Mariah Carey Glams Up for iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025 in a Glittery Mermaid Gown that Had Its Own Escort

It’s official: Mariah Carey and this dress belong together.

The pop star dressed to the nines for the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in a look befitting an Icon Award recipient.

In a backstage video shared to X (formerly Twitter) by iHeartRadio, the singer, who skipped the carpet, could be seen wearing a body-hugging mermaid gown with sparkles on the bodice and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The extravagant number was so off the charts that it even required an escort — presumably someone on Carey’s team or a staff member — to hold up the otherwise floor-sweeping train.

Carey wore her honey blonde hair in luscious crimped waves with a deep side part and added a glossy nude lip to her makeup, which was very reminiscent of her 2000s glam.

When she took the stage, she asked the crowd, “I just want to ask you a question — is the lighting okay? Because I don’t like bad lighting.”

She followed up that question with an even better question: “Do you like the ensemble?”

The “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer is recognized as the bestselling female artist of all time leading to her honorable recognition. In December, she celebrated a historic record when the Christmas anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for a record-breaking 17th total week.

“The carol, which leads the Hot 100 for a third consecutive week this holiday season, also solely claims the third-longest domination in the chart’s 66-year history,” Billboard wrote in its Instagram caption featuring the R&B icon.

“This is amazing!!!! Will never ever ever ever ever take this for granted,” Carey captioned the post on her Instagram Stories. “Merry early Christmas!!!!”

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During the concert, while she was performing “Always Be My Baby,” Carey made her way into the crowd for pictures and to meet fans. As she was making her way back onto the stage, a security guard whispered something in her ear and the singer made her way back into the crowd.

Turns out, the detour was to see the Fenty Beauty founder, who ended up getting her breast signed by Carey. 

“I was like, ‘You cannot call me a diva again because I’m literally backing down the stairs,’” Carey tells PEOPLE of the moment during the concert.  

“That was hilarious,” Carey told PEOPLE of the interaction over the phone from Aspen, Colo. “I had heard that Rihanna was coming to the show, but I didn’t think she was going to be in the actual crowd. She was fun.”

The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards air live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, March 17, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Fans can also tune in live to iHeartRadio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.