MTV Europe Music Awards 2007

04/11/2007

Presented on November 1st in Munich, Germany

EUROPE AND CANADA TRIUMPH AT THE 2007 MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS

Pop punk goddess Avril Lavigne was the biggest winner at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards held in Munich, Germany on 1 November 2007.  Lavigne, the biggest selling artist of 2007 so far, took home two awards - Most Addictive Track and Solo Artist of 2007, beating big names Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera for the prestigious Solo Artist title. 

Album of the Year was won by Nelly Furtado for the 7 million selling ‘Loose’, while 30 Seconds to Mars triumphed in the Rock Out category.  Linkin Park took home the gong for Band of 2007, while the on-going feud between Kanye West and Justice was settled once and for all when Justice won the Video Star prize for the second year in a row and taking their tally to two they also triumphed for France in their Regional category.  Winners for a second year running were the UK’s biggest rock act Muse scooping the best live act ‘Headliner’ Award and winning the UK & Ireland category.

More than 50 million votes were registered across Europe in the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, which totally reinvented itself this year to allow viewers and music fans to take control of nominations and voting for the all-new Award categories. 

Show-stopping performances on the night came from Foo Fighters, opening the evening with a medley comprising new single ‘The Pretender’ combined with a short musical homage to Sex Pistol’s classic 30th anniversary rock track ‘God Save the Queen’. Avril Lavigne, scorching in a figure-hugging corset, gave a blistering burlesque rendition of her smash hit ‘Hot’, while flamboyant Mika brought the crowd to their feet with an exploding black and white chessboard rendition of ‘Grace Kelly’. German pop phenomenon Tokio Hotel performed ‘Monsoon’ in a full-scale storm, complete with on stage rain, driving wind and electrifying storm visuals, while blistering performances from indie darlings Babyshambles, and a segued together Nicole Scherzinger and will.i.am rounded out the show.

In what was a whirlwind trip, Amy Winehouse touched down for a last minute rehearsal at the eleventh hour and pulled off a show stopping performance of Back To Black. She was rewarded for her efforts though with a special accolade, the 'Artists Choice' award. Put together over the last six months. MTV news crews around the world canvassed over 80 artists to pick their favourite fellow artist of the year....a peer who'd made the biggest impression. Big names in their droves, from Rihanna to Maroon 5, Fergie to Alicia Keys named Amy as their nomination...in the end she received over half of the votes, something of a landslide. 

The 14th annual Awards opened in typical over-the-top style with show host and hip hop debonair Snoop Dogg making a triumphal entry onto the stage in a vintage low-rise Cadillac emblazoned with the German flag, accompanied by leather-clad female motorcycle outriders and a full posse of female admirers. 

Strutting down the red carpet were a host of celebrities from the music, entertainment, fashion and sporting worlds including British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, actorJared Leto, glamorous British supermodel Lily Cole, Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder, R&B sensation and one third of Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland, German sporting icon Boris Becker, Craig David, Dave Gahan, Good Charlotte, Joss Stone, Michael Stipe, Serj Tankian, Muse and EMA digital host Wyclef Jean.

The show closed with a nail-biting live ‘reveal’ of the winner of the New Sounds of Europe Award – with the three contenders – Bedwetters (Estonia), Firma (Romania) and Yakup (Turkey) - lined up on stage to learn their fate from US R&B star Nelly Furtado.  This new Award category, launched in partnership with Sony Ericsson, celebrates emerging artists and gives MTV audiences a first look at the acts on the cusp of breaking onto the international stage. MTV audiences in the 18 markets were asked to nominate for their favourite up and coming artist to compete in a European-wide competition on the MTV and Sony Ericsson websites.   Voting then began for the 18 semi finalists to decide the artist, and country, who would ultimately wear the New Sounds of Europe Award crown.  Winners details not available at time of going to press.

WINNERS:

Rock Out
30 Seconds to Mars

Ultimate Urban
Rihanna

Band of 2007
Linkin Park

Most Addictive Track
Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend

Album of the Year
Nelly Furtado – Loose

International Act
Tokio Hotel

Headliner
Muse

Video Star
Justice – D.A.N.C.E

Solo Artist of 2007
Avril Lavigne

Artist's Choice
Amy Winehouse