Lady Gaga sets record with 13 2010 MTV Music Award Nominations including “Bad Romance,” and “Telephone,” with Beyonce. “I’m so honored for all the little monsters and self-professed freaks of the universe, to have more VMA nominations in a single year than any artist in MTV history,” Gaga says in a statement from MTV. “Ironically, I’m even more proud it’s an unlucky number: 13. God put me on Earth for three reasons: To make loud music, gay videos and cause a damn ruckus. Thank you, MTV!”

Eminem comes in second as the year’s most nominated male artist with eight nominations. Other nominees include Justin Bieber, Florence + The Machine, Jason Derulo, Ke$ha, B.o.B, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Pink, Katy Perry and Usher.

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards will air, live on Sept. 12.

Full list of Nominees listed below:

BEST COLLABORATION
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams
Title: Airplanes
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga
Title: Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
Title: Telephone
3OH!3 featuring Kesha
Title: My First Kiss
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Title: Empire State of Mind

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Ke$ha
Title: Tik Tok
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
Title: California Gurls
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga
Title: Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Taylor Swift
Title: Fifteen

BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
Usher featuring Will.I.Am
Title: OMG
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams
Title: Airplanes
Drake
Title: Find Your Love
Jason Derulo
Title: In My Head

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams
Title: Airplanes
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem
Title: Forever
Jay-Z & Swizz Beats
Title: On To The Next One
Kid Cudi featuring MGMT & Ratatat
Title: Pursuit Of Happiness

BEST NEW ARTIST
Ke$ha
Title: Tik Tok
Jason Derulo
Title: In My Head
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
Title: Baby
Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett
Title: Massive Attack
Broken Bells
Title: The Ghost Inside

BEST POP VIDEO
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog
Title: California Gurls
Ke$ha
Title: Tik Tok
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga
Title: Video Phone (Extended Remix)
B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars
Title: Nothing on You

BEST ROCK VIDEO
30 Seconds To Mars
Title: Kings and Queens
Muse
Title: Uprising
Paramore
Title: Ignorance
Florence + the Machine
Title: Dog Days Are Over
MGMT
Title: Flash Delirium

BEST DANCE MUSIC VIDEO
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull
Title: I Like It
Cascada
Title: Evacuate The Dancefloor
David Guetta featuring Akon
Title: Sexy Chick
Usher featuring Will.I.Am
Title: OMG

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine
Title: Dog Days Are Over
30 Seconds To Mars
Title: Kings and Queens
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
Title: Telephone
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams
Title: Airplanes

BEST ART DIRECTION
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine
Title: Dogs Days Are Over
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
30 Seconds To Mars
Title: Kings and Queens
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga
Title: Video Phone (Extended Remix)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
Title: Telephone
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga
Title: Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Usher featuring Will.I.Am
Title: OMG
Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi
Title: Tightrope

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Title: Empire State of Mind
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Mumford and Sons
Title: Little Lion Man
Florence + The Machine
Title: Dog Days Are Over

BEST DIRECTION
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Title: Empire State of Mind
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
P!nk
Title: Funhouse
30 Seconds To Mars
Title: Kings and Queens

BEST EDITING
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
Rihanna
Title: Rude Boy
P!nk
Title: Funhouse
Miike Snow
Title: Animal

BEST SFX (SPECIAL EFFECTS)
Lady Gaga
Title: Bad Romance
Eminem
Title: Not Afraid
Muse
Title: Uprising
Green Day
Title: 21st Century Breakdown
Dan Black
Title: Symphonies

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Dan Black
Title: Symphonies
Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def
Title: Stylo
Coldplay
Title: Strawberry Swing
The Black Keys
Title: Tighten Up

Lady Gaga, The Strokes, Phoenix, Green Day, Arcade Fire, and a reunited Soundgarden will headline this year’s Lollapalooza at Chicago, Illinois’ Grant Park, August 6 through 8.

They will be joined by approximately 125 other bands, including The National, Spoon, Erykah Badu, Cypress Hill, Devo, Grizzly Bear, Gogol Bordello, Cut Copy, Chromeo, and the New Pornographers.

