American leg in Las Vegas in July. The tour will soon head to Miami, New York, Toronto, and Chicago before going international later this year.
