MTV Japan Unveils Nominees For MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2009

Tokyo/ Singapore/ Hong Kong - MTV Japan today announced nominees for the 8th annual MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN (MTV VMAJ 09), taking place at the Saitama Super Arena on Saturday, May 30 and hosted this year by stand-up comedian, Gekidan Hitori. Coldplay, NE-YO and Namie Amuro each received three nominations, while Franz Ferdinand, Katy Perry and Britney Spears all received two nominations apiece. Making the trip to Japan to perform at the MTV VMAJ 09 show are Green Day, BLACK EYED PEAS and Katy Perry, as well as local artists EXILE and 9mm Parabellum Bullet. Guest celebrities attending include (in alphabetical order) AI, Blue Man Group, Girl Next Door, Kimaguren, Maximum The Hormone, Meisa Kuroki, Natsuki Kato, Shonan No Kaze, Thelma Aoyama, and w-inds. Additional performing acts and guest celebrities will be announced accordingly.

The MTV VMAJ 09 awards are decided by the viewers and music fans who can vote for either Japanese or international artists nominated in the same category. The voting period is from March 18 through May 1 and can be accessed via web and mobile at www.mtvjapan.com/vmaj.

The 8th annual show will premiere live on MTV Japan, Saturday May 30 at 18h to over 7.2 million homes in Japan. (Portions of the program will be aired on MTV Asia and MTV China, air dates and times will be announced later.)

The complete lists of nominees for the MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2009 are:

Best Male Video
KANYE WEST "Heartless"
KREVA "Akasatanahamayarawawon"
MOTOHIRO HATA "Forever Song"
NE-YO "Closer"
USHER "Love in This Club feat. YOUNG JEEZY"

Best Female Video
BEYONCE "If I Were a Boy"
BRITNEY SPEARS "Womanizer"
HIKARU UTADA "Prisoner Of Love"
NAMIE AMURO "NEW LOOK"
THELMA AOYAMA "Nandomo"

Best Group Video
EXILE "Ti Amo (Chapter2)"
FRANZ FERDINAND "Ulysses"
SHONAN NO KAZE "Koishigure"
THE KILLERS "Human"
TOHOSHINKI "Jumon -MIROTIC-"

Best New Artist Video
DUFFY "Mercy"
GIRL NEXT DOOR "Guzen no Kakuritsu"
KATY PERRY "I Kissed a Girl"
KIMAGUREN "LIFE"
MIHO FUKUHARA "CHANGE"

Best Video of the Year
BRITNEY SPEARS "Womanizer"
COLDPLAY "Viva La Vida"
EXILE "Ti Amo (Chapter2)"
NAMIE AMURO "NEW LOOK"
SOUTHERN ALL STARS "I AM YOUR SINGER"

Best Rock Video
ACIDMAN "I stand free"
FALL OUT BOY "I Don't Care"
FRANZ FERDINAND "Ulysses"
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE "Tsume Tsume Tsume"
9MM PARABELLUM BULLET "Living Dying Message"

Best Pop Video
IKIMONOGAKARI "Kimagure Romantic"
KATY PERRY "I Kissed a Girl"
LILY ALLEN "The Fear"
PERFUME "Dream Fighter"
RIP SLYME "Taiyo to Bikini"

Best R&B Video
AKON "Right Now (NaNaNa)"
JUJU feat. Spontania "Sunao ni Naretara"
MILIYA KATO "19 Memories"
NAMIE AMURO "Sexy Girl"
Ne-Yo "Miss Independent"

Best Hip Hop Video
KANYE WEST "Heartless"
KREVA "Akasatanahamayarawawon"
LIL WAYNE "Lollipop feat.STATIC"
TERIYAKI BOYZ® "ZOCK ON! feat.Pharrell & Busta Rhymes"
T.I. "Live Your Life feat. RIHANNA"

Best Reggae Video
HAN-KUN "HOTTER THAN HOT"
KARDINAL OFFISHALL "Dangerous feat. AKON"
MIGHTY JAM ROCK "U.P. STAR"
NATTY "Cold Town"
RYO the SKYWALKER "EVER GREEN"


Best Dance Video
DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP "Thou Shalt Always Kill"
KRAAK & SMAAK "Squeeze Me feat. BEN WESTBEECH"
THE BPA "Toe Jam feat. DAVID BYRNE & DIZZEE RASCAL"
TOWA TEI "Mind Wall feat. Miho Hatori"
UKAWANIMATION! feat. Takkyu Ishino x Kenichi Hagiwara "Wakusei no Portrait 5 Okuman Gaso"

Best Video from a Film
AI "Okuribito" from "Okuribito(Departures)"
JACK WHITE & ALICIA KEYS "Another Way to Die" from "Quantum of Solace"
MADONNA "4 Minutes feat. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & TIMBALAND" from "Get Smart"
MONOBRIGHT "Ano Toumeikan to Shonen" from "Afterschool"
REMIOROMEN "Yume no Tsubomi" from "Kansen Retto"

Best Collaboration Video
ANNA TSUCHIYA feat. AI "Crazy World"
MADONNA "4 Minutes feat. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE & TIMBALAND"
NELLY and FERGIE "Party People"
SCHADARAPARR＋KAELA KIMURA "Hey! Hey! Alright"
T.I. "Live Your Life feat. RIHANNA"

Best Album of the Year
AYAKA "Sing to the Sky"
COLDPLAY "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends"
HIKARU UTADA "Heart Station"
Mr.Children "Supermarket Fantasy"
NE-YO "Year of the Gentleman"

Best Karaokee! Song
AQUA TIMEZ "Niji"
COLDPLAY "Viva La Vida"
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS "Kibou no Uta"
KIMAGUREN "LIFE"
MARIAH CAREY "Touch My Body"

New Justin Timberlake Track Leaks

While Justin Timberlake recently told MTV News that he's going to be focusing on working with other artists rather than his own material, on Thursday (January 15), a new song of his, apparently titled "Bigger Than the World," leaked online.

