The VMAs are back, and we have our fingers crossed for another Kanye Moment, but for now, we'll focus on what this event is all about. Choices have been made that aren't easy to ignore -- most egregiously Arcade Fire's interactive "We Used to Wait" video getting no recognition. But we're not here to mourn the neglected. We're here to judge what's been given us, and judge we will. Note: we're not looking at the quality of the songs here, or artists even, but on the main event -- the video themselves. Though it doesn't hurt if the song doesn't grate on our ears.
Take a look, and let us know your favorite in the comments:
Best Pop Video: Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
Yes, we live in a world where Adele, Britney Spears and Pitbull are nominated in the same category. But lucky for us, we don't have to make that touch choice, thanks to Katy Perry's refreshingly poppy "Last Friday Night." Perry in headgear plus guest appearances by Hanson and Kenny G make this video pop gold in our book.
Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"Britney Spears, "Till the World Ends"Bruno Mars, "Grenade"Pitbull f/ Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack, "Give Me Everything"
Best Rock Video: Foo Fighters, "Walk"
The Foo Fighters make everyone in this category -- excepting The Black Keys -- look incredibly lightweight, probably because there needs to be a separate category for anemic rock. Watching the anger rise inside Dave Grohl as he sits in traffic is enough to convince us. Ending with a classic 90s jam session scene makes it a no-brainer.
Cage The Elephant, "Shake Me Down"Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks"Mumford & Sons, "The Cave"The Black Keys, "Howlin' For You"
Best Hip Hop Video: Lil Wayne, "6 Foot, 7 Foot"
This is a category where we actually saw something redeeming in many of the videos, whether it be the jerky effects on Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" or the backstage pass on Lupe Fiasco's "The Show Must Go On." Ultimately, the contrasting black-and-white opening and explosion into color on Kanye West's "All Of The Lights" almost hypnotized us into choosing it, but Lil Wayne's homage to "Inception" won us over with its surrealism, especially once Cory Gunz shows up.
Chris Brown f/ Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, "Look At Me Now"Kanye West f/ Rihanna and Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"Lil Wayne, "6 Foot, 7 Foot"Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
Best Female Video: Beyoncé, "Run the World (Girls)"
Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" starts strong but loses steam. Beyoncé, on the other hand, keeps a solid theme throughout -- girls running the world -- and has no problem convincing us of it.
Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"Katy Perry, "Firework"Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
Best Male Video: Cee-Lo Green, "Fuck You"
Cee-Lo Green's "Fuck You" to his former life is satisfying to anyone who had a less-than-ideal social life growing up. Cutting the vulgarity with a sugared Motown feel is pure genius.
Warning: This video contains obscenity.
Bruno Mars, "Grenade"Eminem f/ Rihanna, "Love the Way You Lie"Justin Bieber, "U Smile"Kanye West f/ Rihanna and Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"
Best Collaboration: Nicki Minaj and Drake, "Moment 4 Life"
Kid Cudi's 30 second appearance on "All Of The Lights" was almost enough to sway us, but the truest collaboration of the bunch has to be Nicki Minaj and Drake locking eyes in "Moment 4 Life."
Chris Brown f/ Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, "Look At Me Now"Kanye West f/ Rihanna and Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"Katy Perry f/ Kanye West, "E.T."Pitbull f/ Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack, "Give Me Everything"
Best Music Video With a Message
We're pretending this category doesn't exist.
Video of the Year: The Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise"
Tyler the Creator eating a cockroach is a tempting choice here, but The Beastie Boys' star-studded party in the streets on "Make Some Noise" gives us the kind of party only they can pull off without being annoying. Elijah Wood, Seth Rogen, Chloe Sevigny, Ted Danson, Kirsten Dunst, and many, many more come along for the ride.
Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"Bruno Mars, "Grenade"Katy Perry, "Firework"Tyler, The Creator, "Yonkers"