Ariana Grande hugging her mom on the VMA red carpet is too precious for words!

Remember when you were in one of your grade-school productions and the only thing that ever mattered was that your family was in the audience supporting your yet-to-be-realized thespian dreams? Then when your performance was done, you'd immediately run to your mom for a "Yay, I did it!" hug? Guys! Ariana Grande had that same ah-dorable moment after she NAILED her VMA red carpet pre-show performance last night!

After belting out "The Way"/"Baby I" like a seasoned diva (eighty-bazillion-octave range and all), Grande could have celebrated with fellow pre-show performing cutie Austin Mahone, or really anybody on the red carpet. But instead, she beelined straight for her mama to offer up a "Thanks for giving me life/these flawless genes!" embrace before the night's festivities began!

Watch Ariana Grande's VMA pre-show performance, and check out more photos after the jump.

I would have done the exact same thing. Except, knowing my mom, she'd probably decide that that specific moment in public, on-camera would be the PERFECT time to spit on a Kleenex and try to wipe some shmutz off of my face. BLARGH! (JK, love ya Mom.)

Are you guys listening to this?!

Put those guh-zillion octaves to work, girl!

+ Watch ARIANA GRANDE PERFORM "BABY I" AND "THE WAY" AT THE VMA RED CARPET PRE-SHOW.

Photo Credit: Splash News, MTV