MTV Video Music Awards 2012: Rihanna and Drake lead nominees
Story by Jack Foley
RIHANNA and Drake lead the nominees going into this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.
Both artists earned five nominations each, with their duet Take Care up for Video of the Year, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.
Rihanna’s We Found Love is in the running for the ceremony’s top prize, Video fo the Year, along with Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know, M.I.A.’s Bad Girls and Katy Perry’s Wide Awake.
This year’s ceremony will also introduce a new award category this year, Best Electronic Dance Music Video, which is being contested by Duck Sauce, Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Martin Solveig and Aviccii.
Other big announcements concerning the ceremony included the fact that One Direction will perform live, along with Alicia Keys, who is also set to debut a new song live on stage during the show.
One Direction will also vy for their own award on the night, having been nominated in the Best New Artist category along with fun., Carly Rae Jepsen, Frank Ocean and fellow British boy-band The Wanted.
This year’s ceremony takes place at L.A.’s Staples Center on Thursday, September 6, 2012.
The nominees are:
Video of the Year
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
Best New Artist
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
Best Hip-Hop Video
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
Best Male Video
Justin Bieber, Boyfriend
Frank Ocean, Swim Good
Drake feat. Rihanna, Take Care
Chris Brown, Turn Up the Music
Usher, Climax
Best Female Video
Rihanna, We Found Love
Katy Perry, Part of Me
Beyonce, Love on Top
Nicki Minaj, Starships
Selena Gomez & The Scene, Love You Like a Love Song
*Best Pop Video
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
Best Rock Video
Coldplay, Paradise
The Black Keys, Lonely Boy
Linkin Park, Buen it Down
Jack White, Sixteen Saltines
Imagine Dragons, It’s Time
Best Electronic Dance Music Video
Duck Sauce, Big Bad Wolf
Calvin Harris, Feel So Close
Skrillex, First of the Year (Equinox)
Martin Solveig, The Night Out
Avicii, Le7els
Best Video With a Message
Demi Lovato, Skyscraper
Rise Against, Ballad of Hollis Brown
Kelly Clarkson, Dark Side
Gym Class Heroes, The Fighter