Celebrity Watch: 2012 MTV Video Music Awards: The Nominations Are In!

Drake and Rihanna lead the pack with five nods each at the awards show, airing live on September 6 at 8 p.m. EST.
By Gil Kaufman

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/rihanna/artist.jhtml/">Rihanna</a> and <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/drake/artist.jhtml">Drake</a> are bound to cross paths during the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/">2012 MTV Video Music Awards</a>. Following a year when both singers pushed the boundaries of their sound by mixing in even more dance and R&B flavor, the pair lead all nominees at this year's awards with five nods each.<div class="player-placeholder right" title="The 2012 Video Music Award Nominees Are..." id="vid:820732.id:1690828" width="415" height="255"></div>Rihanna, in fact, has two chances to take home the night's biggest prize, as she's up for Video of the Year for her solo hit "We Found Love" and her duet with Drizzy on his "Take Care." This year's show will air live on September 6 at 8 p.m. EST from the Staples Center in Los Angeles and feature performances from four-time VMA veteran Alicia Keys and VMA first-timers One Direction.Last year's big winner, Katy Perry, is not far behind with four nominations on a show that will also shine a light on the global EDM explosion with a Best Electronic Dance Music Video category featuring such bold-faced names as Avicii, Martin Solveig, Skrillex, Calvin Harris and Duck Sauce.Rihanna will also duke it out for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and possibly get on the board in a number of professional categories, including Best Choreography and Best Visual Effects.Drake's nominations include bids for Best Hip-Hop Video and Best Male Video, as well as Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.<big><a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/categories.jhtml">What are you waiting for? Start voting for the 2012 VMAs now!</a></big>A bumper crop of acts are in the running with three nominations, among them Beyoncé, Coldplay, Frank Ocean, M.I.A. and the Throne. A couple of VMA newbies also got multiple nominations, including Gotye, Lana Del Rey, Fun., Avicii, and Skrillex. Among the fresh faces getting on the board with one bid are: A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Imagine Dragons, Of Monsters & Men and the Wanted.The video of the year category is super tight, with Perry's gothic sleepwalk <a href="/news/articles/1687697/katy-perry-wide-awake-reality.jhtml">"Wide Awake"</a> and Rihanna's love on the edge clip <a href="/news/articles/1672801/rihanna-we-found-love-video.jhtml">"We Found Love"</a> facing off against Gotye's inescapable, paint-splattered clip for "Somebody That I Used To Know," M.I.A.'s desert ghost riding "Bad Girls" and Drake and Rih's atmospheric "Take Care." The Best New Artist race is a MTV <a href="/news/articles/1690638/opening-ceremony-summer-jams-games.jhtml">Summer Jam Olympics-style</a> stroll through the songs that have defined the year, from Fun.'s "We Are Young," to <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jepsen_carly_rae/artist.jhtml">Carly Rae Jepsen</a>'s "Call Me Maybe," Frank Ocean's "Swim Good," One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" and the Wanted's "Glad You Came."<a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/2012-mtv-video-music-awards-nominees/1690852/7371191/photo.jhtml#7371191"><big>For photos of the nominated videos, click here.</big></a>Kanye West has two shots at the Best Hip-Hop Video crown, one on his own for "Mercy," and another as part of the Throne for the flashy "Paris." Those two will go up against Childish Gambino's "Heartbeat," Drake and Lil Wayne's "HYFR" and Nicki Minaj's "Beez in the Trap."Justin Bieber is among a number of double nominees, with love in the Best Male Video race (where he'll face Ocean, Drake and Rihanna's "Take Care," Chris Brown and Usher) and the Best Pop Video (One Direction, Fun., Rihanna and Maroon 5).The Best Video With a Message category is back, led by Demi Lovato's "Skyscraper," Rise Against's "Ballad of Hollis Brown," Kelly Clarkson's "Dark Side," Gym Class Heroes' "The Fighter," Lil Wayne's "How to Love" and K'Naan's "Is Anybody Out There?"