Chili Peppers, Shakira Lead MTV Nods

By Associated Press

4:25 PM EDT, July 31, 2006

Red Hot Chili Peppers, from left, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith. (Michael Muller)

NEW YORK - The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira are front and center at this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

The rock band and the pop superstar got seven nominations each for the videos "Dani California" and "Hips Don't Lie," respectively, MTV announced Monday. Both will compete for video of the year along with Christina Aguilera ("Ain't No Other Man"), Madonna ("Hung Up") and Panic! At The Disco ("I Write Sins Not Tragedies").

Madonna, Shakira and Aguilera are also nominated for best female video with Kelly Clarkson ("Because of You") and Nelly Furtado ("Promiscuous").

Her Madgesty is up for another three awards, including best dance video and best pop video.

Aguilera, now in a '40s glamour-puss phase, is also nominated for best pop video and best choreography in a video.

Nick Lachey's "What's Left of Me," which recreates his breakup with Jessica Simpson, will vie for best male video with James Blunt ("You're Beautiful"), Kanye West ("Gold Digger"), T.I. ("What You Know") and Busta Rhymes (for his remix of "Touch It," featuring Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliot).

The bands for best group video include the Chili Peppers, Fall Out Boy ("Dance, Dance") and Gnarls Barkley ("Crazy").

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, scheduled to air live on MTV (8 p.m. EDT), will take place Aug. 31 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The awards, which debuted in New York in 1984, have been held in Miami the last two years.

"I think it's time for the Video Music Awards to come back to New York," Justin Timberlake said Monday at a press conference. "I think, in my opinion, it lost a bit of its luster."

T.I. said MTV has made a big impact on his career.

"It represents the upper echelon of entertainment for me and my culture and what we do," he told The Associated Press Monday. "For a rapper to be in the same rights as Beyonce and Justin on the MTV VMA Awards -- it's kind of big for us."

Timberlake, who snagged a best male video award winner in 2003 for "Cry Me A River," will perform his new single "SexyBack" for the first time.

Beyonce Knowles, whose "Check on It" is nominated for best R&B video, will perform "Ring the Alarm," the second single from her upcoming album, "B'Day."

Other acts slated to perform are Panic! At The Disco, the Killers and rappers T.I. and Ludacris.

The Raconteurs, fronted by the White Stripes' Jack White, will provide the show's "soundtrack," MTV said.

More performers and presenters were to be announced later.

Viewers can watch videos and vote on the awards' general categories, such as best male video and best hip hop video, through Aug. 20 by visiting MTV Overdrive at the Web site http://www.vma.mtv.com. Voting for the viewer's choice award runs Aug. 7-31.

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