The song, which sounds unfinished, features Timberlake singing in a light falsetto reminiscent of Robin Thicke (or perhaps it's Justin sounding like Robin Thicke sounding like Justin) accompanied by a pulsing mid-tempo beat, keyboards and guitar. According to some online reports, the track was produced by Timbaland, and was posted on ThisIs50.com on Thursday. Toward the end, the beat drops out and the song ends with just piano.

When he spoke with MTV News last year, Timberlake said he was focusing on working with other artists, although he declined to reveal who those artists are. "I've been working with different people here or there," he said. "I feel weird. You'll hear it when it comes out. I would love to give you everyone but there's some stuff that might not work out due to business stuff, unfortunately.

"As far as myself, I don't have that," he continued. "I could change [my mind] next week, but I don't have the bug to jump in and start the whole process again, and touring again. I do love it, but it's tiring."

In addition to "Bigger Than the World," Timberlake recently released "Follow My Lead," which features vocals from the first signing to Timberlake's Tennman Records, Esmée Denters.

by mtvasia.com

'Dark Knight' Producer Talks 'Batman 3' Casting, Status

While The Dark Knight amasses a Batcave full of award nominations - and fans of the flick anxiously wait to see if it will get the attention of a fella named Oscar - we here at MTV News continue to look toward the future of the franchise: Batman 3.

So, naturally, when we caught up with Dark Knight producer Chuck Roven on the People's Choice Awards red carpet, we simply had to ask for an update on the film. The good news is, it looks like director Christopher Nolan could be officially on the project (after months of online speculation that he was still on the fence). But no one - not even the producers - know what's in store for the third, ridiculously anticipated film.

"I know that Chris [Nolan] and [writer] David Goyer are talking and thinking," Roven said. "We're hoping, of course, that they find and rest on something that they'll find is worthy to do, but we don't know anything more than you do right now."

Meanwhile, fans are also dying to know what villain - or villains - the Caped Crusader will possibly face off against in the follow-up to 2008's box-office titan and, also, what actors will be playing the parts. Again, the Internet has been ablaze with rumors regarding possible rogues and casting - some good, some bad and some downright laughable - so we checked to see if Roven had any ideas.

"All I can say - because I really don't know more than you do - is that I see no reason why, tonally, Chris would do anything different than he's done in the first two films," the producer said.

As Hollywood buzzes with speculation regarding a possible posthumous Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, it's nearly impossible to talk The Dark Knight and not bring him up. And while Ledger has managed to become synonymous with the role - and considering that viewers were left with the impression that the Joker may indeed show up in future Batman films - we wondered, considering the tragedy of Ledger's untimely death, if the producers would've done anything differently regarding that character.

"We have to separate the actors from the role," Roven said. "On a personal level, Heath was a friend of mine. We had worked together before The Dark Knight, but I still think that The Dark Knight is its own thing, and we have to separate them. So I guess the answer is, I think we still would've done the same thing."

by mtvasia.com

Fall Out Boy 'Live' In Singapore

America's Suitehearts Fall Out Boy will be back to rock Singapore Indoor Stadium on February 10, touring behind their latest album, Folie à Deux (literally, "a madness shared by two"). Ticket sales will coincide with the worldwide album launch on December 16.

Midas Promotions have set the prices of all tickets for Fall Out Boy's concert under $100. In addition, Midas Promotions will give away copies of the band's brand new album to early bird buyers, for the top-tier tickets. Tickets and albums are expected to move fast so fans are urged to buy early to avoid disappointment.

"This is a first ever for Singapore, if not the world and is part of Midas's efforts to help people deal with the economic downturn. It is our way of giving something back," says Michael Hosking, Managing Director of Midas Promotions.

Fall Out Boy are Patrick Stump (Vocals and Guitar), Peter Wentz (Bassist), Andrew Hurley (Drummer) and Joseph Trohman (Guitarist).

Formed in 2001 in the suburbs of Chicago, the band achieved mainstream success with their first record Take This to Your Grave in 2003. They went multi-platinum with their 2005 album release From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity on High in 2007.

The band was last here in 2007 to a sold out concert. Prior to their return next year, the band will play at sold out venues in US and Japan. Nothing beats Fall Out Boy live and kicking on stage so don't miss out when tickets go on sale!


Fall Out Boy - 'Live' in Singapore
Date: February 10, 2009
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Tickets: $ 58, $78, $98 *Not inclusive of standard SISTIC fee.

Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, December 16 2008 at 9.00am for online booking and 10.00am at all authorised SISTIC outlets.

CD Redemption Details:
Early bird top-tier ticket buyers can redeem their free albums in exchange for their ticket stubs at HMV (only), at the Heeren.

by mtvasia.com