ReachNYC Digital

It's that time of year again, MTV will be taking over NYC this week with a selection of festivities leading up to the MTV 2006 Video Music Awards, at Radio City Music Hall, on Thursday, August 31st.

Rihanna and Chamillionaire will be on hand at Bryant Park on Tuesday, to officially launch the week long celebration leading to the ceremony, which will be hosted by Jack Black. On a more serious note, on Wednesday, leaders of the music industry will gather to spread the word against AIDS, and help raise awareness.

MTV is pulling no stops, in order to spread news of the annual event, with parties set up all over the city including Jay-z' 40/40 club, limited-edition MTV VMA Metrocards and t-shirts. The show will feature performances by Beyonce, Ludacris, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, T.I., and Christina Aguilera.

This year's list of nominees are as follows:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Christina Aguilera: "Ain't No Other Man"
Madonna: "Hung Up"
Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

BEST MALE VIDEO
Busta Rhymes f/ Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX: "Touch It Remix"
James Blunt: "You're Beautiful"
Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx: "Gold Digger"
Nick Lachey: "What's Left of Me"
T.I.: "What You Know"

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Christina Aguilera: "Ain't No Other Man"
Kelly Clarkson: "Because of You"
Madonna: "Hung Up"
Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland: "Promiscuous"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"


BEST GROUP VIDEO
The All-American Rejects: "Move Along"
Fall Out Boy: "Dance, Dance"
Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy"
Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"

BEST RAP VIDEO
50 Cent: "Window Shopper"
Busta Rhymes f/ Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX: "Touch It" (remix)
Chamillionaire: "Ridin'"
T.I.: "What You Know"
Yung Joc f/ Nitty: "It's Goin' Down"

BEST R&B VIDEO
Beyoncé f/ Slim Thug: "Check on It"
Chris Brown: "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)"
Jamie Foxx f/ Ludacris: "Unpredictable"
Mariah Carey: "Shake It Off"
Mary J. Blige: "Be Without You"

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Black Eyed Peas: "My Humps"
Common: "Testify"
Daddy Yankee: "Rompe"
Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx: "Gold Digger"
Three 6 Mafia f/ Young Buck, Eightball & MJG: "Stay Fly"

BEST DANCE VIDEO
Madonna: "Hung Up"
Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland: "Promiscuous"
Pussycat Dolls f/ Snoop Dogg: "Buttons"
Sean Paul: "Temperature"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"


BEST POP VIDEO
Christina Aguilera: "Ain't No Other Man"
Madonna: "Hung Up"
Nelly Furtado f/ Timbaland: "Promiscuous"
Pink: "Stupid Girls"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

BEST NEW ARTIST IN A VIDEO
Angels and Airwaves: "The Adventure"
Avenged Sevenfold: "Bat Country"
Chris Brown f/ Juelz Santana, "Run It!"
James Blunt: "You're Beautiful"
Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Rihanna: "S.O.S."

VIEWER'S CHOICE
Chris Brown f/ Juelz Santana: "Run It!"
Fall Out Boy: "Dance, Dance"
Kelly Clarkson: "Because of You"
Rihanna: "S.O.S."
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

MTV2 AWARD
Three 6 Mafia f/ Young Buck, Eightball & MJG: "Stay Fly"
30 Seconds to Mars: "The Kill"
Lil Wayne: "Fireman"
Taking Back Sunday: "Makedamnsure"
Yung Joc f/ Nitty: "It's Goin' Down"


RINGTONE OF THE YEAR
Black Eyed Peas: "My Humps"
Bubba Sparks f/ Ying Yang Twins: "Ms. New Booty"
Fort Minor: "Where'd You Go"
Nelly f/Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp: "Grillz"
Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx: "Gold Digger"


BEST DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
10 Years: "Wasteland" (Director: Kevin Kerslake)
AFI: "Miss Murder" (Director: Marc Webb)
Common: "Testify" (Director: Anthony Mandler)
Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy" (Director: Robert Hales)
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California" (Director: Tony Kaye)


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
Christina Aguilera: "Ain't No Other Man"
Madonna: "Hung Up"
Pussycat Dolls f/ Snoop Dogg: "Buttons"
Sean Paul: "Temperature"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS IN A VIDEO
Angels and Airwaves: "The Adventure"
Beck: "Hell Yes"
Missy Elliott: "We Run This"
Pearl Jam: "Life Wasted"
U2: "Original of the Species"

BEST ART DIRECTION IN A VIDEO
10 Years: "Wasteland"
Common: "Testify"
Panic! at the Disco: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"
Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean: "Hips Don't Lie"

BEST EDITING IN A VIDEO
The All-American Rejects: "Move Along"
Angels and Airwaves: "The Adventure"
Gnarls Barkley: "Crazy"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"
U2: "Original of the Species"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A VIDEO
AFI: "Miss Murder"
Ashlee Simpson: "Invisible"
James Blunt: "You're Beautiful"
Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Dani California"
Prince: "Black Sweat"

BEST VIDEO GAME SOUNDTRACK
"Final Night Round 3" (Electronic Arts)
"Burnout Revenge" (Electronic Arts)
"NBA 2K6" (2K Games)
"Driver: Parallel Lines" (Atari)
"Mark Ecko's Getting Up" (Atari)

BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE
"Hitman: Blood Money" (Jesper Kyd)
"Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter" (Tom Salta)
"Dreamfall: The Longest Journey" (Leon Willett)
"Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" (Jeremy Soule)
"Electroplankton" (User Generated Soundtrack)