MTV Video Music Awards (2001)

While last year's VMAs sucked, this one was much better. While MTV may not play videos till after midnight, and generally blows with shows like Spyder Games, the VMA's are pretty good.

This year's VMA was hosted by Jamie Foxx, who was better than his predecessors (all those off-color jokes for the last 2 years), instead doing Opera renditions of this years songs and rapping mary had a little lamb.

Oh, and I spent over an hour typing this, if there's a typo, /msg me.

The presenters:
Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Busta Rhymes. Nikka Costa, Sheryl Crow, DMX, Destiny's Child, Dream, Eve, Macy Gray, Janet Jackson, Jewel, Kid Rock, Lil' Kim, Mandy Moore, Mya, Moby, Nelly, Outkast, P. Diddy, Pink, Shakira, Jessica Simpson, Will Smith, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Will Ferrell, Mick Jagger, Chris Kattan, Johnny Knoxville, Ben Stiller, Tenacious D, Mark Wahlberg, Christopher Walken, Estella Warren

The perfomers:
Pre-show:  Alien Ant Farm, City High, Eve, Wyclef Jean
Main Show
 Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (who dedicated her performance to Aalyiah
 Nelly Furtado
 Michael Jackson (stunned everybody by appearing during N*Sync's performance, and drew a standing ovation
 Ja Rule (performed with Jennifer Lopez)
 Jay-Z did his outdoors
 Alicia Keys (the best performance I've seen, she furiously played the piano)
 Linkin Park
 Jennifer Lopez (cool salsa)
 Ludacris (not much more than spouting a few sentences during Get Ur Freak on)
 *NSYNC (one of the more hyped performances with props and surprises)
 Britney Spears (with a jungle theme, and holding a snake)
 Staind
 U2 (topping it off)

Now, the Videos:
The best video of the year:
Fatboy Slim- Weapon of Choice

Eminem f/ Dido- Stan

U2- 'Beautiful Day'

Winner:>> Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
 'Lady Marmalade'

Janet Jackson- 'All For You' Virgin Records

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'

Best Male Video Eminem f/ Dido- 'Stan'
Lenny Kravitz- 'Again'

Robbie Williams- 'Rock DJ'

Winner--
Moby f/ Gwen Stefani- 'South Side'

Nelly- 'Ride Wit Me'

Best Female Video
Madonna- 'Don't Tell Me'

Janet Jackson- 'All For You'

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'

Dido- 'Thank You'

Jennifer Lopez- 'Love Don't Cost A Thing'

Winner--
Eve f/ Gwen Stefani- 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind'

Best Group Video U2- 'Elevation Remix'

Winner--
*NSYNC- 'Pop'

Destiny's Child- 'Survivor'

Incubus- 'Drive'

Dave Matthews Band- 'I Did It'

Best Rap Video
Eminem f/ Dido- 'Stan'

Winner--
Nelly- 'Ride Wit Me'

Jay-Z- 'I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)'

Ja Rule f/ Lil' Mo & Vita- 'Put It On Me'

Snoop Dogg f/ Nate Dogg, Master P, Butch Cassidy & Tha Eastsidaz- 'Lay Low'

Best dance Video
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'

Janet Jackson- 'All For You'

Winner--
*NSYNC- 'Pop'

Jennifer Lopez- 'Love Don't Cost A Thing'

Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
 'Lady Marmalade'

Best Rock Video
Aerosmith- 'Jaded'

Winner--
Limp Bizkit- 'Rollin'

Weezer- 'Hash Pipe'

Linkin Park- 'Crawling'

Staind- 'It's Been A While'

Best Hip-Hop video (what's the fine line between Rap and Hip-Hop?)
Winner--
Outkast- 'Ms. Jackson'

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'

Eve f/ Gwen Stefani- 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind'

City High- 'What Would You Do?'

