schmiggens
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Stars Arrive by Yacht at MTV Video Awards
Jessica Simpson, Usher and Other Pop Stars Arrive by Yacht at MTV Video Awards in Miami
MIAMI Aug. 29, 2004 — An already broiling Miami had even more sizzle on Sunday as MTV brought the annual party known as the Video Music Awards to the city for the first time in the awards' 21-year history.
The change of scenery for the awards, typically held in New York or Los Angeles, helped raise the decadence level at the already raucous, celebrity-soaked affair.
The show kicked off with Usher getting soaked, literally, as a simulated raindrops fell on his chiseled, bare chest as he sang his hit ballad "Confessions." Later, there were more special effects as dancers came tumbling down from the rafters, suspended by cables during his rendition of the No. 1 smash "Yeah!" with Lil Jon and Ludacris.
A few moments later, Will Smith along with the newest member of the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat, Shaquille O'Neal handed out the first major award of the night, for best pop video, captured by the group No Doubt for "It's My Life."
It was an explosive start to an already lavish night.
Stars such as Usher and Jessica Simpson arrived on the red carpet not by car, but by luxury yacht. Simpson, glamorously attired in a white dress with a silver bodice, arrived with husband and "Newlyweds" co-star Nick Lachey in a 68-foot boat. Rappers Lil Jon, Ludacris and his posse which included director John Singleton arrived in their yacht with drinks in tow.
The biggest entrance, of course, came from P. Diddy. Dressed in a white suit and with a Mohawk haircut, he arrived in a towering yacht along with rapper Ma$e, Naomi Campbell and Bruce Willis.
The scene outside the AmericanAirlines Arena, where the awards were being held, was frenzied as the awards drew close. Performers such as Jadakiss rocked an energetic crowd while stars walked the red carpet, showing off their fashions or lack thereof. Lil' Kim looked anything but as she almost busted out of the skimpy top of her flowing dress.
The awards cap what has already been a weeklong celebration in the city, as celebrities such as P. Diddy, Paris Hilton and R. Kelly held star-studded parties leading up to Sunday's festivities.
"Everyone just wanted the excuse to go down to Miami for the weekend," said MTV President Van Toffler.
The leading nominee was Jay-Z, whose black-and-white, haunting "99 Problems" was nominated for six trophies, including video of the year. His competitors in that category were OutKast's "Hey Ya!," Usher featuring Lil' Jon & Ludacris' "Yeah!," Britney Spears' sexy "Toxic," and D12's comedic "My Band."
Each year, the awards inevitably take a backseat to the wildness, surprises and debauchery that mark the tone of the show. But this year, after the criticism of last year's Britney Spears-Madonna kiss and the breast-flashing of Janet Jackson at the MTV-produced Super Bowl halftime show, MTV was taking precautions to prevent any additional firestorms.
For the first time, there will be a several-second tape-delay of the live broadcast (the network has used an audio delay for years).
Among other changes will be the lack of a single host. There will also be more cameras to give fans at home more angles to ogle the stars.
"It will be a much more interactive show," Toffler said.
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Usher rains supreme
Show stopper ... Usher on stage
CHECK out USHER’s six-pack, laydeez – as the Yeah man scores a splash hit at the MTV Video Music Awards by taking an on-stage shower.
The R&B star’s trousers were tantalisingly close to falling down. But, alas, not close enough.
Wonderful ... Stevie and Alicia
Lush Ush wasn’t the only eye candy for girls, though.
Guitar god LENNY KRAVITZ was bursting with flex appeal in tight jeans. He was joined on stage by ALICIA KEYS and pop legend STEVIE WONDER.
BUSTED boys MATT JAY, JAMES BOURNE and CHARLIE SIMPSON flew the flag for Britain and gave Usher a run for his money in the baggy trousers department.
EM TV ... presented Emma Bunton
NELLY got Dirrty for a raunchy duet with gorgeously glam CHRISTINA AGUILERA who looked like Roxie Hart from the musical Chicago.
Bust of British ... Busted boys
EMMA BUNTON dazzled as she covered the Miami awards on Sunday for telly show T4 – and Nelly and Busted all beelined for her on the red carpet beforehand.
