MTV Video Music Awards 2012: The Nominations

Below you'll find the main nominations for this year's MTV Video Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6. Rihanna and Drake lead the pack with five nominations each. Drake, folks...

And who the hell is still listening to M.I.A. at this point? Plus, "Wide Awake" for Video Of The Year? I guess I liked it enough... but video of the year?

Alicia Keys and One Direction (who are up for Best New Artist and Best Pop Video) are the first performers to be announced.

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"
Beyoncé, "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, "BURN 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"
K'Naan (feat. Nelly Furtado), "Is Anybody Out There?"
Lil Wayne, "How to Love"

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Pet Shop Boys Perform At Wimbledon: Watch

Above is a performance of "What Have I Done To Deserve This" (complete with projected Dusty Springfield) by Pet Shop Boys on Henman Hill at Wimbledon during Saturday's Olympics tennis match.

They also did "Always On My Mind" and new single "Winner," but who knows when footage that doesn't look like it was shot by a 6-year-old holding an iPhone upside down will turn up.

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It's Ellie Goulding's 'Halcyon' Album Cover

Out October 9 in the States, and a day before overseas. Glad we don't have to wait a whole effing year like we did with Lights.

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UK Chart Roundup: When Conor Maynard Nixes The Timberlake Thing, He'll Be Quite Good

Aw, little Conor Maynard. I gave this Justin Timberlake wannabe a decent review in an upcoming issue of Instinct for his album Contrast. He's kind of shit now, but has potential...if he ever develops his own sound.

The UK Top 10:

1. "Spectrum (Calvin Harris Remix)" - Florence + The Machine *3 weeks*
2. "Payphone" - Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa
3. "Black Heart" - Stooshe
4. "Vegas Girl" - Conor Maynard *new*
5. "Whistle" - Flo Rida
6. "Brokenhearted" - Karmin *new*
7. "Feel The Love" - Rudimental feat. John Newman
8. "Don't Wake Me Up" - Chris Brown
9. "This Is Love" - will.i.am feat Eva Simons
10. "We Are Young" - fun. feat. Janelle Monae

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Pet Shop Boys Unveil 'Elysium' Album Cover, Tracklist

The album cover and tracklist for Pet Shop Boys' 11th studio album Elysium (out September 18) were revealed on their official site today. Welcome to their "L.A. album"!

The duo's site notes:

"The double-CD and double-vinyl versions of Elysium will include instrumental versions of each song. The artwork was designed by Farrow and the version shown here is for the regular single-CD/digital download versions."

Here's the two-disc version:

I can personally say that "A face like that" is rather epic, in a late-'80s/early-'90s/Introspective kind of way, and is my favorite track off the new LP.

1. Leaving
2. Invisible
3. Winner
4. Your early stuff
5. A face like that
6. Breathing space
7. Ego music
8. Hold on
9. Give it a go
10. Memory of the future
11. Everything means something
12. Requiem in denim and leopardskin

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It's Scissor Sisters' "Let's Have A Kiki" Video (Finally)

Lost in all the London Olympics furor yesterday was the premiere of Scissor Sisters' video for third (and best) Magic Hour single "Let's Have A Kiki." If this somehow doesn't become a giant hit for the band, given that the song is one of the summer's viral breakout hits, then there is something seriously wrong with the universe.

The video, shot all in one take, is pretty rad. Watch through the very end to see Jake Shears practically collapse. You just know it took these sluts at least six tries to get this fucker right.

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It's The Killers' "Runaways" Video

The Killers' "Runaways" video has premiered, and I have to say, it's a pretty kick-ass clip. The band looks downright iconic while doing not much else than jamming while surrounded by darkness in the first half, then swathed in a dazzling array of colors and camera effects in the latter part. It's amazing what the right lighting can do.

Almost feels like they're pulling a bit from U2's "With Or Without You" vid.



"Runaways," the band's first single from upcoming album Battle Born (out September 18), debuted today on the Billboard Hot 100 at #78.

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