The nominees: Video of the Year: Coldplay, Speed of Sound; Kanye West, Jesus Walks; Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, Drop It Like It’s Hot; Gwen Stefani, Hollaback Girl
Male Video: 50 Cent, Candy Shop; Kanye West, Jesus Walks; Beck, E-Pro; Usher, Caught Up; John Legend, Ordinary People
Female Video: Amerie, 1 Thing; Mariah Carey, We Belong Together; Gwen Stefani, Hollaback Girl; Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz, La Tortura; Kelly Clarkson, Since U Been Gone
Group Video: Black Eyed Peas, Don’t Phunk with My Heart; The Killers, Mr. Brightside; Destiny’s Child featuring T.I. & Lil’ Wayne, Soldier; U2, Vertigo; Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Rap Video: Eminem, Just Lose It; T.I., U Don’t Know Me; The Game & 50 Cent, Hate It Or Love It; Ying Yang Twins, Wait (The Whisper Song); Ludacris, Number One Spot
R&B Video: Alicia Keys, Karma; Mariah Carey, We Belong Together; Ciara featuring Ludacris, Oh; Usher & Alicia Keys, My Boo; John Legend, Ordinary People
Hip Hop Video: Common, Go; Nas featuring Olu Dara, Bridging the Gap; Kanye West, Jesus Walks; Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, Drop It Like It’s Hot; Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop, Lose Control
Dance Video: Ciara, 1,2 Step; Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop, Lose Control; Destiny’s Child, Lose My Breath; Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz, La Tortura; Jennifer Lopez, Get Right
Rock Video: Foo Fighters, Best of You; My Chemical Romance, Helena; Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Weezer, Beverly Hills; The Killers, Mr. Brightside
Pop Video: Ashlee Simpson, Pieces of Me; Kelly Clarkson, Since You Been Gone; Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Lindsay Lohan, Rumors; Jesse McCartney, Beautiful Soul
New Artist in a Video: Ciara, 1,2 Step; The Killers, Mr. Brightside; The Game, Dreams; My Chemical Romance, Helena; John Legend, Ordinary People
MTV 2 Award: Akon featuring Styles P, Locked Up; Fall Out Boy, Sugar, We’re Going Down; The Bravery, An Honest Mistake; Mike Jones featuring Slim Thug & Paul Wall, Still Tippin; Daddy Yankee, Gasoline; My Chemical Romance, Helena
Breakthrough Video: Eminem and Ian Inaba, Mosh; Sarah McLachlan and Sophie Muller, World On Fire; Gorrilaz and James Hewlett, Feel Good INC; U2 and Alex & Martin, Vertigo; Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop and Dave Meyers, Lose Control
Video Game Soundtrack: Electronic Arts, Def Jam: Fight for New York; Rockstar Games, Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition; Konami Video Game, Dance Dance Revolution Extreme; Activision Video Game, Tony Hawks Underground 2; Electronic Arts, Madden 2005
Also up for grabs are awards for videos with the Best Direction, Choreography, Special Effects, Art Direction, Editing and Cinematography.
The VMA is one of the most eagerly-anticipated events in the field of entertainment, not only because of the honorees but also because of the pop luminaries who regularly show up to perform, present or simply be seen. For some reason or another, they have come to think of the VMA as a time for them to throw all caution to the wind. Remember that controversial kiss between Madonna and Britney Spears? Rumors have it that there will be more of the same this year.
This year’s ceremonies will be held in Miami on Aug. 28 at the American Airlines Arena and will have water as its theme. It will be hosted by P. Diddy. The rap mogul and known fashion plate has promised to give a $100,000 reward to the best-dressed personality of the evening. That is as per his criteria. To fully exploit this, there will be a long two-hour pre-show coverage of the guests’ arrivals via yacht, limo, barge, chopper or whatever in their drop-dead finery.