The MTV Video Music Awards returned to form as longtime producer Van Toffler made a comeback to the pop culture awards show.
After spending nearly 30 years at the music network and serving as president of MTV Networks Music and Logo Group, Toffler’s production company Gunpowder & Sky teamed up with Den of Thieves to bring the VMAs back into the zeitgeist.
This year the awards show premiered not only on MTV but also on CBS and its accompanying streamer Paramount+. Toffler told TheWrap that the variety of platforms created new challenges for his production team but also boosted viewership with the awards show seeing its highest ratings in six years.
“You kind of had to be welcoming of all the different audiences and try to appease all of them without alienating any,” Toffler told TheWrap. “A bunch of years ago, MTV was the only audience, and so I think the Vanguard Award, the icon awards, give you a chance to recognize people like Mariah [Carey], Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin.”
But Toffler noted that the move to broadcast did not cause him to shy away with the iconic boundary-pushing moments the VMAs is best known for (Reminder: he brought viewers the 2003 Madonna-Britney-Christina three-way kiss.) The executive producer did not give any restrictive guidance to the talent.
“I, like many of my fellow colleagues who grew up at MTV, are not great rule followers,” he said. “There were some quite risqué performances, but we never asked anybody to hold back.”
Instead the producer said he told talent to “take it to the limit,” referencing Yungblud’s Ozzy Osbourne tribute and Tate McRae’s dynamic dance-forward medley specifically.
He added that it’s much harder to corral musicians and force them to follow the straight and narrow. “They don’t always listen,” he joked.
The 2025 VMAs featured performances that spanned generations, genres and even locations. Lady Gaga performed an exclusive medley pre-taped from her Mayhem Ball concert at Madison Square Garden for the awards show. And Post Malone and Jelly Roll performed their hit “Losers” live from Germany. Toffler said it was worth it to include the remote performances in order to celebrate the best in music today.
“It’s undeniable that Post Malone and Jelly Roll are two of the biggest acts that cross country, rock and hip-hop, and they happened to have been in Germany,” he said. “We couldn’t get them to the UBS arena, and we decided that it was worth it to take a remote from them, and it was beautifully shot.”
As for Gaga, he said that “she gave us one of the most cinematic performances in the history of the VMAs,” even debuting her song from “Wednesday” “The Dead Dance.”
This year’s VMAs merged legacy talent with up-and-comers like Conan Gray, Alex Warren and Tate McRae. Toffler said that balance was intentional and critical in keeping the VMAs topical.
The show also leaned on influencer and digital media talent with presenters like Alix Earle and Livvy Dunne as well as other appearances from MrBeast and podcasters Brooke Averick and Connor Wood. Toffler said embracing social media is crucial for the music industry and integral for promoting his show.
“It’s essential for the vibrancy of music, the VMAs, and pop culture,” he said. “Young people watch content on the platforms that make sense for them, so it could be TikTok, Youtube, Snapchat, and the beauty this year for MTV and the whole social team is that they embraced all the influencers.”
The 2025 VMAs earned 5.5 million viewers across Paramount channels, scoring a six-year viewership high up 42% from the previous year. Toffler’s production company has signed a multi-year deal to produce the annual awards ceremony.
