2007 MTV Video Music Awards

2007 MTV Video Music Awards
Date	September 9, 2007
Venue(s)	The Palms, Las Vegas, Nevada
Host(s)	No host
Network	MTV

The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year, took place on September 9, in Las Vegas at The Palms. The 2007 VMAs were the smallest VMAs ever held in MTV history, eliminating 13 awards, re-naming many of the remaining awards, and having only four performances on the main stage. The 2008 awards restored most of the categories. The awards received attention for an infamous opening performance by Britney Spears.

Overview

On August 7, the nominees were announced live on TRL with a special performance by Kanye West.

The week before the ceremony, the network aired VMA Week on TRL, along with other programming around the VMAs, including performances from top artists.

The VMAs aired live that evening at 9:00 p.m. ET on MTV. MTV originally announced that the show would never be re-aired in its entirety, but program listings eventually showed that that was not the case. Perhaps as a concession that TV viewing audiences for the VMAs were decreasing year over year, the 2007 VMAs were produced on a smaller budget and in front of a smaller crowd. Unlike in past years where the show was shown on MTV in 16:9 HDTV letterbox format, this year the ceremony was aired in 4:3 on the main channel. However, it was still produced in high definition, and was scheduled to air in full on MHD (now known as Palladia), Viacom's high definition channel, on September 22 at 9pm EDT. At the last minute however, a 'best of' 90 minute clip show aired instead.

The setting at the Palms was criticized for the small stage. Only four performances took place on the main stage, which consisted of a small layered stage that led off to a number of "island" stages that served as guests' tables. The tables then led to a smaller stage in the back, so that the performances could go a full 360.

Awards

Winners are in bold text

Video of the Year

Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) — "Umbrella"

• Beyoncé — "Irreplaceable"
• Justice — "D.A.N.C.E."
• Justin Timberlake — "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
• Kanye West — "Stronger"
• Amy Winehouse — "Rehab"

Male Artist of the Year

Justin Timberlake

• Akon
• Robin Thicke
• T.I.
• Kanye West

Female Artist of the Year

Fergie

• Beyoncé
• Nelly Furtado
• Rihanna
• Amy Winehouse

Best Group

Fall Out Boy

• Gym Class Heroes
• Linkin Park
• Maroon 5
• The White Stripes

Best New Artist

Gym Class Heroes

• Lily Allen
• Peter Bjorn and John
• Carrie Underwood
• Amy Winehouse

Quadruple Threat of the Year

Justin Timberlake

• Beyoncé
• Bono
• Jay-Z
• Kanye West

Most Earthshattering Collaboration

Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar"

• Akon (featuring Eminem) — "Smack That"
• Gwen Stefani (featuring Akon) — "The Sweet Escape"
• Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) — "SexyBack"
• U2 and Green Day — "The Saints Are Coming"

Monster Single of the Year

Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) — "Umbrella"

• Daughtry — "Home"
• Fall Out Boy — "Thnks fr th Mmrs"
• Avril Lavigne — "Girlfriend"
• Lil' Mama — "Lip Gloss (No Music)"
• Mims — "This Is Why I'm Hot"
• Plain White T's — "Hey There Delilah"
• Shop Boyz — "Party Like a Rockstar"
• T-Pain (featuring Yung Joc) — "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')"
• Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian) — "The Way I Are"

Best Director

Justin Timberlake — "What Goes Around... Comes Around" (Director: Samuel Bayer)

• Christina Aguilera — "Candyman" (Directors: Matthew Rolston and Christina Aguilera)
• Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar" (Director: Jake Nava)
• Linkin Park — "What I've Done" (Director: Joseph Hahn)
• Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) — "Umbrella" (Director: Chris Applebaum)
• Kanye West — "Stronger" (Director: Hype Williams)

Best Choreography in a Video

Justin Timberlake (featuring T.I.) — "My Love" (Choreographer: Marty Kudelka)

• Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar" (Choreographer: Frank Gatson)
• Chris Brown — "Wall to Wall" (Choreographers: Rich & Tone and Flii Styles)
• Ciara — "Like a Boy" (Choreographer: Jamaica Craft)
• Eve (featuring Swizz Beatz) — "Tambourine" (Choreographer: Tanisha Scott and Jamaica Craft)

Best Editing in a Video

Gnarls Barkley — "Smiley Faces" (Editor: Ken Mowe)

• Beyoncé and Shakira — "Beautiful Liar" (Editor: Jarrett Fijal)
• Linkin Park — "What I've Done" (Editor: Igor Kovalik)
• Justin Timberlake — "What Goes Around... Comes Around" (Editor: Hollee Singer)
• Kanye West — "Stronger" (Editors: Peter Johnson and Corey Weisz)

MTV2 On The Rise Contest

Flowers for Dorian won the MTV2 On The Rise contest. The prize for winning was getting flown to New York City to film 5 live videos in front of a green screen. The 5 videos were on Comcast's On Demand and one of the videos premiered at the VMAs. Flowers for Dorian's video for the song Love Remains premiered at the VMAs.

Performances

Unlike previous editions of the MTV Video Music Awards, 2007 brought, besides the main show venue, different suites, each with a host band performing and inviting special guests to perform. There were few Main Show performances, which happened at the same place where the awards were being televised. Mark Ronson performed at the Main Show with special guests.

Pre-show

• Nicole Scherzinger featuring Lil Wayne — "Whatever U Like" (MTV-mix)

Main Show

• Britney Spears — "Trouble" intro/"Gimme More"
• Chris Brown featuring Rihanna — "Wall to Wall"/"Umbrella" (Rihanna intermission)/"Billie Jean" (danced, not sung)/"Kiss Kiss" medley
• Linkin Park — "Bleed It Out" (surprise performance at Rain Night club)- with intro by Timbaland
• Alicia Keys — "No One"/"Freedom" medley
• Closing Medley by Timbaland and guests: Nelly Furtado — "Do It" / D.O.E. and Sebastian — "The Way I Are" rap interlude / Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson — "The Way I Are" / Justin Timberlake — "LoveStoned" / Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake — "Give It to Me"

Small Mark Ronson Band Performances at the Main Show

• Mark Ronson featuring Akon — "Smack That"
• Mark Ronson featuring Adam Levine — "Wake Up Call"
• Mark Ronson featuring Wale — "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E."
• Mark Ronson featuring Daniel Merriweather — "Stop Me"

Timbaland & Timberlake Fantasy Suite show

• T.I. (with beat-box by Justin Timberlake) — "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"
• Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland — "Chop Me Up"
• Petey Pablo — "Freak-a-Leek"
• 50 Cent featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland — "Ayo Technology"
• 50 Cent — "I Get Money"
• 50 Cent — "Straight To The Bank"/"In Da Club"

Fall Out Boy Fantasy Suite show

• Fall Out Boy — "Sugar, We're Goin Down"
• Rihanna featuring Fall Out Boy — "Shut Up and Drive"
• Fall Out Boy — "Thnks fr th Mmrs"
• Fall Out Boy — "Beat It"/"The Carpal Tunnel of Love" medley
• Fall Out Boy — Don't Matter
• Fall Out Boy — "Top Gun Anthem"
• Fall Out Boy featuring Lil Wayne and Brendon Urie — "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race"
• Gym Class Heroes featuring Ne-Yo and Patrick Stump — "Clothes Off!!"
• Gym Class Heroes — "The Queen And I"
• Panic! at the Disco — "Nine in the Afternoon"
• Cobra Starship featuring William Beckett and Travie McCoy — "Bring It (Snakes on a Plane)"
• Cobra Starship — "The Church of Hot Addiction"

