Mariah Carey Returns to VMAs After 20 Years, Receives Video Vanguard

Mariah Carey returned to the MTV Video Music Awards stage on Sunday night for the first time in 20 years, delivering a careerspanning medley and accepting the ceremony’s Video Vanguard Award at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. The 56 year old singer was introduced and presented with the honor by Ariana Grande during the Sept. 7 broadcast, and also took home a competitive Moon Person earlier in the evening when her single Type Dangerous won Best R&B Video.

Carey opened her performance in a robe with Sugar Sweet, a new single from her forthcoming 16th album Here For It All, and moved through a sequence of hits including Fantasy, a Honey and Heartbreaker mashup, Obsessed, It’s Like That and We Belong Together. The staging referenced many of her classic music videos, with clips on giant screens and costuming that recalled alter egos such as Bianca. Her finale of We Belong Together was backed by an orchestra.

Ariana Grande framed the moment in her introduction, calling Carey a singular talent whose five octave range and music videos created a “pop playbook.” Carey, in her acceptance speech, playfully chided MTV, saying, “I cant believe Im getting my first VMA tonight. I just...