Weeks after scoring the highest-charting album of his career, Conan Gray triumphantly took the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night (Sept. 7) to close out the ceremony with his Wishbone track “Vodka Cranberry.”
Gray is not afraid to utilize elaborate costumes in his stage show, and during his VMAs performance, he opted for a Renaissance Faire look, playing a prince who laid down a sleeping beau on a bed of roses. The singer-songwriter belted out the anthem while prowling the stage and leaning in to the major hooks, as a backing band was whisked around him; while Gray has been showcasing his voice to major festival crowds all summer, he used the VMAs performance to introduce his vocal power to a much wider audience.
Eventually, Gray pulled out a vial of what was likely not a cranberry vodka — in an ending worthy of Shakespeare, he downed the potion, then collapsed on his doomed lover to close out the performance.
“Vodka Cranberry” was released as the second single from Wishbone, Gray’s fourth studio album, which he once again worked on with producer Dan Nigro. Upon its release last month, Wishbone debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — Gray’s third top 10 album, and the best debut of his career.
Click here to watch Gray explain why his latest album is “truly miserable” in a recent video chat with Billboard.
Check out the full winners’ list at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, held at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.