On Thursday (August 14), it was revealed that LL COOL J will host the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards live from New York’s UBS Arena on September 7. This marks his first time hosting the show solo, after co-hosting the event with Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow in 2022. A hip-hop icon with a long VMA history – including a 1991 win for Best Rap Video for “Mama Said Knock You Out,” and being the first rapper to receive the Video Vanguard Award in 1997 – LL’s 2024 single “Murdergram Deaux” is nominated for Best Hip-Hop at this year’s ceremony. The VMA Awards will air on CBS for the very first time, along with a simulcast on MTV, while streaming on Paramount+. The ceremony features top nominees like Lady Gaga (12 nods), Bruno Mars (11), Kendrick Lamar (10), and others, with more performers and presenters set to be announced. (Billboard)