2006 MTV Video Music Awards

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from June 11, 2005, to June 26, 2006. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The 2006 Video Music Awards marked the first time viewers were able to vote for all performers' categories (Best Video; Best Male, Female, and Group Videos; and genre categories). Like previous years, the artistic categories (Best Direction, Best Cinematography, etc.) are still chosen by music industry professionals. The 2006 Awards also discontinued the major category Breakthrough Video.

The show was criticized by fans and viewers as being uninteresting or lacking substance. The award ceremony's ratings were down 28% from the 8 million viewers it averaged in 2005 and down 45% from the 10.3 million viewers it averaged in 2004.

Shakira and Red Hot Chili Peppers received the most nominations, with seven each. Avenged Sevenfold won Best New Artist and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", by Panic! at the Disco, became the first video to win Video of the Year without winning a single other award since "This Note's for You" by Neil Young in 1989.

Background
MTV announced on March 21 that the 2006 Video Music Awards would be held on August 31 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, returning to the city after two consecutive ceremonies in Miami. Nominees were announced at a press conference held at Top of the Rock and hosted by Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, Beyoncé, and Justin Timberlake on July 31. Jack Black was announced as host on August 10. The ceremony broadcast was preceded by Red Carpet on the Rock. Hosted by Kurt Loder and SuChin Pak with reports from John Norris, Sway, and Gideon Yago, the pre-show featured red carpet interviews and performances from Fergie and My Chemical Romance. It also marked Loder’s final hosting appearance at a VMA pre-show, having hosted each broadcast since 1990. The ceremony marked MTV's first attempt at integrating multi-platform content into the broadcast. Expanding the previous year’s use of MTV Overdrive for bonus material, MTV Overdrive simultaneously aired a VMA Live: Backstage Uncensored channel, providing live footage of presenters and performers in the backstage areas, which was heavily promoted during the linear broadcast. For the first time, the live broadcast expanded beyond MTV to include a live simulcast on MTV2 with commentary from the MTV2 VJs and the first high-definition simulcast on MHD.

Performances
In addition, The Raconteurs served as the house band, being joined by Lou Reed and Billy Gibbons on select songs.

Pre-show

 * The Black Eyed Peas – introduced Fergie's performance

Main show

 * Jay-Z – opened the show
 * Montel Williams, Justin Timberlake and Michael Bloomberg – made brief appearances during Jack Black's opening sequence
 * Lil' Kim – presented Best Male Video
 * André 3000 and Ciara – presented Best Hip-Hop Video
 * The Rock – introduced Shakira and Wyclef Jean
 * The cast of Jackass Number Two (Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Ryan Dunn, Wee Man, Dave England, Preston Lacy, and Ehren McGhehey) – appeared in different vignettes about Viewer's Choice voting, and later on presented Viewer's Choice
 * 50 Cent and LL Cool J – presented Best Female Video
 * Lil Jon (with E-40) – introduced Pharrell and Ludacris
 * Sarah Silverman – appeared in backstage skits and coverage, and later performed a stand-up routine
 * Kyle Gass – appeared in a couple of on-stage sequences with Jack Black and The Black Eyed Peas
 * Jessica Simpson – presented Best Dance Video
 * Chris Brown – introduced OK Go
 * Shaun White – introduced as of the Jackass Number Two cast's vignettes
 * Paris Hilton – introduced The All-American Rejects
 * Nick Lachey and Nicole Richie – presented Best Pop Video
 * Snoop Dogg – presented Best Rap Video
 * Diddy – introduced T.I.
 * Amy Lee (of Evanescence) and Jared Leto (of Thirty Seconds to Mars) – presented Best Group Video
 * Ne-Yo and Rihanna – presented Ringtone of the Year
 * Fall Out Boy – introduced Panic! at the Disco
 * Fergie – introduced Abigail Breslin and presented Best New Artist in a Video with her
 * Jim Shearer and EBRO – presented the MTV2 Award (only seen on the MTV2 simulcast of the ceremony)
 * Britney Spears and Kevin Federline (via pretaped segment) – presented Best R&B Video
 * Kanye West – presented the Video Vanguard Award
 * Pink and Lou Reed – presented Best Rock Video
 * The Black Eyed Peas – appeared in an on-stage sequence with Kyle Gass (presenting a fake award), which led to Tenacious D's "reunion" and performance
 * Queen Latifah – introduced Al Gore
 * Al Gore – spoke about global warming and the world's environmental crisis
 * Jennifer Lopez – announced the launch of MTV Tr3́s and presented Video of the Year
 * Axl Rose – introduced The Killers
 * Also, MTV's Vanessa Minnillo and John Norris appeared before and after some commercial breaks to remind viewers to check out MTV Overdrive's backstage VMA coverage

Winners and nominees
Winners are in bold text.

VMA Karaoke Contest
In this contest, participants picked one of three songs and made a video of themselves singing their choice. Winners received a paid trip to the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.

VMA Insider Contest
The winner selected by voters at mtv.com received a paid trip to the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, and was allowed to interview all the stars on the red carpet.

"Reveal the Real You" Contest
Participants sent in a story of "a moment in their life that makes them, them." Winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as the chance to win a trip to the VMAs in 2007.