When Lady Gaga skips the red carpet to make her first appearance on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards to collect her artist of the year trophy, it’s a sign: the red carpet is losing its relevance.

Ariana Grande’s outfits from Fendi and Tamara Ralph failed to impress as much as her first video of the year win, for Brighter Days Ahead. Mariah Carey’s gold leotard and go-go boots couldn’t reach the dizzying heights of her top notes during a medley of her greatest hits, acknowledging her first VMA for video vanguard.

It’s a style slide down the charts for the ceremony that memorably gave us Madonna in a white lace bustier, Boy belt and tutu in 1984 and Gaga’s meat dress in 2010 .

This year’s most rock’n’roll red carpet moment was Doja Cat eating her make-up and Yungblud’s Lenny Krav

See Full Page