Do the VMAs Even Matter for Black Artists Anymore?

Hours after this year’s MTV Video Music Awards came to a close on Sunday night, the familiar conversation about the acknowledgement — or lack thereof —of Black music resurfaced. It’s a dialogue that often sparks during award season, then fades until the next cycle. The Grammys in February and the VMAs in late August/September are the flashpoints when the industry’s double standards are put on full display.

This year, MTV honored two icons who helped shape the sound and image of mainstream music. Busta Rhymes finally received his first-ever MTV award: the Rock the Bells Visionary Award. The fact that a rapper with a three-decade career, countless hits and a reputation for groundbreaking videos had to wait until 2025 to be recognized is both concerning and perplexing. His catalog, from “Scenario” to “Break Ya Neck” to “Touch It,” reshaped rap’s sonic and visual language. Yet, despite being one of hip-hop’s most cinematic performers, Busta had never been called to the VMAs stage for a Moon Person until now.

Mariah Carey’s moment was no less overdue. The singer, whose five-octave range and string of record-shattering hits made her one of the most decorated artists in music history, only just received the Video Vanguard Award. She joked in her speech about the lengthy wait, nearly 30 years after she presented the very same award to LL Cool J. Mariah also picked up her first-ever VMA win for Best R&B Song with “Type Dangerous.” The irony can’t go ignored: one of pop’s greatest voices had gone virtually unacknowledged by MTV until now.

But as celebratory as these delayed flowers were, there’s a much deeper issue at hand: recognition comes late, when it comes at all. The bigger story from last night was the absence of Black winners in major televised categories.

Kendrick Lamar started the night off with 10 nominations, covering everything from Video of the Year to Artist of the Year. On the heels of a career-defining feud with Drake, an anthemic single, a Grammy Awards sweep and a Super Bowl halftime headlining performance, K-Dot seemed poised for multiple wins. Instead, he walked away with just one: Best Cinematography for 2024’s “Not Like Us.” It was a nod to the art of the video, but not to the artist himself.

Other Black artists did notch victories: Doechii took home Best Hip-Hop Song and Best Choreography for “Anxiety,” and Tyla won Best Afrobeats for “PUSH 2 START.” However, none of these wins were televised; they were merely bullet points in a press release or footnotes that fans had to seek out independently. Which begs the question: if a win happens off-camera, is it really acknowledgement?

The VMAs have branded themselves as celebrators of all genres, creating a stage where careers are cemented, moments go viral and artists grow into icons. But for Black artists, the pattern appears to be one of erasure or delay. Honoring Busta and Mariah should have been a triumph, but instead, it was a reminder of what little weight Black artistry holds on MTV’s main stage.

So, here’s the important question: do the VMAs still matter for Black artists? Perhaps in name. Or maybe as a line in a press kit. But if the industry continues to hand out flowers decades late and pushes Black wins into the shadows, then maybe the actual question is whether or not Black artists, and Black audiences, should continue to care.