Tickets for the three-day festive are $215 and are currently on sale. VIP and travel package options are available at lollapalooza.com.

The festival will also include an extensive DJ lineup on the Perry’s stage. Among the performers are Cut Copy, Kaskade, Perry Farrell, Empire of the Sun, and 2ManyDJs.

The complete confirmed lineup for Lollapalooza 2010 follows:

Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Phoenix, Social Distortion, MGMT,   Jimmy Cliff, Hot Chip, The Black Keys, The National,  Spoon,  Devo, Cypress Hill, Cut Copy, The New Pornographers, Erykah Badu, Slightly Stoopid, Grizzly Bear, Gogol Bordello, Chromeo, Wolfmother, Yeasayer, X Japan, MUTEMATH, Metric, Dirty Projectors, AFI, Mavis Staples, Matt & Kim, The xx, Drive-By Truckers, Blues Traveler, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Temper Trap, Jamie Lidell, Frightened Rabbit, F**k Buttons, Deer Tick, Blitzen Trapper, Stars, Raphael Saadiq, The Cribs, Minus the Bear, Switchfoot, The Walkmen, Mumford & Sons, Wild Beasts, Rogue Wave, Los Amigos Invisibles, The Big Pink, The Dodos, Hockey, Cymbals Eat Guitars, B.o.B, Dawes, Warpaint, The Antlers, The Soft Pack, Rebelution, Balkan Beat Box, Wavves, American Bang, The Ike Reilly Assassination, Company of Thieves, Nneka, Harlem, The Constellations, Miniature Tigers, Mimicking Birds, The Kissaway Trail, HEALTH, Javelin, The Morning Benders, Foxy Shazam, Violent Soho, Royal Bangs, NEON TREES, Freelance Whales, Semi Precious Weapons, Dan Black, The Band of Heathens, Dragonette, My Dear Disco, Shawn Fisher, Neon Hitch, Skybox, The Ettes, Jukebox the Ghost, These United States,  MyNameIsJohnMichael

The following is a list of performers at Perry’s:

2ManyDJs, Empire of the Sun, Digitalism, Perry Farrell, Tiga, Felix da Housecat, Rusko, Erol Alkan, Kaskade, Flosstradamus, Wolfgang Gartner, Joachim Garraud, Mexican Institute of Sound, Caspa, Peanut Butter Wolf, Dirty South, NERVO, Cut Copy (DJ Set), Beats Antique, Steve Porter, Didi Gutman of Brazilian Girls, Ancient Astronauts, Ana Sia, Team Bayside High, Dani Deahl, FreeSol, DJ Mel, BBU, Vonnegutt, Only Children, Lance Herbstrong

Green Day has revealed its late summer North American tour plans. The group will kick off its trek n Camden, New Jersey, August 3, and wrap in Chula Vista, California, September 2.

AFI will support Green Day for the duration of the North American leg.

The itinerary for Green Day’s summer tour of North America follows:

August 3 – Camden, NJ (Susquehanna Bank Center)
August 5 – Darien Centery, NY (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
August 9 – Alpharetta, GA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park)
August 11 – Bristow, VA (Jiffy Lube Live)
August 12 – Hartford, CT (Comcast Theatre)
August 14 – Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
August 16 – Mansfield, MA (Comcast Center)
August 18 – Toronto, ON (Molson Canadian Amphitheatre)
August 23 – Clarkston, MI (DTE Energy Music Center)
August 26 – Dallas, TX (Superpages.com Center)
August 28 – Englewood, CO (Comfort Dental Amphitheatre)
August 30 – Phoenix, AZ (Cricket Wireless Pavilion)
August 31 – Irvine, CA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
September 2 – Chula Vista, CA (Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre)

The following is a complete list of GRAMMY award winners:

Record of the Year: “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon

Album of the Year: Fearless, Taylor Swift

Song of the Year: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Beyonce

Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Halo,” Beyonce

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Make It Mine,” Jason Mraz

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Lucky,” Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat

