By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — She’s been belting out hits and cinematic music videos for 35 years, but Mariah Carey had never won an MTV Video Music Award until Sunday.

With air kisses and a deep bow, Ariana Grande presented the singer with MTV’s career achievement recognition, the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

“Thank you, MTV for giving me the Vanguard Award. I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight,” Carey said. “I just have one question. What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?”

Carey had a point. Following her first No. 1 single, “Vision of Love,” in 1990, she went on to release 18 other songs that rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 - more than any other solo artist in history.

Prior to her acceptance speech, Carey performed a mix of some of those familiar songs, including “Dreamlover,” “Heartbreaker,” “Obsessed,” “Like That” and “We Belong Together.” Lit in glowy soft light and dressed in a gold sequins body suit and boots, surrounded by mostly male dancers, Carey delivered her diva best.

“Being here brings back amazing memories,” Carey said, before recalling a moment at the 1998 MTV VMAs. “Whitney Houston and I opened the show with a faux standoff.”

“It was a moment,” Carey said with a laugh. “After all this time, I’ve learned that music evolves, videos evolve but the fun, that is eternal.”

Carey’s upcoming 16th studio album, “Here for It All,” is set for release on Sept. 26.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.