<div class="player-placeholder right" title="One Direction Are Looking Forward To Their First VMAs" id="vid:820739.id:1690828" width="415" height="255"></div> Beginning Tuesday (July 31) at 6 a.m. EST, viewers can vote for general VMA categories, including Video of the Year, Best New Artist and more by visiting <a href="http://www.vma.com" rel="nofollow">vma.mtv.com</a> online or <a href="http://m.mtv.com">m.mtv.com</a> on their mobile phone. In addition, Best New Artist is available for voting via all wireless carrier subscribers by texting BNA to 22444 or by visiting MTV's official Facebook page.Voting for all VMA categories, except Best New Artist, will end on August 24 at 6 p.m. ET. Voting for Best New Artist continues through the show on September 6. Verizon subscribers can vote on all categories via SMS by texting "VMA" to 22444 (standard message rates apply.) In addition voters who text "VMA" to 22444 are automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2013 Video Music Awards.Full List of 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees:<a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/video-of-the-year/">Video of the Year</a> Katy Perry, "Wide Awake" Gotye, "Somebody That I Used To Know" Rihanna, "We Found Love" Drake feat. Rihanna, "Take Care" M.I.A., "Bad Girls" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-new-artist/">Best New Artist</a> Fun. feat. Janelle Monae, "We Are Young" Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe" Frank Ocean, "Swim Good" One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful" The Wanted, "Glad You Came" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-hip-hop-video/">Best Hip-Hop Video</a> Childish Gambino, "Heartbeat" Drake feat. Lil Wayne, "HYFR" Kanye West feat. Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz, "Mercy" Watch the Throne, "Paris" Nicki Minaj feat. 2 Chainz, "Beez in the Trap" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-male-video/">Best Male Video</a> Justin Bieber, "Boyfriend" Frank Ocean, "Swim Good" Drake feat. Rihanna, "Take Care" Chris Brown, "Turn Up the Music" Usher, "Climax" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-female-video/">Best Female Video</a> Rihanna, "We Found Love" Katy Perry, "Part of Me" Beyoncé, "Love on Top" Nicki Minaj, "Starships" Selena Gomez & The Scene, "Love You Like a Love Song" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-pop-video/">Best Pop Video</a> One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful" Fun. feat. Janelle Monae, "We Are Young" Rihanna, "We Found Love" Justin Bieber, "Boyfriend" Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa, "Payphone" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-rock-video/">Best Rock Video</a> Coldplay, "Paradise" The Black Keys, "Lonely Boy" Linkin Park, "BURN IT DOWN" Jack White, "Sixteen Saltines" Imagine Dragons, "It's Time" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-electronic-dance-music-video/">Best Electronic Dance Music Video</a> Duck Sauce, "Big Bad Wolf" Calvin Harris, "Feel So Close" Skrillex, "First of the Year (Equinox)" Martin Solveig, "The Night Out" Avicii, "Le7els" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-video-with-a-message/">Best Video With a Message</a> Demi Lovato, "Skyscraper" Rise Against, "Ballad of Hollis Brown" Kelly Clarkson, "Dark Side" Gym Class Heroes, "The Fighter" K'Naan feat. Nelly Furtado, "Is Anybody Out There?" Lil Wayne, "How to Love" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-art-direction/">Best Art Direction</a> Katy Perry, "Wide Awake" Drake feat. Rihanna, "Take Care" Lana Del Rey, "Born to Die" Regina Spektor, "All the Rowboats" Of Monsters & Men, "Little Talks" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-choreography/">Best Choreography</a> Chris Brown, "Turn Up the Music" Rihanna, "Where Have You Been" Beyoncé, "Countdown" Avicii, "Le7els" Jennifer Lopez f/Pitbull, "Dance Again" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-cinematography/">Best Cinematography</a> M.I.A., "Bad Girls" Adele, "Someone Like You" Drake feat. Rihanna, "Take Care" Coldplay feat. Rihanna, "Princess of China" Lana Del Rey, "Born to Die" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-direction/">Best Direction</a> M.I.A., "Bad Girls" Duck Sauce, "Big Bad Wolf" Coldplay feat. Rihanna, "Princess of China" Frank Ocean, "Swim Good" Watch the Throne, "Otis" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-editing/">Best Editing</a> Beyoncé, "Countdown" A$AP Rocky, "Goldie" Gotye, "Somebody That I Used to Know" Watch the Throne, "Paris" Kanye West feat. Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz, "Mercy" <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/best-editing/">Best Visual Effects</a> Katy Perry, "Wide Awake" Rihanna, "Where Have You Been" David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, "Turn Me On" Linkin Park, "BURN IT DOWN" Skrillex, "First of the Year (Equinox)"Who are you voting for for the <a href="http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/">2012 MTV Video Music Awards</a>? Leave your picks in the comments section below!

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