TORONTO — It was out with the Red Rocket and in with the red carpet on Queen St. West Sunday night as MuchMusic took over downtown Toronto for the network’s annual Video Awards show. And the big night did not disappoint the throngs of teenagers who camped out for the chance to press themselves up against a metal barricade.
The weather was perfect and the area around MuchMusic’s downtown headquarters was transformed into a compound of stages and screaming fans — prerequisites for a show peppered by celebrity appearances and performances by the likes of The Black Keys, Bruno Mars, City and Colour and Lady Gaga, who opened and closed the show.
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Photos: MuchMusic Video Awards red carpet arrivals
Between all of that, they found time to give out some awards.
Video of the Year went to Shawn Desman for Electric/Night Like This, directed by RT!, the man behind six of this year’s nominated videos. Among them were the MuchFACT Indie Video of the Year, which went to JDiggz featuring Neverending White Lights for This Time and the clip that took home Best Post-Production of the Year, Automatic, from Danny Fernandes featuring Belly.
Despite his dominance, RT! failed to snag Director of the Year, which went to Sean Wainsteim for his espionage-themed video for You Say Party’s Lonely’s Lunch.
Other notable winners were Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, both of whom went two-for-two on the evening. Gaga beat out nine other nominees to take home the award for International Video of the Year — Artist for Judas, and picked up the fan choice UR FAVE International Video for Born This Way.
Bieber’s Somebody to Love (remix), featuring Usher, tied with Drake’s Find Your Love for International Video of the Year by a Canadian. But, the Beliebers ensured the Stratford, Ont., native was the sole recipient for the UR Fave New Artist award.
There weren’t many upset, but MuchMusic spiced things up by debuting a new statuette for the awards. The latest incarnation of the trophy — the fourth since the MMVAs started in 1990 — is made of an aluminium alloy and looks like a brick.
“The heavy-weight trophy was meant to materialize the impact, significance, weight, and profoundness of receiving a prize,” creative director Peter Moller said in a press release. “The simple yet stylish shape is timeless and is meant to be on a shelf or a proud MMVA winner for many years without becoming dated.”
The size of the trophy also means that the winners’ names will be engraved directly onto its surface, rather than on a plaque attached to a statue.
At 10-pounds apiece, though, it may be a blessing in disguise that none of the nominated artists won more than two awards.
SOURCE: National Post
