The MTV Video Music Awards are one of the three major pop music awards events of the year. The awards will be telecast live from Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Sunday, September 12, 2010 on MTV.
My predictions are simply that...predictions. It will be up to the voters to choose the actual winners. My predicted winner in each category is in bold type. I have included comments on each nominee. I am making predictions only in the 5 top award categories. Check the full listing of nominations to see who is up for awards in every category.
Video of the Year
- 30 Seconds to Mars - "Kings and Queens" - This is the surprise nominee for Video of the Year and it will remain just that. Jared Leto and company should be quite content just to be nominated.
- B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - "Airplanes" - B.o.B. owns one of the top pop breakthroughs for a new artist in 2010, but he won't rule this category.
- Eminem - "Not Afraid" - He is back and as strong as ever, but the video itself is a little bit weak. The competition is simply too tough.
- Florence and the Machine - "Dog Days Are Over" - If there is a dark horse for Video of the Year it is Florence and the Machine with their heavy critical acclaim.
- Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" - Normally, this clip would be a shoo-in as it remains a pop music landmark, but then there is the next video in the list.
- Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce - "Telephone" - This is the most parodied music video of the year simply because it is all a music video should be - colorful, engaging, funny, full of dance, and a hot song to boot. It was a sensation when it came out and holds up tremendously well months later.
Best Female Video
- Beyonce featuring Lady Gaga - "Video Phone" - It is fun, a bit interesting, and somewhat controversial hostage taking imagery. That really doesn't add up to the standout of the year however.
- Ke$ha - "Tik Tok" - She certainly has dominated much of the pop music world's attention when it wasn't focused on Lady Gaga, but we need a few more years to decide whether Ke$ha would really be considered the female of the year.
- Lady GaGa - "Bad Romance" - This is really the video and song that let us all know Lady Gaga didn't just get lucky on the first album. It's still astonishingly weird, but easily the most memorable in this category.
- Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls" - With anyone else but Lady Gaga around, she would own this award.
- Taylor Swift - "Fifteen" - It's cute and engaging, but this is no "You Belong With Me."
Best Male Video
- B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - "Airplanes" - Going out on a limb I'm looking for the newcomer to win here. No one will soon forget comparing airplanes in the night sky to shooting stars.
- Jason Derulo - "In My Head" - It's good fluff, but still fluff.
- Drake - "Find Your Love" - There is high drama here in classic Anthony Mandler style, but I think it might just be too dark to take home the win.
- Eminem - "Not Afraid" - Great song, and the video tries but doesn't quite match it.
- Usher featuring will.i.am - "OMG" - Oh so stylish and a good choice for a surprise win here if B.o.B. stumbles.
Best Pop Video
- Beyonce featuring Lady Gaga - "Video Phone" - It's not "Telephone," and everyone knows that.
- B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars - "Nothin' On You" - They are both cute and fun to watch, but that doesn't really lift the video seriously above the norm.
- Ke$ha - "Tik Tok" - She did shake up the pop world, and her debut remains the definitive intro to the world of Ke$ha, but I don't think this is her year to take home hardware.
- Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" - It could be another big win for Gaga, but my bets are going with the next since we are talking pop.
- Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls" - Pure pop fun. This song kicked off the summer and carried us all through. Who can forget the shooting whipped cream?
Best New Artist
- Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris - "Baby" - The little girls would scream their ear splitting approval, but my guess is MTV will not send this award to the teenager.
- Broken Bells - "The Ghost Inside" - If it was entirely up to music critics, here is your likely winner.
- Jason Derulo - "In My Head" - He is a force to be reckoned with, but likely will miss the top in this category as well.
- Ke$ha - "Tik Tok" - If it was all popularity of the song, then she takes home the victory.
- Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett - "Massive Attack" - Nicki Minaj is cresting in popularity at the moment and she is nearly as well loved by fans as those who write about music for a living. Nicki Minaj does look like the most enduring artist of this group.
