VMA Nominations 2011: What MTV Did Different This Year

posted in: Music News

The MTV Video Music Awards have always been a major source of drama in the world of music and A-list celebrities. From the 2003 Madonna and Britney Spears kiss to the more recent Kanye West and Taylor Swift incident, this annual awards show is constantly providing fans with something to talk about. But is that the only reason the program draws in viewers? The VMAs differ from more traditional award shows such as the GRAMMY Awards not only because fans can vote, but because there’s also the feeling that anything can happen. It seems that the hype is not built up around who will take home the most Moon Men, but what superstar with shock us the most.

In the past couple of years, the same few artists have been nominated for almost every category. The winners of each award have been fairly easy to predict and there have rarely been any surprises in the nominations or winners. This year, it seems like MTV is taking a different approach. While the nominees are fairly varied (Lady Gaga isn’t even nominated for Best Music Video), it’s curious as to how they came up with these choices. Lesser-known bands (by mainstream standards) like Manchester Orchestra, Foster The People, and Cage The Elephant were all nominated for their music videos this year. The problem is, MTV barely features bands like these on TV. In fact, there are rarely any music videos played on the channel, unless you’re watching in the wee hours of the morning. How much do MTV’s nominations and musical opinions really matter to the general public?

Maybe this is MTV’s way of trying to stay relevant in the music world. The nominated artists have definitely made an impact in the past year. They have appeared on late night shows and played the biggest music festivals across the country. But MTV doesn’t recognize most of these artists except for this one night. Do the Music Video Awards mean anything for music or are they just for show and amusement?

Check out the 2011 nominees here and vote for your favorites!