With an introduction from Ariana Grande, singer-songwriter and “songbird supreme” Mariah Carey graced the MTV Video Music Awards stage this Sunday, 7 September, after being awarded the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award — 35 years into her career. The multiple award-winning and critically acclaimed music icon joined the ranks of past honorees such as Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Shakira, and Missy Elliott in receiving the highest honor at the VMAs.

Earlier in the night, Carey also took home the VMA for Best R&B with “Type Dangerous.” The Vanguard recognition comes just weeks before the release of her sixteenth studio album, Here For It All, on September 26. To mark the milestone, Carey performed a medley of some of her 19 No. 1 hits, including “Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix),” “Honey,” and “We Belong Together,” alongside visuals from her most iconic music videos.

Grande praised Carey’s influence in her introduction, calling her “the only queen” as a vocalist. “She knows no limits with her iconic five-octave range and has left an irrevocable impact on music history with her tone, technique and sound,” Grande said. “Her music videos have become the pop playbook, giving us everything from alter egos to male drag to hundreds of iconic looks. Mariah Carey is a singular talent and artist.”

Taking the stage to accept her award, Carey reflected on the role music videos have played throughout her career. “Music videos are my way of life, of bringing music to my own life,” she said. “Many movies, visualizing the sheer fantasy of it all. And let’s be honest. Sometimes there’s just an excuse to bring the drama and do things I wouldn’t do in real life, like going in drag for ‘Obsessed,’ playing my alter ego Bianca in ‘Heartbreaker,’ escaping the mob in ‘Honey’ with a hot guy to a remote island—well that one really wasn’t much of a stretch, but it happened. Anyway, after all this time, I learned music evolves, music evolves, but fun? That is eternal.”