Beyonce Dazzles & U2 Scorches at Berlin Edition of MTV Europe Music Awards

Nov 05, 2009
By ViacomCBS Staff

Beyonce was the major winner of the evening at the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Berlin. The versatile singer, writer and producer took home a total of three EMA trophies - Best Female, Best Song and Best Video - from the glittering music celebration, held at the O2 World on 5 November 2009. The MTV Europe Music Awards were sponsored by Sony Ericsson, MTV Games / Harmonix's The Beatles™: Rock Band™ and Dell.

Eminem won the coveted Best Male category at the Awards, which honours and celebrates Europe's contemporary music stars, while Jay-Z triumphed in the Best Urban category. U2 clinched a well-deserved Best Live Act - scoring their third EMA award win since the MTV Europe Music Awards debuted in 1994.

Creative powerhouse Lady Gaga was honoured in the Best New Act category while Green Day scored a victory over the Best Rock contenders. Best Group went to German rockers Tokio Hotel, who also wowed the 9,000-strong crowd with a stunning rendition of their hit The World Behind My Wall, culminating in an explosive pyrotechnical display and the band's instruments consumed by flames. Placebo captured the Best Alternative prize while Turkey's maNga carried off the crown for Best European Act. Best World Stage Performance was won by Linkin Park while Pixie Lott was pronounced the first ever MTV Push Artist - both categories were added to this year's EMAs for the first time in recognition of the artists who have been championed by MTV on their global music franchises.

Held in Berlin to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 2009 EMAs featured electrifying live performances from Beyonce, Jay-Z, Green Day, Leona Lewis, Tokio Hotel, Foo Fighters, Shakira and U2 - broadcasting to more than 500 million households around the world.

The EMAs burst into thrilling life with an electrifying opening number by Green Day, followed by Katy Perry's irreverent mash-up of the five Best Song contenders that included Beyonce's monster hit Halo and Kings of Leon's Use Somebody.

Effervescent host Katy Perry brought her trademark energy and quirky humour to the awards, appearing in a dazzling array of costumes and looks inspired by burlesque and Liza Minnelli's Oscar-winning appearance in Cabaret, the novel which lifted the lid on decadent 1930's Berlin. The stunning hostess fulfilled her role with signature relish and flair, equally at home in a stylish bowler hat covered in thousands of crystals, or reclining in a giant cocktail glass, or soaring high above the audience on a glittering half-moon shaped swing.

Rock icons U2 brought Berlin to a standstill with an awe-inspiring performance beamed into the show from the city's historic Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of peace and reconciliation to people around the world and site of the first ever MTV Europe Music Awards. In front of 10,000 music fans, the music legends performed a short set comprising some of their best loved songs including a powerful rendition of Sunday, Bloody Sunday and an uplifting medley of Magnificent and One - the haunting anthem inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Among the many show highlights was a strikingly sexy performance of Happy by Leona Lewis, an upbeat version of Sweet Dreams by Beyonce and a high octane rock medley of Wheels and All My Life by the Foo Fighters. Colombian siren Shakira sent temperatures rising with a steamy performance of Did It Again, performed with dancers dressed only in skimpy towels.

Guest presenters at the EMAs included actor, musician and international celebrity David The Hoff Hasselhoff, hip hop star Lil' Kim, World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, actor Jesse Metcalfe, pop/rock phenomena Jonas Brothers, Backstreet Boys, Juliette Lewis, Jean Reno, Miranda Cosgrove, Asia Argento, Bar Refaeli, Brody Jenner, David Guetta and Batista. Soul singer Joss Stone hosted digital show 2009 EMA: Red Carpet Show while Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz hosted digital show 2009 EMA: All Access. Guests at the show included Inglourious Basterds actor Daniel Bruhl, supermodel Franziska Knuppe, German soccer legend Lothar Matthaus, David Guetta, Pixie Lott, Tara Reid and Daniel Merriweather.

 

The winners of the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards are:

 
Best Male:           Eminem
Best Female: Beyonce
Best Urban: Jay-Z
Best Group: Tokio Hotel
Best Video: Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Best Song: Beyonce - Halo
Best Rock: Green Day
Best New Act: Lady Gaga
Best Live Act: U2
Best Alternative: Placebo
MTV Push Artist: Pixie Lott
Best World Stage Performer: Linkin Park
Best European Act: maNga
 
 

The MTV Europe Music Awards is one of the world's most prestigious live music events. The Awards was broadcast to 532 million MTV homes around the world. In 2008, the EMAs generated more than 4 million unique visitors to www.mtvema.com and over 100 million online votes.

Antonio Campo Dall'Orto is EVP, Music Brands, MTV Networks International and Executive Producer for the MTV Europe Music Awards. Co-executive Producer & SVP, Talent & Music, MTV Networks International is Bruce Gillmer. Executive Producer is Richard Godfrey. Co-executive Producer is Jane Fraser. Chloe Mason is Producer and Hamish Hamilton is Director. Raffaele Sangiovanni is Executive in charge of Production.

For more information on the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards please go to: www.mtvema.com

Note to Editors

About the MTV Europe Music Awards

The 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards will be broadcast live in the following countries : Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

About MTV Networks International

MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, MTVNHD, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One, Neopets, GameTrailers, Shockwave, Addicting Games, Atom Films and Xfire. MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 578 million households, in 162 countries and 33 languages via 168 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 400 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in all major markets. Our vision is to become the industry leader in Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and applications. For more information please visit: www.sonyericsson.com.

About The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd has presented The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world's premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band, and available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ console from Nintendo.

About MTV Games

MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of ground-breaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.

About Dell

People worldwide can buy Dell online, by phone and through more than 43,000 stores.

SOURCE MTV Networks International

http://www.mtvema.com