Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Usher, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry, T.I., Jordin Sparks and Flo Rida Nab MoonMan Nods for '2008 Video Music Awards' Best Female Video and Best Male Video Nominees

Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Usher, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry, T.I., Jordin Sparks and Flo Rida Nab MoonMan Nods for '2008 Video Music Awards' Best Female Video and Best Male Video Nominees

British Comedian Russell Brand Set To Host Star-Studded Award Show Airing Live On Sunday, September 7th, 2008

NEW YORK, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- "And the MoonMan goes to!!!" Well, we don't know that yet but on Sunday, September 7th a few names you may hear when envelopes are opened and winners revealed are Britney, Mariah, Rihanna, Usher, Chris or Katy. Beginning on Friday, July 18th, MTV (http://www.mtv.com/) viewers began their contribution to the 2008 Video Music Awards by helping to decide this year's nominees for "Best Female Video" and Best Male Video" guaranteed to create an award show with the music they want to hear and see. As previously announced, MTV's 25th annual Video Music Awards will be hosted by comedian/actor Russell Brand and will air live and only one time in its original incarnation, on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 9pm (Live ET/Tape Delayed PT). Host, presenters and additional performers will be announced at a later date.

Artists nominated for the coveted MoonMan in the "Best Female Video" category include Britney Spears (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml) for her video "Piece of Me." Other talented ladies nominated in the "Best Female Video" category include the always fabulous diva Mariah Carey (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/carey_mariah/artist.jhtml), Rihanna (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/rihanna/artist.jhtml), Jordin Sparks (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jordin_sparks/artist.jhtml) and talented "girl kissing" newcomer Katy Perry (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/katy_perry/artist.jhtml). And now for the men ... nominees for "Best Male Video" are Usher (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/usher/artist.jhtml), Chris Brown (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/brown__chris__18_/artist.jhtml), Flo Rida (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/flo_rida/artist.jhtml), T.I. (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/t_i_/artist.jhtml) and Lil Wayne (http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/lil_wayne/artist.jhtml). Each Friday night at 8pm ET/PT on "FNMTV" (http://www.mtv.com/ontv/fn-mtv, two new categories will be announced and open for viewers to vote for their favorite artists and videos at vma.mtv.com or from their Verizon Wireless mobile phone by texting the name of the artist to 23882. Categories currently open for viewers voting are "Best Hip Hop Video and "Best Pop Video."

   AND THE NOMINEES ARE ...    BEST FEMALE VIDEO:    Britney Spears -- "Piece of Me"   Britney Spears   "Piece of Me"   Blackout   Jive/Zomba Label Group   Director: Wayne Isham    Jordin Sparks -- "No Air"   Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown   "No Air"   Jordin Sparks   19/Jive/Zomba Label Group   Director: Chris Robinson    Katy Perry -- "I Kissed A Girl"   Katy Perry   "I Kissed A Girl"   One Of The Boys   Capitol   Director: Kinga Burza    Mariah Carey -- "Touch My Body"   Mariah Carey   "Touch My Body"   E=MC^2   Island Def Jam Music Group   Director: Brett Ratner    Rihanna -- "Take a Bow"   Rihanna   "Take A Bow"   A Good Girl Gone Bad   SRP/Def Jam   Director: Anthony Mandler     BEST MALE VIDEO:    Lil Wayne -- "Lollipop"   Lil Wayne featuring Static   "Lollipop"   Tha Carter III   Cash Money Records/Universal Motown   Director: Gil Green/D. Carter    Chris Brown -- "With You"   Chris Brown   "With You"   Exclusive   Jive Records/Zomba   Director: Erik White/Chris Brown    Usher -- "Love In This Club"   Usher featuring Young Jeezy   "Love In This Club"   Here I Stand   LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group   Director: The Brothers Strause    T.I. -- "No Matter What"   T.I.   "No Matter What"   Paper Trail   Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records   Director: Self/James Lopez    Flo Rida -- "Low"   Flo Rida featuring T-Pain   "Low"   Step Up 2 The Streets Original Soundtrack/ Mail On Sunday   Poe Boy Ent./Atlantic Records   Director: Bernard Gourley   

Russell Brand has emerged as a genuine star of the silver screen. Making his feature film debut in 'Penelope' with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, and then onto the contemporary Ealing caper 'St Trinian's', and this year won rave reviews for his scene-stealing performances in Judd Apatow's 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. Apatow has cast him to play opposite Jonah Hill in his next feature 'Getting Him to the Greek,' filming in early 2009.

Official sponsors of "2008 VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS" are GM, Pepsi, TAG Body Spray, Taco Bell, Rhapsody and Verizon Wireless.

This year one lucky viewer will get the chance of a lifetime trip by joining "Do Good. Go to the VMAs." Think.MTV.com, MTV's online community for youth activism, is hooking up one young activist and shipping them off to Los Angeles to attend the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards alongside the biggest stars in the industry. From July 24th through August 22nd, all Think.MTV.com members who join the "Do Good. Go to the VMAs" group, at http://think.mtv.com/Groups/DoGoodGoToTheVMAs/, can enter to win two tickets to the VMAS on September 7, 2008 along with travel and hotel accommodations when MTV takes over Los Angeles for this year's show.

Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer, for the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards." Dave Sirulnick is Executive Producer. Chris Choun/Ish Entertainment is Co-Executive Producer. Jane Mun is Producer. Amy Doyle, Joanna Bomberg and Robin Katz are Music Talent Executives. Robin Reinhardt-Locke is Celebrity Talent Executive. Garrett English is Executive in Charge of Production.

Telescope is the Official Business Advisor of the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards" Nominee Voting period.

   Related Links:   FNMTV VMA's Nominees Voting Page: vma.mtv.com   MTV Press Center: www.mtvpress.com  

Pete Wentz and Pink Annouce Nominees: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1591550&vid=260868

Pete Wentz Announces "Best Male Video" Nominees: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1591550&vid=260859

Pink Announces "Best Female Video" Nominees: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1591550&vid=260868

2008 VMA Logo: mtvpress.com/img/releases_downloadable_art/VMA08_logo_horizontal_ver2.jpg

About Telescope Inc.

Telescope is a participation media and mobile marketing pioneer. The company provides mobile, phone, and internet interactivity services. This includes mass-scale participation television with the world's largest phone voting solution; and mobile marketing and content programs, such as user-generated content, social networking; and CRM for media and advertiser clients. Telescope is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York and London. Visit us at www.telescope.tv.

About MTV

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 26 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV has been the number one rated 24 hour ad-supported cable network P12-24 for 16 straight years. Online, MTV.com scored double-digit growth in 2007 and MTV launched ten dynamic online communities and six new virtual worlds. On the go, MTV Mobile is the #1 music brand in the wireless space -- delivering 90% more streams than in 2006. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in ... www.mtvpress.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Jennifer DeGuzman, +1-212-846-7175,
jennifer.deguzman@mtvstaff.com, or Melissa Barreto, +1-212-846-7226,
melissa.barreto@mtvstaff.com, or Emily Yeomans, +1-310-752-8074,
emily.yeomans@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.vma.mtv.com/
http://www.mtvpress.com/
http://www.telescope.tv/
http://think.mtv.com/Groups/DoGoodGoToTheVMAs

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Profile: International Entertainment