Best Pop Instrumental Performance: “Throw Down Your Heart,” Bela Fleck

Best Pop Instrumental Album: Potato Hole, Booker T. Jones

Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas

Best Dance Recording: “Poker Face,” Lady Gaga

Best Electronic/Dance Album: The Fame, Lady Gaga

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden, Michael Buble

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Working On A Dream,” Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon

Best Hard Rock Performance: “War Machine,” AC/DC

Best Metal Performance: “Dissident Aggressor,” Judas Priest

Best Rock Instrumental Performance: “A Day In The Life,” Jeff Beck

Best Rock Song: “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon

Best Rock Album: 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day

Best Alternative Music Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Beyonce

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: “Pretty Wings,” Maxwell

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Blame It,” Jamie Foxx and T-Pain

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “At Last,” Beyonce

Best Urban/Alternative Performance: “Pearls,” India.Arie and Dobet Gnahore

Best R&B Song: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Beyonce

Best R&B Album: Blacksummers’ Night, Maxwell

Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am… Sasha Fierce, Beyonce

Best Rap Solo Performance: “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune),” Jay-Z

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: “Crack A Bottle,” Eminem, Dr. Dre, and 50 Cent

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Run This Town,” Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West

Best Rap Song: “Run This Town,” Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West

Best Rap Album: Relapse, Eminem

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “White Horse,” Taylor Swift

Best Male Country Vocal Performance: “Sweet Thing,” Keith Urban

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Run To You,” Lady Antebellum

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: “I Told You So,” Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis

Best Country Instrumental Performance: “Producer’s Medley,” Steve Wariner

Best Country Song: “White Horse,” Liz Rose and Taylor Swift

Best Country Album: Fearless, Taylor Swift

Best New Age Album: Prayer For Compassion, David Darling

Best Contemporary Jazz Album: 75, Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltraine And Hartman, Kurt Elling

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Dancin’ 4 Chicken,” Terence Blanchard

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group: Five Peace Band – Live, Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Book One, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album: Juntos Para Siempre, Bebo Valdes and Chucho Valdes

Best Gospel Performance: “Wait On The Lord,” Donnie McClurkin (featuring Karen Clark Sheard)

Best Gospel Song: “God In Me,” Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, and Warryn Campbell

Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album: Live Revelations, Third Day

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: The Power Of One, Israel Houghton

Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel Album: Jason Crabb, Jason Crabb

Best Traditional Gospel Album: Oh Happy Day, Various Artists

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: Audience Of One, Heather Headley

Best Latin Pop Album: Sin Frenos, La Quinta Estacion

Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album: Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo, Calle 13

Best Tropical Latin Album: Ciclos, Luis Enrique

Best Regional Mexican Album: Necesito De Ti, Vincente Fernandez

Best Tejano Album: Borders Y Bailes, Los Texmaniacs

Best Norteno Album: Tu Noche Con… Los Tigres Del Norte, Los Tigers Del Norte

Best Banda Album: Tu Esclavo Y Amo, Lupillo Rivera

Best Americana Album: Electric Dirt, Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album: The Crow/New Songs For The Five-String Banjo, Steve Martin

Best Traditional Blues Album: A Stranger Here, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Best Contemporary Blues Album: Already Free, The Derek Trucks Band

Best Traditional Folk Album: High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project, Loudon Wainwright III

Best Contemporary Folk Album: Townes, Steve Earle

Best Hawaiian Music Album: Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2, Various Artists

Best Native American Music Album: Spirit Wind North, Bill Miller

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Album: Lay Your Burden Down, Buckwheat Zydeco

Best Reggae Album: Mind Control – Acoustic, Stephen Marley

Best Traditional World Music Album: Douga Mansa, Mamadou Diabate.