Zittin' it out ... no-show Britney
Christina admitted she’s dying to marry record exec fiancé JORDAN BRATMAN. She said: “I’m very much in love and can’t wait to have a glamorous wedding.”
Strum yum ... Kravitz
Meanwhile BRITNEY SPEARS looked as bad as rival Christina looked good. She missed the awards to hang out with her loser fiancé KEVIN FEDERLINE – and her chin-full of spots – in Malibu.
Sort it out, Britney.
HERE are the main winners:
Best Video, Outkast – Hey Ya;
Best Male Video, Usher – Yeah;
Best Female Video, Beyonce – Naughty Girl;
Best Group Video, No Doubt – It’s My Life;
Best Rap Video, Jay-Z – 99 Problems;
Best R&B Video, Alicia Keys – If I Ain’t Got You;
Best Hip Hop Video, Outkast – Hey Ya;
Best Dance Video, Usher – Yeah;
Best Rock Video, Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl?;
Best Pop Video, No Doubt – It’s My Life.
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Jay-Z's got "99 Problems," but winning VMAs ain't one.
The rapper's controversial clip is off to a fast start at the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, with four early wins: Best Rap Video, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Cinematography.
"I was trying to push the envelope ... and this is my reward," Jay, in sunglasses and a straw hat, said as he accepted Best Rap Video before slyly acknowledging his girl. "What up, B!"
The Destiny's Child singer answered with a "What up, Jay!" after accepting the Best Female Video for the second year in a row, this time for "Naughty Girl."
Best Male went to Usher — his first VMA — for "Yeah!" featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, while Alicia Keys nabbed Best R&B Video for "If I Ain't Got You," beating out Beyoncé and Usher, among others.
Other than Jay-Z, so far only Outkast have won multiple Moonmen, with "Hey Ya!" taking the Best Special Effects and Best Art Direction trophies.
No Doubt took home Best Pop Video for "It's My Life," the first award handed out in the main show (by Will Smith and a shockingly thin Shaquille O'Neal). Gwen Stefani and the guys won in the same category in 2002 for "Hey Baby."
Other winners so far include Jet, who took Best Rock Video for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"; Franz Ferdinand, who scored the Breakthrough Video award for "Take Me Out"; and the Black Eyed Peas, who won Best Choreography for "Hey Mama."
Usher kicked off the show by singing "Confessions, Pt. II" while water poured on his chiseled bare arms. Midway through, while he ad-libbed lines about the VMAs, it became clear he was singing into a mirror, which he later shattered as he busted into "Yeah!" with the help of Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Jet, Hoobastank and Yellowcard also performed early on, serving the rowdy American Airlines Arena audience with back-to-back-to-back hits: "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," "The Reason" and "Ocean Avenue," respectively.
The crowd got another trio of hits a few minutes later, although this time all from the same artist: red-hot Kanye West. The rapper/producer opened with "Jesus Walks" with stained glass windows dropping from the ceiling and a choir following West around the arena. "All Falls Down" and "Through the Wire" followed, the latter featuring Chaka Khan singing the hook.
Having rested up after providing his signature screams for "Yeah!," Lil Jon returned to the stage with his East Side Boyz for "Get Low," which launched a hip-hop medley that included Ying Yang Twins' "Salt Shaker," Petey Pablo's "Freek-A-Leak" and Terror Squad's "Lean Back." Fat Joe and his posse's summer anthem had all the celebs doing the song's dance, from Usher to Queen Latifah to Bruce Willis.
Before the main show, with the red carpet set up along the shore, artists had plenty of options for grand entrances, many of which were made by yacht. "We about to go to the Bahamas and just skip the VMAs," Ludacris said as he stepped off a vessel with Lil Jon. (P. Diddy shared his boat with Bruce Willis, Mase and Naomi Campbell, while Jessica Simpson rode hers with hubby Nick Lachey.)
Usher, who like Luda and many others came in a white suit, was the first to arrive by water, on a massive silver yacht. "I wanted not only the sexiest and flyest boat, but also the fastest," he said.