Black Eyed Peas f/ Macy Gray- 'Request Line'

Best Pop Video
Winner-- (Geez, why announce the other nominees?)
*NSYNC- 'Pop'

Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Lady Marmalade'

Britney Spears- 'Stronger'

Backstreet Boys- 'The Call'

Destiny's Child- 'Survivor'

Best New Artist
Coldplay- 'Yellow'

Sum 41- 'Fat lip'

Nikka Costa- 'Like A Feather'

David Gray- 'Babylon'

Winner--
Alicia Keys- 'Fallin''
She played live during the 2nd hour, and it might have been the best performance there. The girl can play a piano (understatement).

Best video from a film
Winner--
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Lady Marmalade' Interscope
Moulin Rouge

Destiny's Child- 'Independent Woman Part 1'
Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax
Charlie's Angels

U2- 'Elevation Remix'
Elektra/Interscope
Tomb Raider

DMX- 'No Sunshine'
Def Jam/Ruff Ryders/Blackground/Warner Bros.
Exit Wounds

K-Ci & JoJo- 'Crazy'
MCA/Hollywood/Paramount
Save The Last Dance

Best R&B Video
Jill Scott- 'Getting In the Way'

112- 'Peaches & Cream'

R. Kelly- 'I Wish'

Winner--
Destiny's Child- 'Survivor'

Sunshine Anderson- 'Heard It All Before'

Best Direction in a Video
Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'
Director: Spike Jonze

R.E.M.-  'Imitation of Life'
Director: Garth Jennings
Linkin Park- 'Crawling'
Directors: The Brothers Strause

Eminem f/ Dido- 'Stan'
Directors: Dr. Dre and Philip Atwell

Outkast- 'Ms. Jackson'
Director: F. Gary Gray

Best Choreography (shouldn't we consider this the same as dance?)
Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'
Choreographer: Spike Jonze, Michael Rooney and Christopher Walken

Madonna- 'Don't Tell Me'
Choreographer: Jamie King
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Lady Marmalade'
Choreographer: Tina Landon
Janet Jackson- 'All For You'
Choreographer: Shawnette Heard, Marty Kudelka and Roger Lee

Best Special Effects
Fatboy Slim-'Weapon of Choice'
Special Effects: Ben Gibbs and Sea Level

U2- 'Elevation Remix'
Special Effects: Pixel Envy and Chris Watts

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'
Special Effects: Glen Bennett

Robbie Williams- 'Rock DJ'
Special Effects: Carter White FX, Audio Motion and Clear Post Production

Best Art Direction
Aerosmith- 'Jaded'
Art Director: Laura Fox

Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'
Art Director: Val Wilt
Gorillaz- 'Clint Eastwood'
Art Directors: Pete Candeland and Jamie Hewlett

Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, Pink f/ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Lady Marmalade'
Art Director: Bernadette Dus

Best Video Editing (how is this different than cinematography?)
Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'
Editor: Eric Zumbrunnen

U2- 'Elevation Remix'
Editor: Joseph Kahn

*NSYNC- 'Pop'
Editor: Chrome

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'
Editor: Scott Richter

Best Cinematography
Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'
Director of Photography: Lance Acord

Aerosmith- 'Jaded'
Director of Photography: Thomas Kloss

Eminem f/ Dido- 'Stan'
Director of Photography: Dariusz (Darek) Wolski

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott- 'Get Ur Freak On'
Director of Photography: James Hawkinson

Best Breakthrough Video
Common- 'Geto Heaven'

Winner--
Fatboy Slim- 'Weapon of Choice'

Gorillaz- 'Clint Eastwood'

R.E.M.- 'Imitation of Life'

Robbie Williams- 'Rock DJ'

*NSYNC- 'Pop' (What so-called music aficionado would call *NSYNC breakthrough?!)

MTV Viewer's Choice Award
Winner--
*NSYNC- 'Pop'
Backstreet Boys- 'The Call'

Nelly- 'Ride Wit Me'

Destiny's Child- 'Independent Woman Part 1'

Limp Bizkit- 'My Way'

Eve f/ Gwen Stefani- 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind'