Friday, 1 September 2006

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Panic! at the Disco scores at VMAs

Band scoop MTV video of the year award

Panic! at the Disco took the top video of the year award, for their "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," at the 23rd annual MTV Video Music Awards Thursday, while other big winners included Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson and the Pussycat Dolls.

"This is completely unexpected," Panic's drummer, Spencer Smith, told the crowd inside New York's Radio City Music Hall. The band's other members are Brendon Urie (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Ryan Ross (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals) and Jon Walker (bass, backing vocals).

No one particular artist or video swept the categories, though James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" won for both best male video and best cinematography.

Blunt's male video honor was the first award given during MTV's three-hour-plus live ceremony, hosted by Jack Black. As the TV camera panned to a sad-looking Nick Lachey (who'd been nominated for "What's Left of Me"), the British singer-songwriter told the audience: "I want to say, thank you to the American music industry for welcoming me into this country."

Kelly Clarkson was a no-show when her win for best female video, for "Because of You," which beat out such heavy competition as Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Nelly Furtado and Shakira. And the Black Eyed Peas were exuberant over their "My Humps" win for best hip-hop video, with band member Taboo shouting: "Positive hip hop can really make it."

Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie – all carefully isolated into separate moments – served as presenters throughout the night.

Simpson, sounding scratchy voiced from her bruised vocal cord, presented the award for best dance video (to the Pussycat Dolls), admitting that as a young girl she dreamed of one day being nominated in that category – except, she realized, "I'm just a white girl who can't dance. I can only push my tush."

Meanwhile, Lachey, on the arm of Hilton's Simple Life partner (and rival), Richie, presented the best pop video to "Stupid Girls" singer Pink, who joked, "I totally won. It's awesome."

In an awkward videotaped sequence, Britney Spears and Kevin Federline pretended to be home as they announced the R&B video winner. But first she asked him for her lipstick, he asked her for his cigarettes – she responded, "If they were up your a-- you'd know" – and then they feigned not being able to find their 11-month-old son, Sean Preston.

Best rap video went to Chamillionaire, for "Ridin'," and best group video went to the All American Rejects, for "Move Along." "We have our Moon Men," declared Reject's Tyson Ritter, clutching his VMA, "and I am getting totally wasted tonight."

The R&B winners were Beyoncé with Slim Thug, for "Check on It." "I wasn't expecting this," said Beyoncé. "Actually, I don't know what to say."

Besides Justin Timberlake's powerhouse "SexyBack" opening with Timbaland, other memorable performances included Shakira's sexy hip shaking in a belly dancer's costume and rock veteran Lou Reed's blasting through his former band Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat," with the Jack White-fronted Raconteurs.

Toward the end of the show, one of the evening's more serious moments came when Al Gore, introduced by Queen Latifah, spoke on the matter of global warming pollution. The former vice president said that the MTV audience "is the generation that will save the world."

Complete List of Winners

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"


BEST MALE VIDEO
James Blunt: "You're Beautiful"


BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Kelly Clarkson: "Because of You"


BEST GROUP VIDEO
The All-American Rejects: "Move Along"


BEST RAP VIDEO Chamillionaire: "Ridin' "


BEST R&B VIDEO
Beyoncé with Slim Thug: "Check on It"


BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Black Eyed Peas: "My Humps"


BEST DANCE VIDEO
Pussycat Dolls with Snoop Dogg: "Buttons"


BEST ROCK VIDEO
AFI: "Miss Murder"


BEST POP VIDEO
Pink: "Stupid Girls"


BEST NEW ARTIST IN A VIDEO
Avenged Sevenfold: "Bat Country"


VIEWER'S CHOICE
Fall Out Boy: "Dance, Dance"


RINGTONE OF THE YEAR
Fort Minor: "Where'd You Go"


BEST DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy" (Director: Robert Hales)


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
Shakira with Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"


BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS IN A VIDEO
Missy Elliott: "We Run This"


BEST ART DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"


BEST EDITING IN A VIDEO
Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy"


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
James Blunt: "You're Beautiful"


BEST VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACK
"Mark Ecko's Getting Up" (Atari)


BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE
"Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (Jeremy Soule)


VIDEO VANGUARD
Hype Williams