Sabrina Carpenter made a serious style statement on the black carpet of the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11, paying tribute to the Queen of MTV, Madonna. The “Espresso” singer, who was nominated for six awards at this year’s show, pulled out all the stops with her look wearing one of Madonna’s most memorable dresses, that itself was an homage to Marilyn Monroe.
“Madonna has always been incredibly supportive,” Carpenter said on the 2024 MTV black carpet at the UBS Arena in New York. “Word got to her that I wanted to do a Madonna look tonight, cause of all the comparisons I get to her, and she literally sent me her Oscars dress it was insane…”
Carpenter wore the sparkling Bob Mackie gown that Madonna previously wore on March 25, 1991 to the 63rd annual Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where she performed “Sooner or Later” from the film Dick Tracy. (BTW: “Sooner or Later,” written by American composer Stephen Sondheim, took home the Oscar for Best Original Song that night) The beaded and jewelled bias-cut Bob Mackie gown hugged featured a sweetheart neckline with silver beaded detailing, which Madonna originally paired with a white fur stole, $20 million in diamonds (on loan from famed jeweller Harry Winston), and voluminous curls. Madonna was also famously photographed in the figure-hugging gown at the Oscar after-party that she attended with Michael Jackson at Spago that night.
The look remains one of Madonna’s most iconic red carpet-moments. In fact, photographer Steven Meisel memorialized the instantly iconic look for the April 1991 cover of Vanity Fair.
Carpenter was nominated for six VMAs at Wednesday night’s ceremony, including artist of the year, song of the year for “Espresso,” best pop artist, best direction and best art direction for “Please Please Please” and best editing for “Espresso.” By the end of the night she took home the MTV Video Music Award for song of the year for “Espresso.”
Madonna has won 20 MTV Video Music Awards, including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first female honoree. In 2003, MTV named her “The Greatest Music Video Star Ever,” saying “Madonna’s innovation, creativity and contribution to the music video art form is what won her the award.”
