2009 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

ETHosted by: Russell Brand Location: New York, NY After a number of years out wandering around the country, the MTV Video Music Awards are coming home to New York! The retaking of Manhattan will take place on Sunday, September 13, 2009, and mark these words: this city will never be the same again.Call it a takeover, if you will, because the 2009 VMAs will have performances staged all over Manhattan including in the storied Radio City Music Hall where we popped our Moonman cherry way back in 1984. After that one, we were surprised they'd have us back, but they did. So did New York City. In fact, 2009 will mark the 14th time that Gotham will serve as the backdrop for the VMAs.Our VMA homecoming also marks the return of Russell Brand, who will host the show for a second year in a row. That's right.
The same Russell Brand who pulled an unwitting Britney Spears into a golf cart after her third VMA win and whisked her away to watch Kanye West in the final performance of the night. Brand also managed to freak out Jonas Brothers fans everywhere when he got all sorts of nasty discussing the Jo Bros' purity rings. He's funny.But no homecoming would be complete, even with great jokes, without reminiscing and celebrating MTV's historic past. So, MTV royalty Janet Jackson will kick off this year's VMAs with a musical tribute to the life and career of her brother Michael Jackson. The man who helped shape MTV from the beginning and provided many memorable VMA moments, of course, deserves to be honored at the top of the show.It might be hard to follow up a tribute to one of the greatest performers of our generation by his iconic sister, but a couple of New York City's hometown heroes will do their best. Providing the soundtrack for the VMA's triumphant return are acclaimed rapper Jay-Z and international pop phenom Lady Gaga.And if you think viewers will get hyped for Lady Gaga and Jay, just wait until Sasha Fierce takes the stage. That's right, Beyoncé Knowles will be joining hubby Jay-Z on the performers list.You already know Green Day, P!nk, Taylor Swift and Muse are lined up to rock the VMA stage. Now, rapper Wale and legendary go-go band UCB have been tapped as the show's official house band.

They'll be collaborating throughout the night with artists like The All-American Rejects, Pitbull and 3OH!3 to put his unique spin on the biggest songs of the year. Whew! That's a lot of star power. But don't let the excitement over the performances eclipse the Moonmen! After all, the awards are the reason for this yearly extravaganza. This year we will be handing out statues for classic categories like Best Female Video and Video of the Year. We also threw some new categories into the nominee mix like Best Breakthrough Video and Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman). Voting is closed for all categories except Best New Artist, which you can keep voting for even after the ceremony starts.You see, the MTV Video Music Awards is nothing short of the most musically driven, celebrity-packed, insanely thrilling and, ultimately, the most-talked about awards show on television. Hands down. You can't beat this one. People have tried, but they've failed miserably. There's a reason this is the party to attend, no matter where we throw it. It's flat out awesome.Mark it on your calendars so you don't miss a single memorable moment live on Sunday, September 13. The events start at 8PM ET with the 2009 VMA Preshow.

New Moon's Ashley Greene will join MTV's Sway and Tim Kash on the red carpet as the celebrity fashion correspondent, bringing you all the action happening outside Radio City Music Hall. And the show follows immediately after, at 9PM ET on MTV. Hablas Español? We've got you covered. MTV Tr3s will air the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards con subtítulos en español on September 20th at 5PM ET. See, no excuses. Just watch!

Video Of The Year
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Directed by Jake Nava
Take a catchy hook with a female empowerment theme, add Beyoncé in a butt-hugging leotard, then toss in some intricate choreography and you have a strong VOTY contender.

Best New Artist
Lady Gaga"Poker Face"
Directed by Ray Kay
The newest queen of the charts turned out this bass-bumping follow-up to "Just Dance." We're not bluffing when we say the Lady is hot in this video.


Best Hip-Hop Video
Eminem"We Made You"
Directed by Joseph Kahn
Eminem doesn't pull any punches—or shy away from impersonations—when it comes to slamming Hollywood stars in his videos. This is no exception.

Best Male Video
T.I. f/ Rihanna"Live Your Life"
Directed by Anthony Mandler
The entire video for "Live Your Life" is shot in a Memento-like reverse chronological order. If that doesn’t hold your attention, T.I.'s hot co-star Rihanna will.

Best Pop Video
Britney Spears"Womanizer"
Directed by Joseph Kahn
The music video for "Womanizer" gives you a chance to see what it's like to be in a sauna with a naked Britney Spears. Yes, it's worth it.

Best Rock Video
Green Day"21 Guns"
Directed by Marc Webb
Green Day shows that a barrage of gunfire is enough to make any lovers quarrel seem minor by comparison in their video for "21 Guns."

Best Female Video
Taylor Swift"You Belong With Me"
Directed by Roman White
It's a classic love story as old as the She's All That storyline. The school nerd, but closet beauty, is in love with her best guy friend, but he’s in love with the popular girl. OMG! What's a talented country music star to do?

Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman)
Beastie Boys"Sabotage"
Directed by Spike Jonze
Listen, all of y'all. It's Sabotage! The throwback video that parodied 1970s TV crime dramas was denied its glory in 1994.

Breakthrough Video
Matt And Kim"Lessons Learned"
Directed by Taylor Cohen & Otto Arsenault
The video for "Lessons Learned" opens with Matt and Kim calmly getting out of a van in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Then they go streaking.

Best Art Direction
Lady Gaga"Paparazzi"
Art Direction by Jason Hamilton
Every opulent detail of a starlet's rise and fall is present in Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" video. Right down to the gold-plated forearm crutches.

Best Choreography
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Choreography by Jaquel Knight & Frank Gatson Jr.
It's the clip that had everyone—including Justin Timberlake and a Jonas Brother—trying to shake it like this not-so-single lady did in her vid.

Best Cinematography
Green Day"21 Guns"
Cinematography by Jonathan Sela
A grimy apartment, lit only by the light coming through bullet hole-filled walls, is the perfect image for the disillusioned ballad "21 Guns."

Best Direction
Green Day"21 Guns"
Directed by Marc Webb
Green Day is under attack in their video for "21 Guns." Who knew rocking out in a dingy apartment was so dangerous?

Best Editing
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Edited by Jarrett Fijal
The intricate choreography seems to go on and on, thanks to the slick editing that transformed those sexy moves into a single sequence. Leaves you out of breath just watching!

Lady Gaga"Paparazzi"
Special Effects by Chimney Pot
Don't worry. Lady Gaga only looks like she is being thrown several stories from a balcony by her lover in the "Paparazzi" music video. Her dancing a couple of scenes later proves it.