The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at MTV.com. The remaining, professional categories were chosen by a panel of music industry professionals. Unlike previous editions of the show, MTV announced the winners to the professional categories three days before the ceremony (September 4) via a press release, rather than on the pre-show or main show. The rest of the winners were announced during the ceremony. Comedian Russell Brand hosted the event. On September 4, 2008 it was announced that Britney Spears would open the event.
This year's awards were a huge improvement ratings-wise, seeing a 19% rise on last year with 8.4 million viewers. It was also a 23% advance over the 5.76 million who saw the 2006 ceremony. Although ratings improved, this year's video music awards was hosted at its smallest venue of its 25 year history. Britney Spears became the main winner of the night, walking away with three Moonmen: Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Pop Video all for "Piece of Me". Tokio Hotel won the viewers' voting for Best New Artist.
Read more about 2008 MTV Video Music Awards: 25th Anniversary, Appearances, Controversy, Censorship, Promotion
Famous quotes containing the words video and/or music:
“We attempt to remember our collective American childhood, the way it was, but what we often remember is a combination of real past, pieces reshaped by bitterness and love, and, of course, the video past—the portrayals of family life on such television programs as “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” and all the rest.”
—Richard Louv (20th century)
“I fear I agree with your friend in not liking all sermons. Some of them, one has to confess, are rubbish: but then I release my attention from the preacher, and go ahead in any line of thought he may have started: and his after-eloquence acts as a kind of accompaniment—like music while one is reading poetry, which often, to me, adds to the effect.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)