The Beastie Boys took the opposite approach, arriving on the same swamp burner the trio rode in their "Ch-Check It Out" video.
The pre-show performances got off to a hip-hop start with Jadakiss leading a parade of picketers — carrying signs like "Power to the People" and "Speak Out" — to the outdoor stage while he and Anthony Hamilton performed their hit "Why."
Later, Ashlee Simpson performed her smash single "Pieces of Me," after which the stage was literally taken over by New Found Glory, who pounded through "All Downhill From Here."
"99 Problems" came into the evening as the most nominated video with six nods, one more than "Hey Ya!" (see "Jay-Z, Beyonce, No Doubt, Outkast Lead Pack Of VMA Nominees"). Usher, Beyoncé and No Doubt are also favorites with five nominations each.
After 20 years in New York or Los Angeles, the Video Music Awards are broadcasting live from Miami, where many of the biggest names in hip-hop party ... and record a little too
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No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, who is married to British rocker Gavin Rossdale, won the best pop video award for It's My Life
A series of stars literally floated into Miami at the weekend, when the MTV Music Video Awards came to town. Big names like Usher, Will Smith and Jessica Simpson arrived to the glitzy prizegiving in luxury boats instead of limousines.
It was the inimitable P Diddy who stole the show, making his entrance on a huge yacht along with Bruce Willis and Naomi Campbell. But once inside the American Airlines Arena, Beyonce's leading man took the limelight. Jay-Z, who was accompanied by his chart-topping partner, took home four awards thanks to his hit single 99 Problems.
Hip-hop duo OutKast managed to equal Jay-Z's tally, by winning the gongs for best video, best hip-hop video, best special effects and best art direction. And R&B hunk Usher also made quite an impression when he gave a bare-chested rendition of his hit Confessions under an artificial rain shower.
But perhaps the most memorable performance of the night came from R&B diva Alicia Keys, who took to the stage with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder to sing her song If I Ain't Got You.
The annual MTV Awards are normally staged in New York or Los Angeles, but this year it was decided to move them to Florida. The extra distance didn't stop a roll-call of A-list names turning out for the event, though. "Everyone just wanted the excuse to go down to Miami for the weekend," said MTV president Van Toffler.
Hip-hop impresario P Diddy, sporting a mohican, arrives with Naomi Campbell and Bruce Willis
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The MTV video awards are all about music clips, of course, but what would the famed ceremony be without a glitzy line-up of stars on the red carpet?
Jennifer Lopez re-emerged in the spotlight showing off her newlywed glow – and her bronze Miami tan – in a strapless beige ensemble. Hubby Marc Anthony, wearing an oversized pair of shades, was also on hand for the festivities, but arrived separately from his famous wife.
The awards took place in Florida, but Beyonce Knowles was all about Las Vegas glam, with a gold jacket and hotpants helping set off her fuller, blonde hairstyle. And the Destiny's Child frontwoman wasn't the only sexy blonde on the red carpet, as both Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani sported head-turning platinum looks.
Retro glamour was the name of the day for both music divas, with Beautiful chart-topper Christina looking like a Twenties flapper in a sparkling silver gown. No Doubt singer Gwen opted for colourful Fifties siren, donning a crimson pencil skirt and pale blue bustier-style top, completing the look with a red blossom in her hair.
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AGUILERA'S DUET WITH NELLY ALMOST CANCELED
Pop beauty Christina Aguilera was reportedly on the verge of axing her duet with Nelly at the MTV Video Music Awards because their entourages clashed endlessly.
The singer, 23, almost pulled out of her performance of "Tilt Ya Head Back" with rapper Nelly at this year's award show, following several heated disagreements between the stars' parties.
A source says, "Nelly and Christina Aguilera's camps were having serious issues about the VMA performance. Both artists' entourages were fighting over the least little thing.
"Twice, Nelly's camp thought Christina was going to pull out of the show. The sad part is that both Nelly and Christina get along fine. It's the handlers that are causing all of the fuss."
Last edited by schmiggens on 08-31-2004 at 07:54 AM |
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08-31-2004 03:21 AM
) until they show it on TV over here though. Good job I am patient! 
