The granddaddy of cable-created events, MTV: Music Television's Video
Music Awards, turns 20 next month, and hip-hop/rap artist Missy Elliot is
the show's most-nominated attraction.
Elliott picked up eight nominations, all for her "Work It" video, including
"Video of the Year."
Also in that category: living country-music legend Johnny Cash for his
haunting rework of Nine Inch Nails hit "Hurt"; Eminem for "Lose Yourself," from
the soundtrack of his movie debut, 8 Mile; 50 Cent for "In Da Club"; and
Justin Timberlake for "Cry Me a River."
Two videos from Timberlake collected seven nominations in all -- five for
"Cry" and the others for "Rock Your Body." Cash received six nominations for
"Hurt."
The top-nominee outcome "further solidifies the VMAs as the biggest
cultural and musical train wreck on the tube -- and I mean that in a good way,"
MTV president Van Toffler said in a prepared statement.
In the competition for best video on sister channel MTV2, the nominees are
AFI for "Girl's Not Grey"; Interpol for "PDA"; The Roots and Cody ChestnuTT for
"The Seed 2.0"; Common, with an assist from 2002 VMA winner Mary J.
Blige, for "Come Close"; and Queens of the Stone Age for "No One Knows."
MTV will stage its VMAs Aug. 28 at Radio City Music Hall in New York,
with Chris Rock hosting. Taco Bell Corp., Revlon Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co.
are among the main sponsors.
