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Kanye West and Taylor Swift Return to the VMA Stage

(NDG Wire) Lady Gaga, outdoing even herself with her adventurous couture, dominated the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, adding eight to her collection of Moonmen with awards including “Video Of The Year,” “Best Dance Video,” “Best Pop Video” and “Best Female Video.” Eminem, who opened this year’s Awards with a triumphant performance, walked away with two statues for “Best Male Video” and “Best Hip Hop Video.” VMA newcomers 30 Seconds To Mars and Florence + The Machine took home their first wins for “Best Rock Video” and “Best Art Direction,” respectively. Justin Bieber was voted “Best New Artist.”

A year after Taylor Swift’s first VMA win was interrupted by Kanye West, the two returned to musically play out last year’s drama, once again on the VMA stage. For an exclusive live performance, Taylor sang “Innocence,” an emotional song she wrote about how she felt after last year’s incident. Later in the evening and this year as an official performer, Kanye debuted “Runaway” (featuring Pusha T from Clipse), a personal statement on the turbulence of the last year.

MTV aired the 2010 Video Music Awards live on Sunday, September 12 from Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, having transformed the venue into a 1950’s sculptural nod to modernism. The VMA’s kicked off with an epic performance by Eminem backed by an orchestra to present a medley of his comeback anthem “Not Afraid” into a fiery version of “Love The Way You Lie” with surprise guest Rihanna. Host Chelsea Handler brought her edgy comedic flair to the Awards, making a dramatic entrance that riffed on Lady Gaga’s extravagant fashion sense, flying onto the stage wearing a suburban house on her head, complete with a single car garage, and ending her monologue by releasing a dove from her dress. Backstage before taking the stage, Chelsea was shown receiving “encouragement” from well wishers Li’l John, Flo Rida and a score-settling Lindsay Lohan.

In another show highlight, the one-and-only Cher presented Lady Gaga with her “Video Of The Year” Award, donning the same outfit (yes, she still fit into it) that she barely wore more than 20 years ago in her own memorable video “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

With an intro by Ke$ha and Trey Songz, Usher’s electric entrance and pounding energy brought down the house with a medley of “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” into “OMG!,” showing off his dance moves against an other-worldly combination of visual effects.

The physicality of Usher’s set contrasted with VMA newcomer Florence + The Machine’s ethereal, breakout performance of “Dog Days Are Over,” featuring a large-scale dance number with scores of dancers and percussionists to create a flowing dream-like sequence.

Hip-hop artist Drake was joined on onstage by Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz for a performance of his hit single “Fancy,” set against a supper club backdrop. Shortly following Drake’s performance, Chelsea stumbled upon the cast of “Jersey Shore” in, what else, a hot tub. Teasing the cast about how dirty the water is, she finally agreed to jump in fully clothed, only to emerge wet and pregnant.

  2010 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS

  ———————————–

  GENERAL CATEGORIES:

  VIDEO OF THE YEAR

  —————–

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  BEST NEW ARTIST

  —————

  Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris

  Title: Baby

  Album: My World Part II

  Director: Ray Kay

  Label: Island Def Jam, RBMG

  Production Company: Rockhard Films

  Producer: Nicole Acacio

  BEST MALE VIDEO

  —————

  Eminem

  Title: Not Afraid

  Album: Recovery

  Director: Rich Lee

  Label: Aftermath, Interscope

  Production Company: DNA

  Producer: Justin Diener

  BEST FEMALE VIDEO

  —————–

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  BEST HIP HOP VIDEO

  ——————

  Eminem

  Title: Not Afraid

  Album: Recovery

  Director: Rich Lee

  Label: Aftermath, Interscope

  Production Company: DNA

  Producer: Justin Diener

  BEST POP VIDEO

  ————–

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  BEST ROCK VIDEO

  —————

  30 Seconds To Mars

  Title: Kings and Queens

  Album: This Is War

  Director: Bartholomew Cubbins

  Label: Virgin Records

  Production Company: Hello and Co.

  Producers: Jared Leto, Emma Ludbrook, Sheeira Rees-Davies, Melissa Larsen,

   Dave Robertson

  BEST DANCE VIDEO

  —————-

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  BEST COLLABORATION

  Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce

  Title: Telephone

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Jonas Akerlund

  Label: Interscope, Cherry Tree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: Serial Pictures/Anonymous Content

  Producers: Stephanie Bruni, Violaine Etienne and Nicole Ehrlich

  PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES:

  BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

  —————–

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  Choreography: Laurieann Gibson

  BEST DIRECTION

  ————–

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  BEST EDITING

  ————

  Lady Gaga

  Title: Bad Romance

  Album: The Fame Monster

  Director: Francis Lawrence

  Label: Interscope, Cherrytree, Streamline, KonLive

  Production Company: DNA Inc.

  Producers: Heather Heller, Nicole Ehrlich and Kathy Angstadt

  Editor: Jarrett Fijal

  BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS

  ——————–

  MUSE

  Title: Uprising

  Album: The Resistance

  Director:  Hydra

  Label: Warner Bros. Records

  Production Company: Humble

  Producer: Humble

  Special Effects: Sam Stevens

  BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  ——————-

  Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

  Title: Empire State of Mind

  Album: The Blueprint 3

  Director: Hype Williams

  Label: Roc Nation

  Production Company: Naaila Entertainment

  Producer: Abdur Rahman

  BEST ART DIRECTION

  ——————

  Florence + The Machine

  Title: Dogs Days Are Over

  Album: Lungs

  Director: LEGS

  BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO

  The Black Keys

  Title: Tighten Up

  Album: Brothers

  Director: Chris Marrs Pillero

  Label: Nonesuch

  Production Company: Symphony 9

  Producer: John Lathan

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