"Looked like she didn't even want her award" - Internet reacts to Ariana Grande's VMAs speech as she thanks "therapists and gay people"

Ariana Grande won her 11th Moonperson at the MTV Video Music Awards, which took place on September 7, 2025, at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. She won the Video of the Year Award for her musical science short film Brighter Days Ahead.

While Ariana Grande's gesture of bringing the video's co-director, Christian Breslauer, on stage to share the honor won hearts, the singer's acceptance speech made headlines as well. In her MTV VMAs acceptance speech, Ariana credited therapists and gay people, stating:

"And thank you to my therapists and gay people. I love you."

A citation from Ariana's VMAs speech (Image via X/ @PopBase)

Ariana's acceptance speech went viral on the internet, and netizens quickly took to X to express their opinions on the same. Commenting on the Into You singer's acknowledgement of the therapist and the gay community at the MTV VMAs stage, an X user tweeted:

"She looked like she didn’t even want her award tbh."

Squeaks

@SqueaksOnX

She looked like she didn’t even want her award tbh.

Some netizens expressed that they felt Ariana was looking nervous at the VMAs, while some questioned if the singer actually mentioned therapists and the gay community in her speech:

fity.eth

@Fityeth

Something feels off… she’s giving nervous energy.

0xMHEE (✧ᴗ✧)💀

@0xMHEE

What would make her say something like that?

विकास

@VkkasK

She’s trying to be Taylor so bad

On the other hand, fans of the positions singer appreciated her MTV VMAs victory and acceptance speech.

Jaydene🍒

@itsjaydenex

ariana skipped the clichés and went straight to the two groups that actually keep the industry running

Rupin Mathur

@rupin_mathur

@PopBase Ariana’s moment is a masterclass in personal branding authenticity + community connection = lasting impact. Every brand should take note: genuine gratitude resonates louder than any campaign.

Anil Yadav

@yadavanil917

Only Ariana could give a shoutout that’s both heartfelt and iconic 💖🌈 Love her energy! #VMAs

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Ariana Grande credits her father for being a part of Brighter Days Ahead in MTV VMAs acceptance speech

Ariana Grande's Brighter Days Ahead short film was released within hours of her deluxe album, Eternal Sunshine, on March 28, 2025. The short film features an elderly Ariana at the Brighter Days memory wiping center, which was first spotted in her 2024 music video for We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).

In the 26-minute-long video, Ariana revisits her favorite memories as the character 'Peaches.' After showcasing real-life footage of the singer's childhood, one of the stills of the short film showcases her final memory, where her father Ed Butera stitches her body back together in the Brighter Days office. This sequence reveals that it is her father who finds the clinic Ariana will visit in the future.

In her acceptance speech for the Brighter Days Ahead short film at the MTV VMAs, Ariana thanked her fans, admitting that she loved them with "every fiber" of her being. Additionally, she acknowledged her father's role in the video, stating:

"Thank you to my dad, who acted in this video for the first time in his life. He’s the best scene partner and dad in the world."

Moreover, the Side to Side singer thanked her music video collaborator and director Christian Breslauer for bringing her vision to life and articulating it in a way that looked "fanciful, yet specific and vulnerable, yet protective all at once."

Reflecting on the honor for her short film, Ariana Grande said:

"I just wanna say, these videos that mean so much and define us as artists forever take a village, so I would really like to thank the village."

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In other news, Ariana Grande was nominated in multiple categories at the MTV VMAs, where she also won in the 'Best Long-form Video' category for Brighter Days Ahead.

Previously, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Madonna have won the honor, given that 2025 is the fourth time that the award has been presented at the VMAs.