NEW YORK—The “MTV Video Music Awards” on Sept. 7 set a record for the most-viewed and engaged “VMAs” in history with more than 5.5 million viewers watching on CBS, MTV and Paramount+, a 42% jump in viewers from 2024.
A team of audio engineering professionals from Firehouse Productions contributed to the success of the awards show, held at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., turning to Shure wireless audio technology to ensure the evening’s production was as iconic as the artists performing.
Audio coordinator Mark Dittmar, broadcast production mixer Sean Prickett, music mixers Eric Schilling and John Harris, RF coordinator Cameron Stuckey, front-of-house mixers Dan Gerhard, Adam Armstrong, Simon Welch and Mike Bové and monitor mixers Chris Prinzivalli, Brett Taylor and Tom Pesa made up the Firehouse Productions audio team.Firehouse Productions provided equipment for the event. The team deployed 56 channels of the Shure Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and 52 channels of the Shure PSM 1000 In-Ear Personal Monitoring System, including 110 P10R receivers.
“Even with the huge differences in artists and their performances, the Axient Digital system, coupled with ultrareliable Shure capsules, made every vocal performance predictable and rock solid,” said music mixer Harris. “From Busta Rhymes’ hip-hop to Alex Warren’s massive pop vocals, and from reggaeton with J Balvin to country rock with Bailey Zimmerman, I always had the control and sound that I needed.”
Added audio coordinator Dittmar: "Shure wireless provides us with the seamless technology to execute a large show like this, and of course, the sound quality is amazing.”
Shure microphone capsules graced the stage with a myriad of the award show’s performers, including Doja Cat on a Beta 54 headset mic, and Alex Warren, Sombr, Bailey Zimmerman and Busta Rhymes on SM58 capsules. Notably, J Balvin and Mariah Carey, recipients of the 2025 Video Vanguard award, both sang into new Nexadyne 8 vocal microphone capsules, with Carey’s mic featuring a custom gold Shure Axient Digital handheld transmitter. Lady Gaga, Artist of the Year winner, shared a prerecorded performance where she was singing into the new Shure SM39 headset microphone.
“For the MTV VMAs we debuted the Shure Nexadyne capsule with J Balvin, and it was a game-changer. Right out of the box, the capsule delivered a crystal-clear vocal that sat perfectly in the mix; we barely touched the EQ on his channel strip. Huge clarity, great rejection and broadcast-ready tone without extra work,” said Hugo Pinzon, monitor and broadcast engineer.
Each of these artists, in addition to Lola Young, Tate McRae, Sabrina Carpenter and Conan Gray, all relied on Shure Axient Digital wireless handheld transmitters.
