Green Day dominates at MTV Video Music Awards

NEW YORK - Veteran punk rockers Green Day dominated at the annual MTV Video Music Awards scoring seven wins including the evening's top honour of Video of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

The group, whose members noted in accepting the big prize that they have been together for 16 years, opened the show with a performance of the song that won them six of their seven awards. They were also honoured with the viewer's choice award for "American Idiot."

Green Day also injected one of the evening's few political notes, saying "here's to our soldiers, let's bring them home safe" as they accepted their final award.

The group also won for Best Group Video, Best Rock Video, and Best Direction, Editing and Cinematography in a Video.

In a ceremony largely devoid of the kind of outrageous antics many viewers hope to see, many of the winners including Missy Elliott and Ludacris thanked or acknowledged God in their speeches.

Host Sean "Diddy" Combs, who recently dropped the "P." from his name, ended the show wearing a white t-shirt that read, "God is the greatest."

But rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was shot in the leg early on Sunday at a star-studded party at a posh Miami Beach club in advance of the gala ceremony which was held at Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena.

No suspects have been identified and Knight was recovering after surgery to remove the bullet.

Other top awards went to Kanye West, who won Best Male Video for "Jesus Walks," and Kelly Clarkson of "American Idol" fame who walked off with the Best Female Video award for "Since U Been Gone."

SECOND WIN

Clarkson, who seemed genuinely surprised by her win, also picked up the Best Pop Video prize. "I don't really know what's going on" she enthused after her second win.

Rapper Missy Elliott also won a pair of the "Moon men" awards, for Best Dance Video and Best Hip-Hop Video for "Lose Control," which also featured Ciara & Fat Man Scoop.

Best Rap Video went to Ludacris, for "Number One Spot," while Alicia Keys won Best R&B Video for "Karma."

Best New Artist in a Video was won by The Killers for "Mr. Brightside," which they performed on the show, while the honor for Breakthrough Video went to Gorillaz and Jamie Hewlett for "Feel Good INC." The latter also won for Best Special Effects.

The MTV2 Award, chosen by viewers, was won by Fall Out Boy for "Sugar, We're Going Down." The band said in accepting that "Helena" by My Chemical Romance was "the video we think should have won."

Despite host Diddy's exhortation that viewers "get your TIVOs ready 'cause anything can happen" at the awards, there were few unruly or controversial moments.

Combs himself went for a bit of shock value by stating that "there will be no obscenity nor vulgarity allowed tonight," before launching into bleeped out string of expletives.

Demonstrating his "anything can happen" theme, he then removed an expensive jewel-encrusted watch from his wrist and handed it to a fan in the front rows.

Besides Combs performers included Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, Coldplay and R. Kelly, who acted out a lengthy, multi-part musical drama with a gay theme entitled "Trapped in the Closet."

Presenters included Jessica Simpson, Jeremy Piven, Lil' Kim, Eva Longoria, Ricky Martin, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst and Jessica Alba.

- REUTERS