August 28, 2008

Kanye West, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Katy Perry Videos Pick Up More VMA Nominations

By Chris Harris (MTV.com)

We're less than two weeks away from the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, but there's still some business to take care of before the big show is beamed live from Los Angeles' Paramount Pictures Studios on September 7. On Wednesday (August 27), MTV announced the nominees in this year's "professional categories," including Best Special Effects and Best Editing.

Two of Chris Brown's videos ("Kiss Kiss" and "Forever") netted nods in the Best Choreography category, which means Brown could end up walking away from the VMAs with five Moonmen under his arms; he's also in the running for Video of the Year, Best Dancing in a Video and Best Male Video. Chris will face off against the Pussycat Dolls (who earned another nomination for their video "When I Grow Up"), Gnarls Barkley's "Run" and Adele, who picks up her first VMA nomination for "Chasing Pavements."

Rihanna's "Take a Bow" is among the nominees in the Best Direction category, as are Panic at the Disco's "Nine in the Afternoon," the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up," Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day" and Erykah Badu's "Honey." Badu's video was also recognized in the Best Editing field, with Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart," Weezer's "Pork and Beans," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and Ne-Yo's "Closer" also getting nominations.

Kanye West picked up his second nomination this week, as "Good Life" could take the Best Special Effects Moonman. But 'Ye faces stiff competition from the likes of Missy Elliott's "Ching-a-Ling/Shake Your Pom Pom"), Coldplay's "Violet Hill," Linkin Park's "Bleed It Out" and, again, Badu's "Honey." Badu will be up for a total of four trophies next month, as that video also nabbed a nomination for Best Cinematography, along with Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Possess Your Heart," the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and the White Stripes' "Conquest."

The Stripes' also scored a nod for "Conquest" in the Best Art Direction category. They'll contend with Gnarls Barkley's "Run," the Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up," MGMT's "Electric Feel" and Perry's "I Kissed a Girl."

This year's VMAs, hosted by British comic and Forgetting Sarah Marshall co-star Russell Brand, will feature just-announced live performances by Rihanna, T.I., Pink and Paramore, as well as the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne and Kid Rock.


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Chris Brown (featuring T-Pain) - "Kiss Kiss"
Choreographer: Flii Stylz

Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
Choreographer: Mikey Rooney

Chris Brown - "Forever"
Choreographers: Tone & Rich

Adele - "Chasing Pavements"
Choreographer: Marguerite Derricks

Pussycat Dolls - "When I Grow Up"
Choreographer: Robin Antin/ Mikey Minden


BEST DIRECTION
Panic at the Disco - "Nine in the Afternoon"
Director: Shane Drake

Linkin Park - "Shadow of the Day"
Director: Joe Hahn

Rihanna - "Take a Bow"
Director: Anthony Mandler

Erykah Badu - "Honey"
Director: Erykah Badu/ Mr. Roboto

Pussycat Dolls - "When I Grow Up"
Director: Joseph Kahn


BEST EDITING
Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Editor: Aaron Stewart-Ahn / Jeff Buchanan

Katy Perry - "I Kissed A Girl"
Editor: Tom Lindsay

Weezer - "Pork and Beans"
Editor: Jeff Consiglio/ Colin Woods

Ne-Yo - "Closer"
Editor: Clark Eddy

Erykah Badu - "Honey"
Editor: T. David Binns


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Cinematographer: Aaron Stewart Ahn/ Shawn Kim

White Stripes - "Conquest"
Cinematographer: Wyatt Troll

Pussycat Dolls - "When I Grow Up"
Cinematographer: Christopher Probst

Erykah Badu - "Honey"
Cinematography: Crash/ Karsten Gopinath

Katy Perry - "I Kissed a Girl"
Cinematographer: Simon Thirlaway


BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Missy Elliott - "Ching-a-Ling/Shake Your Pom Pom"
Special Effects: Les Umberger of Elicit Effects

Linkin Park - "Bleed It Out"
Special Effects: David Lebensfeld/ Adam Catino of Ingenuity Engine

Coldplay - "Violet Hill"
Special Effects: Gregory de Maria

Erykah Badu - "Honey"
Special Effects: X1FX

Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) - "Good Life"
Special Effects: SoMe/ Jonas & François


BEST ART DIRECTION
Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
Art Director: Happy/ Kells Jesse

MGMT - "Electric Feel"
Art Director: Sophie Kosofsky

Pussycat Dolls - "When I Grow Up"
Art Director: Marcelle Gravel

Katy Perry - "I Kissed a Girl"
Art Director: Benji Bamps

White Stripes - "Conquest"
Art Director: David Fitzpatrick