Best Contemporary World Music Album: Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 – Africa Sessions, Bela Fleck

Best Musical Album For Children: Family Time, Ziggy Marley

Best Spoken World Album For Children: Aaaaah! Spooky, Scary Stories & Songs, Buck Howdy

Best Spoken World Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling): Always Looking Up, Michael J. Fox

Best Comedy Album: A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All!, Stephen Colbert

Best Musical Show Album: West Side Story

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Up

Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: “Jai Ho,” Gulzar, A.R. Rahman, and Tanvi Shah

Best Instrumental Compilation: “Married Life,” Michael Giacchino

Best Instrumental Arrangement: “West Side Story Medley,” Bill Cunliffe, arranager

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “Quiet Nights,” Claus Ogerman, arranger

Best Recording Package: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, Stefan Sagemeister

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972). Gary Burden, Jenice Heo, and Neil Young

Best Album Notes: The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1948), Dan Morgenstern

Best Historical Album: The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967): Andy McKaie, Erick Labson

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Ellipse, Imogen Heap

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Brendan O’Brien

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “When Love Takes Over (Electro Extended Remix), David Guetta

Best Surround Sound Album: Transmigration, Michael Bishop, Elaine Martone

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10, Peter Laenger

Producer Of The Year, Classical: Steven Epstein

Best Classical Album: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10

Best Orchestral Performance: Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe, James Levine

Best Opera Recording: Britten: Billy Budd

Best Choral Performance: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra): Journey To The New World, Sharon Isbin (Joan Baez and Marc O’Connor)

Best Chamber Music Performance: Intimate Letters, Emerson String Quartet

Best Small Ensemble Performance: Lang, David: The Little Match Girl Passion, Paul Hillier; Ars Nova Copenhagen and Theatre Of Voices

Best Classical Vocal Performance: Verismo Arias: Renee Fleming

Best Classical Contemporary Composition: Higdon, Jennifer: Percussion Concerto: Jennifer Higdon

Best Classical Crossover Album: Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs Of Joy And Peace, Yo-Yo Ma

Best Short Form Music Video: “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas

Best Long Form Music Video: “The Beatles Love – All Together Now,” Various Artists

Green Day’s American Idiot is coming to Broadway. A stage adaptation of the Grammy-winning album will open April 20, at New York City’s St. James Theatre. Preview performances begin March 24. The casting for the show was not announced at press time…

The Allman Brothers Band have announced that their annual New York City residency, which has, in past years, taken place at the Beacon Theatre, will move uptown to the United Palace Theatre, because the Beacon is unable to host the band due to a scheduling conflict. The group has announced eight shows at the 3,200 seat United Palace – March 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20). The band has taken a lengthy residency in New York since 1989. The group has also announced that it plans a very limited tour schedule for 2010…

Lady Gaga, P!nk, Green Day, The Dave Matthews Band, and The Zac Brown Band, have just been added to the list of performers at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, which will take place January 31. Previously-announced performers include the Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift…

Pharrell Williams will write original songs for Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s upcoming 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me. Williams will also compose the film alongside Hans Zimmer and Heitor Pereira. The film, which features vocal contributions from Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Danny McBride, Miranda Cosgrove, Jack McBrayer, Mindy Kaling, Jemaine Clement, and Julie Andrews hits theater screens July 9…

The MTV Video Music Awards were supposed to be highlighted by an opening tribute to the late Michael Jackson; however, the stirring opener was soon upstaged by the boorish behavior of Kanye West, for whom obnoxious behavior has become de rigeur.

The outburst occurred soon after Taylor Swift received the award for best female video. While Swift was graciously accepting the prize, West jumped onstage and  said, “Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.”

Swift, who was shocked and visibly upset by the interruption, never finished her speech and West, who returned to his seat and was booed by the crowd at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, was escorted out of the building soon after.

On a blog post after the ceremony, West wrote: “I’M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD’VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED!”

Later in the evening, when Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” took home video of the year honors, the singer invited Swift on to the stage, saying “I’d like Taylor to come out and have her moment.” Swift took the stage and thanked the people she originally planned to acknowledge before she was interrupted.

The show began with an emotional speech from Madonna about Jackson, during which she said about the King of Pop, “Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them.” She was followed by a musical tribute to Jackson, which included an appearance by Janet Jackson.

Other notable performances came from Lady Gaga, Green Day, Muse, and Pink.

The MTV Video Music Awards Nominees were announced Tuesday, and the list of nominees includes Katy Perry, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Kristinia DeBarge, Kanye West, Cobra Starship, Paramore, Pink, T.I, Jay-Z, Ciara and more. The awards show will live air at 9pm on MTV on September 13 at  New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, and will be hosted by Russell Brand. Performances from Green Day, Mariah Carey, Pink, Taylor Swift have been confirmed.

