Why Bad Bunny Didn’t Attend MTV VMAs 2025

Bad Bunny’s knees don’t quite work like they used to.

At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards held at New York’s UBS Arena on September 7, the artist known as “DtMF” (whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) was unfortunately not in attendance.

During the recent performance of his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the musician was so engrossed onstage that he ended up injuring his knee.

In videos posted on social media on September 7th, the energetic 31-year-old danced exuberantly to the music, moving up and down with the rhythm, until all of a sudden, he paused, clutching his knee, and hobbled off the stage, evidently in pain.

Although Bad Bunny wasn’t present at the VMAs this year, he was nominated for four awards, such as Artist of the Year, Best Album, Best Long Form Video, and Best Latin Song. The actor from “Caught Stealing” had high chances of winning multiple awards in the ceremony.

In every category he was competing in, the competition was undeniably tough. After all, Bad Bunny was up against artists like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd in the category for Artist of the Year.

Simultaneously, the musician’s standout track “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” was recognized alongside tracks like J Balvin’s “Rio,” Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Peso Pluma’s “LA PATRULLA,” Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos’ “Khé?”, and Shakira’s “Soltera” in the category for Best Latin Song.

Despite receiving recognition at award shows, Bad Bunny doesn’t believe that he needs validation from the public to produce work he can take pride in.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2022, he shared that at the start of his career, he might have acted like someone he wasn’t. He discovered, however, that this is a path artists often take to lose their identity. This happens when they forget about their genuine selves and instead create a fictitious persona.

And that confidence in himself has extended into his fashion choices as well.

In his own words, Bad Bunny is seizing the liberty he has right now to express himself freely – choosing what he does and how he dresses. This allows him to live more genuinely, he clarified. He’s not doing this for greater fame, attention, or disrespect towards others. People might assume that his actions or clothing choices are part of a strategy or a bid for attention, but in truth, he’s simply comfortable being himself.

To see all the stars who did step out in style at the 2025 VMAs, keep reading.