Is Lady Gaga the VMAs MVP? Check out the iconic moments that prove it

Lady Gaga attended the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards as the most nominated artist at the ceremony — 12 nods in total.

By winning among four of those categories, including Artist of the Year, Mother Monster’s complete tally of the “moon person” trophies now stands at a stellar figure of 22.

With her several iconic VMAs moments, it may seem like the Alejandro singer has descended upon the its stage every year during her envious career.

However, Lady Gaga has actually attended the award show only a handful of times so far — in 2020, 2013, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Here are her most unforgettable moments among these past appearances:

‘Paparazzi’ performance (2009)

The singer turned actress made a fierce VMAs debut in 2009 and announced herself as a force to reckon with when she performed her hit track Paparazzi at the show, covered in blood, to present “a statement of autonomy, and a critique of the very institution she was performing for”, per CNN.

Meat dress (2010)

Lady Gaga memorably stepped out to attend the MTV VMAs in 2010, dressed head-to-toe in chunks of meat.

While the look immediately became iconic, it also stirred up considerable controversy for various reasons — all of which the songstress addressed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show right after the ceremony by declaring, “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat.”

Introducing Jo Calderone (2011)

For the 2011 edition of the VMAs, the future Oscar winner stunned audiences by attending the show in drag.

Dressed as her male alter ego Jo Calderone, Lady Gaga performed You and I, much to everyone’s shock and delight.

Gaga defends One Direction (2013)

When the young members of One Direction were booed by the VMAs crowd in 2013, Lady Gaga swooped in to save the day — cementing her status as the show’s queen.

“You were awesome. I don’t know what I heard out there, but if I did hear what I heard out there, I just want to tell you that you deserve every bit of success that you have and don’t you dare let those people boo you,” she told the boys backstage.