Check out the full nominees list below and you can start voting on MTV.com and tune in on September 13th on MTV as the show that returns back to New York City.

Best Female Video Of The Year:
Katy Perry “Hot N Cold”
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Kelly Clarkson “My Life Would Suck Without You”
Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
P!nk “So What”
Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me”

Best Male Video
Eminem “We Made You”
Jay-Z “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
Ne-Yo “Miss Independent”
T.I. ft Rihanna “Live Your Life”

Best Hip Hop Video Of The Year
Asher Roth”I Love College”
Eminem “We Made You”
Flo Rida “Right Round”
Jay-Z “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kanye West “Love Lockdown”

Best Pop Video
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Womanizer”
Cobra Starship “Good Girls Go Bad (Featuring Leighton Meester)”
Lady Gaga “Poker Face”
Wisin & Yandel “Abusadora”

Best Rock Video
Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
Fall Out Boy “I Don’t Care”
Green Day “21 Guns”
Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”
Paramore “Decode”

Video Of The Year
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Womanizer”
Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
Eminem “We Made You”
Lady Gaga “Poker Face”

Breakthrough Video
Anjulie “Boom”
Bat For Lashes “Daniel”
Chairlift “Evident Utensil”
Cold War Kids “I’ve Seen Enough”
Death Cab for Cutie “Grapevine Fires”
Gnarls Barkley “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Major Lazer “Hold The Line”
Matt And Kim “Lessons Learned”
Passion Pit “The Reeling”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”

Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman)
Beastie Boys”Sabotage”
Björk”Human Behaviour”
David Lee Roth”California Girls”
Dr. Dre”Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”
Foo Fighters”Everlong”
George Michael”Freedom”
OK Go”Here It Goes Again”
Radiohead”Karma Police”
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers”Into the Great Wide Open”
U2″Where The Streets Have No Name”

Best Art Direction
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Circus”
Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
Gnarls Barkley “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”

Best Choreography
A.R. Rahman & Pussycat Dolls f/ Nicole Scherzinger “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)”
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Circus”
Ciara ft Justin Timberlake “Love Sex Magic”
Kristinia DeBarge “Goodbye”

Best Cinematography
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Circus”
Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
Green Day “21 Guns”
Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”

Best Direction
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Circus”
Cobra Starship “Good Girls Go Bad (Featuring Leighton Meester)”
Green Day “21 Guns”
Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”

Best Editing
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears “Circus”
Coldplay”Viva La Vida”
Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”
Miley Cyrus “7 Things”

Best Special Effects
Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Eminem “We Made You”
Gnarls Barkley “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Kanye West ft Mr. Hudson “Paranoid”
Lady Gaga “Paparazzi”

Best New Artist
3Oh!3 “Don’t Trust Me”
Asher Roth “I Love College”
Drake “Best I Ever Had”
Kid Cudi “Day N’ Nite”
Lady Gaga “Poker Face”

The Dave Matthews Band’s latest album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, debuted atop the Billboard 200 album chart this week, marking the band’s fifth consecutive No. 1 studio album to top the chart. The disc sold 424,000 copies in its first week of release.

Eminem’s Relapse relinquishes the top spot in its second week of release. The disc dropped to No. 2 on sales of 141,000 units, a 33% week-to-week drop.

311’s Uplifter debuted at No. 3 this week after selling 60,000 copies, marking the band’s highest-charting album ever. Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown follows at No. 4, and the Hannah Montana: the Movie soundtrack rounds out the top five.

Chickenfoot’s self-titled debut enters the chart at No. 6, followed by Taking Back Sunday’s New Again, which debuts at No. 7. Rounding out the top 10 is Lady Gaga’s The Fame at No. 8, Kenny Chesney’s Greatest Hits II at No. 9, and Taylor Swift’s Fearless at No. 10.

Rancid’s first album in nearly six years, Let the Dominoes Fall, enters the chart at No. 11 and Elvis Costello’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane debuts at No. 13.

