MTV Video Music Award nominations released

This year's front-runners at the MTV VMAs represent the usual mixed bag.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Shakira lead the pack for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards with seven nominations each for their respective videos "Dani California" and "Hip's Don't Lie."

I'm not even sure where to watch videos anymore. I think I have some music stations sprinkled throughout my TV package, but whenever I happen to stumble across them, they don't seem to be playing music. This isn't meant to imply that there shouldn't be awards, but rather that I'm not really able to comment intelligently on them.

And that used to be my general impression of most people who contribute to one of the more disastrous concepts in awards season: the Viewer's Choice Award. But the people may have something when it comes to music. While people's choice awards in movies and TV often result in Ben Affleck winning out over Ben Kingsley or with "Yes, Dear" besting "Arrested Development", past winners at the VMAs are tough to dispute.

Green Day's "American Idiot" in 2005, Linkin Park in 2004, and the fact that Celine Dion has never won speak volumes of the good taste of viewers. I can probably fault the vox populi for picking 'N Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" over Eminem in 2000, but at least they passed on "The Thong Song". It's just too bad that we couldn't have had a tie in 1994 when the glory of Alicia was so brilliantly matched by the genius of the Beastie Boys in "Sabotage".

Chili Peppers, Shakira Lead MTV VMA Nominations [Billboard.com]

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