So, Panic! At The Disco won the overall Video Of The Year prize at last night's MTV VMAs for the pop promo to their song 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies', which is nice. They beat fellow nominees Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the prize. James Blunt took Best Male Video and Best Cinematography for 'You're Beautiful', while Kelly Clarkson won Best Female Video for 'Because Of You'. Shakira, nominated in seven categories, took home just the one, Best Choreography for 'Hips Don't Lie'. Madonna, nominated for five gongs, won none.
For list fans (or those who don't have six and half days to extract the information from MTV's very flash but completely unusable VMAs website), the winners in the major categories at last night's big bash ran as follows:
Video Of The Year: Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Male Video: James Blunt - You're Beautiful
Female Video: Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You
Group Video: The All-American Rejects - Move Along
Rap Video: Chamillionaire - Ridin'
R&B Video: Beyonce Featuring Slim Thug And Bun B - Check On It
Hip-Hop Video: Black Eyed Peas - My Humps
Dance Video: Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons
Rock Video: AFI - Miss Murder
Pop Video: Pink - Stupid Girls
New Artist In A Video: Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country
Video Game Soundtrack: Marc Ecko's Getting Up (Atari)
Video Game Score: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Jeremy Soule)
Ringtone Of The Year: Fort Minor - Where'd You Go
Viewer's Choice: Fall Out Boy - Dance Dance
Press coverage of the awards, which returned to New York after two years in Miami, generally concluded that the whole event was a bit lacklustre. The highlight of the evening seemingly occurred outside the party, where Mos Def was arrested for 'disorderly conduct' after staging an impromptu performance atop a flatbed truck. The rapper was reportedly performing a new track that is critical of the Bush regime's response to Hurricane Katrina last year. Police apparently initially allowed the performance of one track after one of Mos Def's entourage claimed they had a permit to be there, but officers then started to arrest the rapper's people after a request to end the show was ignored.
Mos Def's publicist has subsequently claimed the NYPD's treatment of the rapper and his entourage was excessive, telling reporters: "Mos Def was unjustly arrested tonight while performing on a flatbed truck in New York City outside the Video Music Awards. Mos Def was not out to break any laws. His only goal was to heighten the awareness of a serious situation that still exists in our country. He does not want people to forget that although it's one year later, the people and cities hit by the hurricane still need the help of the American people". Members of the rapper's entourage reportedly filmed the whole thing, and a video is expected to be posted on a website sometime soon.
Finally in VMAs news, Gwen Stefani has issued a statement denying US press reports that her non-attendance at the awards bash was a protest at the "shoddy treatment" she received at last year's event. Stefani said yesterday: "Despite what you may have heard, the only reason I am not attending the MTV Video Music Awards is because I will be recording and spending time with my family. Any other speculation out there is false. I congratulate all of this year's performers and nominees and I look forward to being back at the VMAs next year". Whether she plans to perform any politically contentious songs in a truck outside VMAs 2007 is not clear, though MTV bosses might be hoping she does, given the critical response to their 2006 event.