LL Cool J Makes Legendary Return to Host 2025 MTV VMAs

Originally posted on Total Apex Entertainment
By Ashly E. Smith | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 1:50 PM ET

Two-time Grammy Award winner LL Cool J will grace the stage as host for the 2025 MTV Music Video Awards. This marks his first time hosting the VMAs solo, having previously co-hosted with Nicki Minaj and Jack Harlow in 2022. LL is also a nominee at this year’s ceremony for Best Hip Hop, with his single “Murdergram Deaux (ft. Eminem). The single is extracted from LL’s 2024 album, The Force.

2025 MTV Awards Held at Elmont, New York

The 2025 MTV Music Video Awards will be held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on September 7, 2025. The ceremony will be broadcast by CBS and streaming on Paramount+, with a simulcast on MTV.

No stranger to hosting live events, LL has also hosted the Grammy Awards for five consecutive years, beginning in 2012. His final hosting stint was the 58th Annual ceremony in 2016. After which, he was replaced by James Corden in 2017. From 2015 to 2020, he also hosted the popular television show, Lip Sync Battle, on cable’s Spike network. Spike is currently known as Paramount.

LL Cool J’s star quality developed at an early age

Writing lyrics and producing music since the age of 11, LL signed his first record deal with Def Jam Recordings at the age of 16. His 1984 debut single, “I Need A Beat,” sold over 100,000 copies and became Def Jam’s first 12-inch single. The following year, he released his landmark debut album, Radio, which featured the hits “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells”. The album sold over a million copies, establishing him as a major and significant force in hip-hop.

LL achieved further commercial and critical acclaim with landmark albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), which featured his first crossover hit, “I Need Love,” and Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), which won him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. To date, the hip hop pioneer has released 14 studio albums, with his most recent being The FORCE (2024).

LL Cool J stylishly wears many hats

Beyond music, LL Cool J has also had a successful acting career. He made his film debut in Krush Groove (1985) and had a small role in Wildcats (1986). He has also starred in the 1995 sitcom In the House, which ran for five seasons. Additionally, LL has appeared in numerous films, including Halloween H20 (1998), Any Given Sunday (1999), and Deep Blue Sea (1999).

Since 2009, he has starred as Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles. With a prosperous career that spans over four decades, LL has proven his undeniable staying power.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Entertainment and was syndicated with permission.

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