August 11, 2006

Jack Black To Host MTV Video Music Awards; Promises To 'Bring The Thunder'

By Corey Moss (MTV.com)

MTV is going back to comedy and, more specifically, back to Black. Jack Black, who co-hosted the 2002 MTV Movie Awards, will emcee this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Black follows in the footsteps of Diddy, who hosted last year's event in Miami.

The 2004 VMAs had no host, meaning the last comedian to host was Chris Rock in 2003, a show that featured Black mocking Michael Jackson's "Artist of the Millennium" acceptance speech. Black also performed at the 2000 VMAs with his Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass.

"My plan is to bring the thunder," Black said in a statement. "I've got my top men working on it as we speak, in my thunder laboratory. Radio City Music Hall will never be the same."

The 2006 VMAs will be broadcast from New York's Radio City Music Hall on August 31 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, the Killers, Panic! at the Disco and T.I. are the first artists set to perform. Additional names will be announced in the coming weeks.

Black starred in Nacho Libre this summer and will return to theaters November 17 in Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny.

For the first time in VMA history, viewers will be able to vote for their favorites in all categories (not just Viewer's Choice).

Also this year, there will be two new categories for the online gaming community to vote on, through Xfire: Best Video Game Soundtrack and Best Video Game Score. Winners will be announced live on vma.mtv.com on August 31 during the MTV Overdrive broadcast.