2012 MTV Video Music Awards

The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards will take place Thursday, September 6, 2012, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The awards will be broadcast from the Staples Center arena at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles.

Nominations were announced on July 31, 2012. Rihanna and Drake received five nominations, while Katy Perry received four.

Awards
Nominees were announced on July 31, 2012.

Video of the Year

 * Drake (featuring Rihanna) — "Take Care"
 * Gotye (featuring Kimbra) — "Somebody That I Used to Know"
 * M.I.A. — "Bad Girls"
 * Katy Perry — "Wide Awake"
 * Rihanna (featuring Calvin Harris) — "We Found Love"

Best Male Video

 * Justin Bieber — "Boyfriend"
 * Chris Brown — "Turn Up the Music"
 * Drake (featuring Rihanna) — "Take Care"
 * Frank Ocean — "Swim Good"
 * Usher — "Climax"

Best Female Video

 * Beyoncé — "Love on Top"
 * Selena Gomez & the Scene — "Love You Like a Love Song"
 * Nicki Minaj — "Starships"
 * Katy Perry — "Part of Me"
 * Rihanna (featuring Calvin Harris) — "We Found Love"

Best New Artist

 * fun. (featuring Janelle Monáe) — "We Are Young"
 * Carly Rae Jepsen — "Call Me Maybe"
 * Frank Ocean — "Swim Good"
 * One Direction — "What Makes You Beautiful"
 * The Wanted — "Glad You Came"

Best Pop Video

 * Justin Bieber — "Boyfriend"
 * fun. (featuring Janelle Monáe) — "We Are Young"
 * Maroon 5 (featuring Wiz Khalifa) — "Payphone"
 * One Direction — "What Makes You Beautiful"
 * Rihanna (featuring Calvin Harris) — "We Found Love"

Best Rock Video

 * The Black Keys — "Lonely Boy"
 * Coldplay — "Paradise"
 * Imagine Dragons — "It's Time"
 * Linkin Park — "Burn It Down"
 * Jack White — "Sixteen Saltines"

Best Hip-Hop Video

 * Childish Gambino — "Heartbeat"
 * Drake (featuring Lil Wayne) — "HYFR"
 * Jay-Z and Kanye West — "Paris"
 * Nicki Minaj (featuring 2 Chainz) — "Beez in the Trap"
 * Kanye West (featuring Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz) — "Mercy"

Best Electronic Dance Music Video

 * Avicii — "Levels"
 * Duck Sauce — "Big Bad Wolf"
 * Calvin Harris — "Feel So Close"
 * Skrillex — "First of the Year (Equinox)'
 * Martin Solveig — "The Night Out"

Best Direction in a Video

 * Coldplay (featuring Rihanna) — "Princess of China" (Director: Adria Petty and Alan Bibby)
 * Duck Sauce — "Big Bad Wolf" (Director: Keith Schofield)
 * Jay-Z and Kanye West (featuring Otis Redding) — "Otis" (Director: Spike Jonze)
 * M.I.A. — "Bad Girls" (Director: Romain Gavras)
 * Frank Ocean — "Swim Good" (Director: Nabil Elderkin)

Best Choreography in a Video

 * Avicii — "Levels" (Choreographers: Richy Greenfield and Petro Papahadjopoulos)
 * Beyoncé — "Countdown" (Choreographers: Danielle Polanco, Frank Gatson Jr., Beyoncé and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker)
 * Chris Brown — "Turn Up the Music" (Choreographer: Anwar "Flii" Burton)
 * Jennifer Lopez (featuring Pitbull) — "Dance Again" (Choreographer: JR Taylor)
 * Rihanna — "Where Have You Been" (Choreographer: Hi-Hat)

Best Visual Effects in a Video

 * David Guetta (featuring Nicki Minaj) — "Turn Me On" (Visual Effects: Alex Frisch, Joe Harkins, Scott Metzger and Vico Sharabani)
 * Linkin Park — "Burn It Down" (Visual Effects: Ghost Town Media)
 * Katy Perry — "Wide Awake" (Visual Effects: Ingenuity Engine)
 * Rihanna — "Where Have You Been" (Visual Effects: BAKED FX)
 * Skrillex — "First of the Year (Equinox)" (Visual Effects: Deka Brothers and Tony "Truand" Datis)

Best Art Direction in a Video

 * Lana Del Rey — "Born to Die" (Art Directors: Anna Brun and Audrey Malecot)
 * Drake (featuring Rihanna) — "Take Care" (Art Director: Charles Infante)
 * Of Monsters and Men — "Little Talks" (Art Director: Mihai Wilson)
 * Katy Perry — "Wide Awake" (Art Director: Benji Bamps)
 * Regina Spektor — "All the Rowboats" (Art Director: Anthony Henderson)

Best Editing in a Video

 * A$AP Rocky — "Goldie" (Editor: Samantha Lecca)
 * Beyoncé — "Countdown" (Editors: Alexander Hammer and Jeremiah Shuff)
 * Gotye (featuring Kimbra) — "Somebody That I Used to Know" (Editor: Natasha Pincus)
 * Jay-Z and Kanye West — "Niggas in Paris" (Editors: Alexander Hammer, Peter Johnson and Derek Lee)
 * Kanye West (featuring Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz) — "Mercy" (Editor: Eric Greenburg)

Best Cinematography in a Video

 * Adele — "Someone Like You" (Director of Photography: David Johnson)
 * Coldplay (featuring Rihanna) — "Princess of China" (Director of Photography: Stéphane Vallée)
 * Lana Del Rey — "Born to Die" (Director of Photography: André Chemetoff)
 * Drake (featuring Rihanna) — "Take Care" (Director of Photography: Kasper Tuxen)
 * M.I.A. — "Bad Girls" (Director of Photography: André Chemetoff)

Best Video with a Message

 * Kelly Clarkson — "Dark Side"
 * Gym Class Heroes (featuring Ryan Tedder) — "The Fighter"
 * K'naan (featuring Nelly Furtado) — "Is Anybody Out There?"
 * Lil Wayne — "How to Love"
 * Demi Lovato — "Skyscraper"
 * Rise Against — "Ballad of Hollis Brown"

Performers

 * Alicia Keys
 * One Direction
 * P!nk