Another year, another MTV Video Music Awards, which means it’s time for a whole ‘nother round of Kanye rage and death threats from Britney stans demanding to know whether or not she’ll be performing this year.
But before we get into that whole mess–it’s the nominees for the 2011 MTV VMAs!
Last night, MTV opened up the vote for the 2011 MTV Music Video Awards. And almost just as quickly, the tweets began to fill up my timeline with various outbursts and damning remarks: #MTVFail! #MTVFail! So what’s got everyone’s panties in an Ashley Tizzydale? Let’s see who made the cut…below the cut.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
1. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
2. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”
3. Katy Perry – “Firework”
4. Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”
5. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”BEST NEW ARTIST:
1. Foster the People – ” Pumped Up Kicks”
2. Wiz Khalifa – “Black and Yellow”
3. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”
4. Big Sean featuring Chris Brown – “My Last”
5. Kreayshawn – “Gucci Gucci”BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO:
1. Wayne featuring Cory Gunz – “6’7”
2. Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi – “All Of The Lights”
3. Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes – ” Look at Me Now”
4. Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”
5. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”BEST MALE VIDEO:
1. Cee Lo Green – “F*** You”
2. Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”
3. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
4. Kanye West Featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi – “All Of The Lights”
5. Justin Bieber – “U Smile”BEST FEMALE VIDEO:
1. Adele – ” Rolling In The Deep”
2. Katy Perry – “Firework”
3. Beyonce – “Run The World (Girls)”
4. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
5. Lady Gaga – “Born This Way”BEST POP VIDEO:
1. Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
2. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
3. Britney Spears – “Till The World Ends”
4. Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”
5. Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Nayer & Afrojack – “Give Me Everything”BEST ROCK VIDEO:
1. The Black Keys – “Howlin For You”
2. Foo Fighters – “Walk”
3. Foster the People – “Pumped Up Kicks”
4. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
5. Cage The Elephant – “Shake Me Down”BEST COLLABORATION:
1. Pitbull featuring NE‐YO, Nayer & Afrojack – “Give Me Everything”
2. Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes – “Look At Me Now”
3. Kanye West Featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi – ” All Of The Lights”
4. Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West – “E.T.”
5. Nicki Minaj featuring Drake – ” Moment 4 Life”BEST ART DIRECTION:
1. Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
2. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – ” E.T.”
3. Lady Gaga – “Judas”
4. Kanye West featuring Dwele – “Power”
5. Death Cab For Cutie – ” You Are A Tourist”BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:
1. Beyonce – “Run The World (Girls)”
2. Britney Spears – “Till The World Ends”
3. Lady Gaga – “Judas”
4. Bruno Mars – “The Lazy Song”
5. LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & Goon- “Party Rock Anthem”BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
1. Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
2. 30 Seconds To Mars – “Hurricane”
3. Eminem featuring Rihanna – ” Love The Way You Lie”
4. Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream”
5. Beyonce – “Run The World (Girls)”BEST DIRECTION:
1. Adele – “Rolling In The Deep”
2. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – “E.T.”
3. Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”
4. 30 Seconds To Mars – “Hurricane”
5. Beastie Boys – ” Make Some Noise”BEST EDITING:
1. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – “E.T.”
2. 30 Seconds To Mars – “Hurricane”
3. Adele – ” Rolling In The Deep”
4. Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math”
5. Kanye West Featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi – “All Of The Lights”BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS:
1. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – “E.T.”
2. Linkin Park – “Waiting For The End”
3. Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math”
4. Kanye West featuring Dwele – “Power”
5. Chromeo – ” Don’t Turn The Lights On”
Of course, there are a few MuuBones to pick.
For one thing, while I’m happy to see that Brit Brit taking two nominations for “Till The World Ends,” I can’t help but be disappointed by the complete omission of the Jonas Akerlund-directed “Hold It Against Me.” Though it’s a severe love-hate clip for most fans and frenemies alike, Britney’s most symbolism-abound video yet–which even aired exclusively on MTV–deserved (if nothing else) some major kudos for the impressive set design and weird, wondrous mixture of drag doubles in dresses, paint fingers and microphone wreathes.
Lady Gaga also pulls in a rather modest amount of nominations in comparison to some of the other names–clocking in at three. Although both eligible videos from the Born This Way era failed to garner nearly as much support as those of The Fame, the elaborate cinematography and styling absolutely deserved more credit than acknowledged here.
And then there’s Katy Perry. Look: We all know she’s maybe not my favorite pop tart in the world, and the fact that the buxom blow-up doll managed to use her rack to rake in 9 nominations does nothing to stop feeding my fever. We get it: Her breasts are big, perky and have the ability to spit out various items (whipped cream, fireworks, etc.). But surely there’s more to a pop star? Right? RIGHT?!
While “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” was an admittedly fun, major-budget pop culture smorgasbord of references to ’80’s and ’90’s teen comedies and pop culture has-beens, “Firework” was nothing more than a hugely overwrought, major-budget remake of Christina Aguilera‘s superior self-empowerment anthem, “Beautiful.” Another win for major label puppetry, another loss for the woefully mistreated Legendtina.
Oh, and Adele‘s 7 nominations. Don’t get me wrong! She’s recorded one of the best albums of 2011 by far. But this the MTV Music Video Awards. And while the moody, artsy clip for “Rolling In The Deep” is fitting, it isn’t exactly the most engaging video either. After all, she is just sitting on a chair. (The live rendition of “Someone Like You” recorded at her home in London is literally 50 times better, for instance.)
If MTV really wanted to go the left-of-mainstream route visually, they’d be better off sticking to more memorable offerings from Swedish spook-pop songstress Lykke Li and the ceaselessly underrated pop princess Robyn.
Above all however, the glaring #MTVfail here is the complete and utter lack of Rihanna. (I should clarify–she’s here, but as a featured act in the Best Male Video section with Eminem‘s “Love The Way You Lie” and Kanye‘s “All Of The Lights.”)
While the Bajan beauty’s videos aren’t exactly mega-epic productions, RiRi’s LOUD repertoire has been nothing short of a flawless set of Anthony Mandler-directed gems that perfectly encapsulate the era. That the lush, cool-color pallete of “Only Girl (In The World)” or “California King Bed” couldn’t even manage to snag an Art Direction or Cinematography nomination is nothing short of a huge, huge oversight on MTV’s part.
Trash-pop princess Ke$ha too has been given the shove-off. Although the Hype Williams-directed “We R Who We R” was a bit of a glossy, glittery misfire, the hilarious laser-beam-and-unicorn-laden clip for “Blow” absolutely deserved recognition. I mean, are we really ignoring a video that contains the line “Well well well, if it isn’t James Van Der Douche”? Criminal.
And while we’re at it: Why no J-Lo? “On The Floor” was hands-down one of the most viewed videos of the year, while “I’m Into You” is simply gorgeous.
Finally, the Video of the Year category: Flash-in-the-pan Tyler, The Creator‘s “Yonkers” is pretty out of control, but I tend not to herald ignorant, homophobic rants as art. You already know my stance on Kitty Purry. And as far as Bruno Mars? Really? Vanessa Carlton called. She wants her piano back.
My vote either goes to Adele (if only to further belabor the point that her album is flawless) or the Beastie Boys for their quite funny, celebrity-filled 5-minute debauchery fest.
And now, back to your regularly programmed bitching about Britney performing this year. (I DON’T KNOW YET. LAY OFF.)
