OutKast, Jay-Z each win four ‘moonman’ awards
OutKast and Jay-Z were the big winners at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards with four “moonman” trophies each.
The vivid “Hey Ya!” — perhaps best described as the old Ed Sullivan show on acid — won four awards for OutKast, including video of the year, best hip-hop video, and best special effects and art direction.
Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” the most nominated video with six, also won four, for rap video, editing, cinematography, and best director for Mark Romanek.
The gritty, black-and-white video depicts the singer’s own killing as a metaphor for his much-ballyhooed retirement.
Usher won his first VMA award — called a moonman after the music channel’s logo — as he took best male video for “Yeah!,” which also won for best dance video.
No Doubt also was a multiple winner for “It’s My Life,” which took honors for best pop video and group video.
Other winners included:
• Best female video: Beyonce, “Naughty Girl”
• Best R&B video: Alicia Keys, “If I Ain’t Got You”
• Best rock video: Jet, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
• Breakthrough video: Franz Ferdinand, “Take Me Out”
• Best choreography: Black Eyed Peas, “Hey Mama”
• Best new artist in a video: Maroon 5, “This Love”
• MTV2 award: Yellowcard, “Ocean Avenue”
• Viewer’s Choice: Linkin Park, “Breaking the Habit”
The awards ceremony, held in Miami for the first time, was mostly a kinder, gentler version of past shows. There was no Madonna-Britney Spears kiss, no partially clad Howard Stern coming down from the rafters, and certainly no wardrobe malfunctions.
MTV was ready, though, using a several-second video delay for the first time. The audio delay, used for years, was in heavy use during the hip-hop medley, which featured Lil Jon, Petey Pablo and Fat Joe.
The show ended on a patriotic note, as red, white and blue balloons fell from the rafters and fans held “vote” signs during OutKast’s closing performance. The daughters of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and President Bush previously made appearances — the Bush daughters on videotape — to urge people to vote.
There also was an appearance by actress twins Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Mary Kate, who recently was treated for an eating disorder, alluded to her ordeal before introducing Jessica Simpson.
“Thank you to everyone. You have been very supportive for the last couple of months,” she said.