Beyoncé tops the VMA 2014 bets

It is MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) time again. I assume that most of you out there are familiar with the VMAs. This is the annual distribution of Moonman trophies for achievements in the production of music videos by MTV.

MTV pioneered music video programming on TV and became so successful that it is now the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. Last year’s telecast of the 2013 VMAs broke records across MTV’s web, mobile and social channels with more than two million visitors, six million page views and 1.8 million streams on VMA day alone.

Even if you could not care less about such stats, I am sure you are still quite familiar with the MTV VMAs. This was where Madonna kissed Britney Spears some years ago.  This was also where Borat swung from the rafters and landed butt first on Eminem’s mug. How about where Kanye West ranted against Taylor Swift and tried to grab her Best Female Video trophy. 

And the number I am sure the whole world remembers because it only happened a year ago and was truly eye-popping. That was Miley Cyrus in a bra and panties waving around a styrofoam finger while singing We Can’t Stop and twerking Robin Thicke who was doing Blurred Lines. 

And even if you don’t care much for awards or Miley, there is still more to watch at the VMA even if it is only Lady Gaga in some strange outfit. So mark the date. The 2014 MTV VMAs will be telecast live from the Forum in Inglewood California on Aug. 24 at 9 p.m. I suppose that this means that we will be getting the event live from MTV Pinoy on Monday morning, Aug. 25. 

The artist to watch again this year is Beyoncé whose videos for her self-titled album earned her a whopping eight nominations at the VMAs including one for the highly-coveted Video of the Year. She is up against those hot Sia, Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande in several categories so it would be interesting to see how those spring chickens will fare against the, take note, always well-bred and appropriately clad Lady B.

Here are the nominations as announced via snaps on MTV’s new Snapchat account:

•Video of the Year: Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX —  Fancy; Beyoncé feat. Jay Z — Drunk In Love; Pharrell Williams — Happy; Sia — Chandelier; and Miley Cyrus —  Wrecking Ball.

•Best Hip-Hop: Eminem — Bezerk; Drake feat. Majid Jordan — Hold On (We’re Going Home); Childish Gambino — 3005; Kanye West — Black Skinhead; Wiz Khalifa — We Dem Boyz.

•Best Male: Pharrell — Happy; John Legend — All Of Me; Ed Sheeran feat. Pharrell — Sing; Sam Smith — Stay With Me; Eminem feat. Rihanna — Monster.

•Best Female: Iggy feat. Charli XCX — Fancy; Beyoncé — Partition; Lorde — Royals; Ariana Grande feat. Iggy —  Problem; Katy Perry feat. Juicy J — Dark Horse.

•Best Pop: Pharrell — Happy; Iggy feat. Charli XCX — Fancy; Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz — Talk Dirty; Ariana Grande feat. Iggy — Problem; Avici feat. Aloe Blacc — Wake Me Up.

•Best Rock: Imagine Dragons — Demons; Artic Monkeys — Do I Wanna Know; The Black Keys — Fever; Lorde — Royals; Linkin Park — Until It’s Gone.

•MTV Artist To Watch:  Sam Smith — Stay With Me; 5 Seconds of Summer — She Looks So Perfect; Charli XCX — Boom Clap; Schoolboy Q — Man Of The Year; Fifth Harmony — Miss Movin’ On.

•Best Collaboration: Beyoncé feat. Jay Z — Drunk In Love; Ariana Grande feat. Iggy — Problem; Pitbull feat. Ke$ha — Timber; Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne and Tyga — Loyal; Eminem feat. Rihanna — Monster; Katy Perry feat. Juicy J — Dark Horse.

•MTV Clubland Award: DJ Snake & Lil Jon — Turn Down For What; Zedd feat. Hayley Williams — Stay The Night; Calvin Harris — Summer; Martin Garrix — Animal; Disclosure — Grab Her.

•Best Video With A Social Message: Angel Haze feat.  Sia — Battle Cry; Avicii — Hey Brother; Beyoncé — Pretty Hurts; J.Cole feat. TLC — Crooked Smile; Kelly Rowland —   Dirty Laundry; David Guetta feat. Mikky Ekko — One Voice.

•Best Cinematography: Thirty Seconds to Mars — City Of Angels; Beyoncé — Pretty Hurts; Arcade Fire — Afterlife; Gesaffelstein — Hate Or Glory; Lana Del Rey — West Coast.

•Best Editing: Eminem — Rap God; MGMT — Your Life Is A Lie; Zedd feat. Hayley Williams — Stay The Night; Beyoncé — Pretty Hurts; Fitz and The Tantrums — The Walker.

•Best Choreography: Sia — Chandelier; Beyoncé — Partition; Usher — Good Kisser; Michael Jackson feat. Justin Timberlake — Love Never Felt So Good; Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz — Talk Dirty; Kiesza — Hideaway.

•Best Direction: DJ Snake & Lil Jon — Turn Down For What; OK Go — The Writing’s On The Wall; Miley Cyrus — Wrecking Ball; Beyoncé — Pretty Hurts; Eminem feat.  Rihanna — Monster.

•Best Art Direction:  DJ Snake & Lil Jon — Turn Down For What; Iggy feat. Charli XCX — Fancy; Eminem — Rap God; Arcade Fire — Relektor; Tyler The Creator — Tamale.

•Best Visual Effects:  DJ Snake & Lil Jon — Turn Down For What; OK Go — The Writing’s On The Wall; Disclosure —   Grab Her; Eminem — Rap God; and Jack White — Lazaretto.

Fans can now vote in VMA categories including Best Hip-Hop, MTV Clubland, Best Video with a Social Message and more by simply visiting vma.mtv.com. Fans can also vote for the MTV Artist To Watch presented by Taco Bell by texting the nominee’s name to 22444. Note: Standard message and data rates apply.