Appearances

• Ashanti
• Sarah Silverman
• Eve
• Kevin Connolly
• Kid Rock
• Seth Rogen
• Adrian Grenier
• Bill Hader
• Rosario Dawson
• Megan Fox
• Jamie Foxx
• Jennifer Garner
• Paris Hilton
• Lauren Conrad
• Audrina Patridge
• Whitney Port
• Shia LaBeouf
• Nicole Sherzinger
• Jennifer Hudson
• Robin Thicke
• Nelly
• Mary J. Blige
• Dr. Dre
• Diddy
• Yung Joc
• Jermaine Paul
• Caitlin Upton
• Ryan Sheckler
• Ryan Leslie

Britney Spears's performance

Britney Spears opened the 2007 VMAs with a performance of her new single, "Gimme More". The performance had been highly hyped and anticipated by MTV, various other media outlets, by music critics and many millions of fans and the World in general as Spears's comeback performance, as this was Spears's first performance since The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004 in support of her fourth album In the Zone. Spears's growing media frenzy, obsession, scrutiny, attention and speculation caused wild antics in the past four years, it put the 2007 VMA performance a comeback performance.

Spears mimed to her song while wearing a revealing sequined outfit. Her male dancers were dressed in black suits with white dress shirts and the female dancers all wore black latex leggings. The performance was met with derision and disappointment by fans and critics alike. A media critic noted that Spears seemed confused and disoriented on stage and appeared to have forgotten the lyrics and dance moves to her performance. Despite the performance, the song became one of the biggest hits of Spears's career along with "...Baby One More Time" (1999), "Oops!...I Did It Again" (2000) and Toxic (2004). The performance increased the media frenzy surrounding Spears. In the months following the performance, Spears would go through a very public meltdown.

Although previously reported, illusionist Criss Angel did not play any part in the performance.

Internet celebrity and Britney Spears fan Chris Crocker released a video entitled "Leave Britney Alone!" on YouTube shortly after the event criticizing those who disregarded her performance and asking viewers to treat Spears with some respect. The video would become a hit on the internet.

Kid Rock/Tommy Lee altercation

Kid Rock and Tommy Lee were involved in an altercation at the Video Music Awards during the come-back performance of Alicia Keys. A source reported that Tommy Lee was sitting with magician Criss Angel when the two went to visit Diddy, who was sitting close to Kid Rock. Shortly after the two went over to see Diddy, "all hell broke loose," that source told Access Hollywood. It is reported that Kid Rock sucker punched Tommy Lee in his back. The two, both ex-husbands of Pamela Anderson were broken up, and both were escorted from the resort. Angel was removed a short time later. The cause of the fight is unknown.

TMZ.com reported that the Las Vegas Police questioned Kid Rock, but no arrests were made.

An eyewitness reported to TMZ that "Tommy got it pretty bad." The incident was confirmed by Palms Hotel and Casino public relations representative Larry Fink. MTV Host Sway Calloway said "Tommy Lee was sitting by P-Diddy and Kid Rock just got off stage and from what I saw he walked up to Lee and just decked him."

On-Air Reactions

• Presenter Jamie Foxx said "Let’s stop all of this white-on-white crime."
• Diddy made a remark that "It's not just the hip-hop artists that sometimes have a problem."

Non-Music Entertainment

Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007 - famous for her incoherent response to why she thought 1/5 of American's can't locate the US on a world map, which received millions of views on the internet on websites such as Youtube and third-runner up from Miss Teen USA - did a parody of her response when she was presenting.

Shia LaBeouf revealed the name of the fourth Indiana Jones film: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was confirmed by the official site.

Lineup changes

Amy Winehouse's record label canceled her performance for the show following Lily Allen's withdrawal from the event due to issues obtaining a visa. The two were rumored to perform a duet.

The French electronic group Justice were going to perform at the show with Mark Ronson during one of his VMA spots with an additional special guest. The group had to drop out due to their very, very late arrival in Las Vegas stemming from having to fly in from Europe.

Madonna was rumored to perform with Justin Timberlake according to various Canadian newspapers, but her publicist denied any involvement with the event.

See also

• Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica 2007
• MTV Video Music Awards
• MTV Europe Music Awards
• MTV Video Music Brazil

External links

• 2007 MTV Video Music Awards website