The MTV Video Music Awards is an Annual Awards ceremony hosted by music channel MTV to celebrate the top Music Videos of the year.
Originally beginning in 1984 as an alternative to the Grammy Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards is now a respected pop culture awards show in its own right. They are presented annually and broadcast live on MTV.
The MTV Video Music Awards air in South Africa on DStv's MTV and MTVbase channels.
The 25th Annual MTV Video Music Awards aired live in South Africa on MTV on Monday 8 September 2008, at 03h00. The awards show was preceded by a one-hour pre-show special.
An edited version of the ceremony aired on MTVbase on Monday 8 September 2008, at 20h00. It was two hours long, and preceded by the one-hour pre-show programme.
25th Annual VMAs
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on 7 September, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at MTV.com.
The remaining, professional categories were chosen by a panel of music industry professionals.
Unlike previous editions of the show, MTV announced the winners to the professional categories three days befores the ceremony (September 4) via a press release, rather than on the pre-show or main show. The rest of the winners were announced during the ceremony.
Comedian Russell Brand was the host of the event.
Nominations
All videos eligible for nomination made their appearance on MTV between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.
Video of the Year
Chris Brown — Forever
Jonas Brothers — Burnin' Up
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up
Britney Spears — Piece of Me
The Ting Tings — Shut Up and Let Me Go
Best Male Video
Chris Brown — With You
Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain) — Low
Lil Wayne (featuring Static Major) — Lollipop
T.I. — No Matter What
Usher (featuring Young Jeezy) — Love in This Club
Best Female Video
Mariah Carey — Touch My Body
Katy Perry — I Kissed a Girl
Rihanna — Take a Bow
Jordin Sparks (featuring Chris Brown) — No Air
Britney Spears — Piece of Me
Best New Artist
Miley Cyrus — 7 Things
Katy Perry — I Kissed a Girl
Jordin Sparks (featuring Chris Brown) — No Air
Taylor Swift — Teardrops on My Guitar
Tokio Hotel — Ready, Set, Go!
Best Pop Video
Danity Kane — Damaged
Jonas Brothers — Burnin' Up
Panic at the Disco — Nine in the Afternoon
Britney Spears — Piece of Me
Tokio Hotel — Ready, Set, Go!
Best Rock Video
Fall Out Boy (featuring John Mayer) — Beat It
Foo Fighters — The Pretender
Linkin Park — Shadow of the Day
Paramore — Crushcrushcrush
Slipknot — Psychosocial
Best Hip-Hop Video
Mary J. Blige — Just Fine
Lupe Fiasco (featuring Matthew Santos) — Superstar
Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain) — Low
Lil Wayne (featuring Static Major) — Lollipop
Kanye West (featuring Chris Martin) — Homecoming
Best Dancing in a Video
Chris Brown — Forever
Danity Kane — Damaged
Madonna (featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland) — 4 Minutes
Ne-Yo — Closer
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up
Best Direction in a Video
Erykah Badu — Honey (Directors: Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto)
Linkin Park — Shadow of the Day (Director: Joe Hahn)
Panic at the Disco — Nine in the Afternoon (Director: Shane Drake)
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up (Director: Joseph Kahn)
Rihanna — Take a Bow (Director: Anthony Mandler)
Best Choreography in a Video
Adele — Chasing Pavements (Choreographer: Marguerite Derricks)
Chris Brown — Forever (Choreographers: Tone & Rich)
Chris Brown (featuring T-Pain) — Kiss Kiss (Choreographer: Flii Stylz)
Gnarls Barkley — Run (Choreographer: Michael Rooney)
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up (Choreographers: Robin Antin and Mikey Minden)
Best Special Effects in a Video
Erykah Badu — Honey (Special Effects: X1 FX)
Coldplay — Violet Hill (Special Effects: Asa Mader)
Missy Elliott — Ching-a-Ling/Shake Your Pom Pom (Special Effects: Les Umberger)
Linkin Park — Bleed It Out (Special Effects: David Lebensfeld and Adam Catino)
Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) — Good Life (Special Effects: SoMe, Jonas & François)
Best Art Direction in a Video
Gnarls Barkley — Run (Art Directors: Happy and Kells Jesse)
MGMT — Electric Feel (Art Director: Sophie Kosofsky)
Katy Perry — I Kissed a Girl (Art Director: Benji Bamps)
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up (Art Director: Marcelle Gravel)
The White Stripes — Conquest (Art Director: David Fitzpatrick)
Best Editing in a Video
Erykah Badu — Honey (Editor: T. David Binns)
Death Cab for Cutie — I Will Possess Your Heart (Editors: Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Jeff Buchanan)
Ne-Yo — Closer (Editor: Clark Eddy)
Katy Perry — I Kissed a Girl (Editor: Tom Lindsay)
Weezer — Pork and Beans (Editor: Jeff Consiglio and Colin Woods)
Best Cinematography in a Video
Erykah Badu — Honey (Director of Photography: Karsten Crash Gopinath)
Death Cab for Cutie — I Will Possess Your Heart (Directors of Photography: Aaron Stewart-Ahn and Shawn Kim)
Katy Perry — I Kissed a Girl (Director of Photography: Simon Thirlaway)
Pussycat Dolls — When I Grow Up (Director of Photography: Christopher Probst)
The White Stripes — Conquest (Director of Photography: Wyatt Troll)
Best UK Video
Coldplay — Violet Hill
Duffy — Warwick Avenue
Estelle (featuring Kanye West) — American Boy
Leona Lewis — Bleeding Love
The Ting Tings — Shut Up and Let Me Go
Performers
Britney Spears - Underground
Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
Jonas Brothers - Lovebug
Katy Perry (featuring Travis Barker & DJ AM) - I Kissed A Girl/Like A Virgin/Hot N Cold
Rihanna - Disturbia
Lupe Fiasco (featuring Travis Barker & DJ AM) - Superstar
T.I. (featuring Rihanna) - Live Your Life Whatever You Like
Pink - So What
Kid Rock - All Summer Long
Lil Wayne - Lollipop
Paramore (featuring Travis Barker & DJ AM) - That's What You Get/Misery Business
T-Pain - Church/Can't Believe It
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name/Shut Up and Let Me Go
Kanye West - Love Lockdown
Note: Travis Barker and DJ AM performed small interludes of past hits throughout the show. They also teamed up with Katy Perry, The Ting Tings and Lupe Fiasco at certain points to perform some MTV classics from the past 25 years.
Other Performances
Chris Brown - Forever
Danity Kane - Bad Girl ft. Missy Elliot
Miley Cyrus - 7 Things Remix to Fly on the Wall
Britney Spears - Underground
Beyonce - I'm Just A Boy ft. Kanye West
Presenters
Danity Kane
Drake Bell
Corbin Bleu
Kobe Bryant
Ciara
Lauren Conrad
Chace Crawford
Miley Cyrus
Zac Efron
Jamie Foxx
Girlicious
Paris Hilton
Slash
Vanessa Hudgens
Scarlett Johansson
Shia LaBeouf
Taylor Lautner
John Legend
Kaba Modern or Fanny Pak
Leona Lewis
Lindsay Lohan
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Heidi Montag
Robert Pattinson
Josh Peck
Michael Phelps
Spencer Pratt
Ashlee Simpson
Kristen Stewart
Taylor Swift
Tokio Hotel
Ashley Tisdale
Pete Wentz