Why Doechii Missed the 2025 MTV VMAs, Despite Winning Two Awards

THE RUNDOWN

• Doechii didn’t attend this evening’s MTV VMAs.
• She still won two awards for Best Choreography and Best Hip-Hop.
• The star was nominated in four categories total.

On Sunday, Doechii skipped the 2025 MTV VMAs, but she still won from afar. The rapper took home awards for Best Hip-Hop and Best Choreography for her smash hit “Anxiety.” She was also nominated for Song of the Year and Video for Good.

The Grammy‑winning artist announced her Live from the Swamp Tour in early August, set to commence on October 14 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago before wrapping up on November 10 at the WAMU Theater in Seattle. It’s possible she’s preparing for those shows.

In a May interview with ELLE, Doechii discussed pushing boundaries and what motivates her continued growth as an artist.

“I get riled up by people saying you can’t do something or people placing limitations. I have always just wanted to push things a little bit further,” the star said. “I displayed that a lot when I was younger, pushing buttons and trying things. If somebody says, I don’t know, ‘Birds aren’t supposed to be fucking diamond studded,’ I’ll be like, ‘Yes, they can.’”

She continued, “I’ll make a bird with diamond studs. I don’t know why I’m like that. I want to see everything be possible. I want to see my dreams and my realities come to life, and I think that’s always been my motto throughout my art. Anything is possible, and you can create anything.”

Of the popularity of “Anxiety,” Doechii said she was surprised with how it took off, especially on TikTok.

“I always find it fascinating, how digital footprints can just come up out of nowhere,” she explained of the song’s sudden rise. “That’s a record that I made so long ago, and I made that freestyle and completely forgot about it. I wasn’t even thinking about that song. For it to kind of come back up the way that it did and become this massive hit, I did not expect it. I’m extremely grateful. It’s very cool to show how, even the early stages of my talent, I was onto something, and I didn’t know. ”