Eminem’s return after a five-year absence was embraced by the record-buying public who made Relapse, the rapper’s new release, the best-opening album of 2009. The disc sold 608,000 copies in its first week on the charts, approximately 100,000 fewer than his last disc, Encore , sold in an abbreviated four-day week five years ago. The 608,000 albums sold reflect the best first-week sales number since AC/DC’s Black Ice sold 784,000 copies in October 2008.

The rapper’s fifth straight No. 1 debut, knocked last week’s top album, Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown down one spot to No. 2. Green Day’s disc sold 166,000 copies, a 23% decrease from its opening frame.

Kenny Chesney’s Greatest Hits II (which was only available as a physical release), debuted at No. 3 after selling 89,000 units. Dane Cook’s ISolated INcident, which sold 61,000 copies in its first week of release, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4. Rounding out the top five this week was Busta Rhymes, whose first album in nearly three years, Back On My B.S., sold 59,000 units.

Three other albums debuted in the top 10 this week: Method Man and Redman entered at No. 7 with Blackout! 2; Tori Amos‘ Abnormally Attracted To Sin landed at No. 9; and Kate Voegele’s A Fine Mess rounded out the top 10.

Other new releases in the top 20 include Mat Kearney’s City Of Black & White, which debuted at No. 13, followed by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, whose Live From Madison Square Garden entered at No. 14.

Notable debuts outside the top 20 include Lionel Richie’s Just Go at No. 24; Iron And Wine’s Around The Well at No. 25; Drama’s Gangsta Grillz: The Album Vol. 2 at No. 26; Adam Lambert’s Season 8 Favorite Performances at No. 33; Ruben Studdard’s Love Is at No. 36; Press Play’s Life Is Beautiful at No. 45; CKY’s Carver City at No. 46; and Kris Allen’s Season 8 Favorite Performances at No. 50.

For a band best known for years for their mastery of three chords and a boatload of immaturity, the 2004 release of Green Day’s American Idiot represented not only a sea change, but also a bold step into adulthood. The punks from Northern California who sold 10 million copies of an album titled Dookie, took a major risk by releasing a powerful, political rock opera at a time when many still believed that the reaction of the United States to the events of September 11, 2001 was just. 

Muscular, urgent, and powerful, American Idiot, has only grown more significant and prescient with the passage of time, and now, five years after its release, Green Day has returned with 21st Century Breakdown, a de facto sequel that is no less urgent and no less powerful. 

To expect that the band could follow American Idiot with a release as compelling as 21st Century Breakdown is would be both ambitious and unreasonable, and yet, quite simply, they have. The first two tracks, “Song of the Century” and “21st Century Breakdown” emerge from a very dark place – kissing cousins to the songs spawned by anti-Reagan 1980s punk bands like the Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, and Bad Religion. The apocalypse is near and while that feeling might not jibe with the current emotional state of the union, which has been buoyed by the election of President Obama, the feeling is understandable, coming as it did at the end of eight years of the Bush administration and its policies that alienated most of the rest of the world.

A look at some of the other song titles – “Christian’s Inferno,” “Last Night on Earth” (a ballad that is not to be confused with U2’s song of the same name from Pop), and “Murder City” – will clue in to the album’s tone. Yet, while the disc is rich with dark overtones, it is never ponderous, and the album’s 18 tracks, full of anger and despair, beat you up without hurting you. For example, “East Jesus Nowhere,” which eviscerates the hypocrisy often espoused by Christian fundamentalists is a blistering attack, and a standout on the disc.

Those who believed that the band hit its creative peak with American Idiot might be surprised when they realize that that disc, excellent as it was, was mere warm-up for 21st Century Breakdown. Those who thought American Idiot was a miraculous fluke will be surprised that Green Day has returned with an album that is more than the previous disc’s equal. That the band took the hard road on this release, when they could easily have dropped an album of inconsequential pop-punk is a testament to both their credibility as musicians and stature as artists. 21st Century Breakdown is not only a great disc, but it is an important disc that reinforces the idea that, while change might be coming, the people of this nation still have a great deal of which to be afraid, and a great deal for which they will have to answer someday.