MTV VMAs Approach, Minus Gwen Stefani

The MTV Video Music Awards are rapidly approaching, but do they still matter? Did they ever matter? Or are the VMAs just MTV's excuse to put a huge group of popular music personalities in one room and watch the fireworks?

It seems as though former No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani has caught on to the mundane side of the VMAs, and is rumored to be boycotting the event. Life Style Extra reports that Stefani is going to "boycott" the awards after she lost out a number of awards last year, which she figured she was a lock on.

The New York Post quoted a source as saying "Gwen had a ton of nominations and was under the impression that she would be taking home at least one award. But every award, except for that lame best-dressed award, went to Kelly Clarkson."

Rumor has it Gwen Stefani felt "set up" by the MTV producers last year. Her lack of enthusiasm comes from the fact the cameras were trained on her every time she didn't win an award. As the source said "Every time Kelly won, the camera went straight to Gwen. She felt set up."

With Gwen Stefani catching on to the MTV ploy, does that mean others won't show up? Not likely? The list of performers alone is enough to boggle the mind. Pre-show performers are Fergie and My Chemical Romance, and the main show will see the likes of Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Panic! At the Disco, The Killers, Ludacris, Pharrell, Shakira, T.I., Jack White's The Raconteurs, the treadmill dancing OK Go, the ironically named All-American Rejects and the increasingly publicized Justin Timberlake.

Maybe JT can bring the SexyBack to the Awards ceremony, which has been lacking for the past couple of years. It seems that ever since Madonna kissed Britney Spears on stage, the show has been in decline.

As for the awards themselves, the big categories are somewhat close races. Video of the Year is between Christina Aguilera ("Ain't No Other Man"), Madonna ("Hung Up"), Panic! At the Disco ("I Write Sins Not Tragedies"), the Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Dani California") and Shakira (feat Wyclef Jean) ("Hips Don't Lie").

Best Male Video has Busta Rhymes ("Touch It Remix"), James Blunt ("You're Beautiful"), Kanye West (feat Jamie Foxx) ("Gold Digger"), T.I. ("What You Know") and Nick Lachey ("What's Left of Me"), whom we all hope will run into Jessica Simpson and liven the entertainment up. Maybe Nick can run into John Mayer and the men in Jessica's life can bring down a brawl.

The Best Female Video nominees are Christina Aguilera ("Ain't No Other Man"), Madonna ("Hung Up"), Shakira (feat Wyclef Jean) ("Hips Don't Lie"), Kelly Clarkson ("Because of You") and Nelly Furtado (feat. Timbaland) ("Promiscuous"). If Nelly Furtado and Kelly Clarkson didn't make the Best Music Video category, what would make them think they could win Best Female Video? Maybe, in the case of Nelly Furtado, 8 weeks at #1 on the charts.

The 2006 MTV Video Muisic Awards air Thursday, August 30 from the Radio City Music Hall in New York.

[Additional Sources: New York Post, Life Style Extra, Wikipedia]