-
Beyonce - Source: Reuters -
View Photos
-
Related
American singer Beyonce scooped three prizes at the MTV Europe
Music Awards on Friday at a ceremony in Berlin marking the 20th
anniversary of the fall of the wall that once divided the
city.
She received prizes for best female, best song (Halo) and best
video (Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) on one of pop music's
biggest nights outside the United States.
"I have to dedicate this award to all the other beautiful artists,"
Beyonce said after being named best female, the second of her three
prizes. "Thank you MTV for this wonderful honour."
To coincide with MTV's awards show, Irish rockers U2 treated 10,000
fans to a free concert in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, where
the music channel's first Europe Music Awards were held in
1994.
Check out photos from the awards here.
Lead singer Bono performed hits such as One, Sunday Bloody Sunday
and Beautiful Day during a 30-minute set and greeted the crowd in
German with the words: "Berlin, Du bist wunderbar".
Hours later he was at the O2 World concert venue to pick up the
best live act award on behalf of the band.
Beyonce's husband, hip hop star Jay-Z, was also a winner on the
night, topping the best urban act category.
Wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses, he referred to the
theme of the Berlin Wall, saying: "I look forward to the day when
all those walls come down."
The wall, a symbol of the Cold War that split the city, was opened
on November 9, 1989, leading to the reunification of East and West
Germany 11 months later.
US domination
Beyonce took to the stage after her husband's acceptance speech,
appearing in a red heart and wearing a scarlet bodice and garters
to perform the hit "Sweet Dreams".
Best male act went to Detroit rapper Eminem, who thanked his
supporters in a video message.
The winners are chosen by MTV viewers online, and the music
channel, part of Viacom, said more than 100 million votes were cast
in 2008. As the list of winners this year underlined, the MTV
Europe Music Awards tend to be dominated by big US names.
One of the few exceptions was Germany's Tokio Hotel, beating the
likes of Black Eyed Peas and Kings of Leon to take the best group
award.
Green Day, who performed the opening song on the night, were named
best rock act.
The biggest losers on the night were Nashville-based Kings of Leon,
who led the field with five nominations but came away
empty-handed.
New Yorker Lady Gaga, renowned as much for her extravagant outfits
as for her electro-dance-pop, was the only other act to garner five
nominations. She won the best new act category.
US singer Katy Perry, hosting the awards for the second year in a
row, had promised a show inspired by the Cabaret film with Liza
Minnelli, set in 1930s Berlin, and did not disappoint.
She appeared on stage in a bowler hat, bow tie, bodice and
thigh-high boots, and performed a routine on chairs with eight
cabaret dancers as glitter rained down on the stage.
Colombian pop star Shakira showed up in a glittery mini dress,
black knee-length boots and long, blond locks to perform her hit
Did It Again, while British chart-topper Leona Lewis wore a flowing
black gown for her rendition of Happy.
There was a video tribute to the late king of pop Michael Jackson
during the show.
