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Thursday, Jul 21, 2011 5:22 PM UTC

These are your MTV Video Music Award nominees

From Adele to Katy Perry to Tyler the Creator, who are you voting for this year?

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Topics: MTV, Television,

These are your MTV Video Music Award nomineesKaty Perry's sparkler boobs boosted "Firework" with two nominations in the VMAs.

MTV’s Video Music Awards will be held Aug. 28, and voting has officially opened to the public. Adele swept away with seven nominations (including best video), which makes sense as her album was the year’s best-seller. But if we’re going to be judging purely on the basis of the best video? We’ve provided the nominees and our picks below. Feel free to disagree vehemently.

Best pop video nominees:

Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

Britney Spears, “Till the World Ends”

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Katy Perry, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Nayer, and AfroJack, “Give Me Everything”

Winner: Katy Perry, because this video — with all its ’80s splendor and celeb cameos — is really what “pop” is all about. But it should be Adele.

Best rock video:

Cage the Elephant, “Shake Me Down”

Foo Fighters, “Walk”

Foster the People, “Pumped Up Kicks”

Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

The Black Keys, “Howlin’ for You”

Winner: Ha, wait … Mumford & Sons is considered rock music now? I would give the award to them just to piss off the legions of angry bloggers that think otherwise. Also? That video isn’t half bad. But legitimately, it should go to Black Keys and their fake trailer.

Best hip-hop video: Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, “Look At Me Now”

Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi, “All of the Lights”

Lil Wayne, “6 Foot, 7 Foot”

Lupe Fiasco, “The Show Goes On”

Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”

Winner: Toss-up between the “Inception” style of Wayne’s single and the flashing lights of Kanye.

Best new artist:

Big Sean featuring Chris Brown, “My Last”

Foster the People, “Pumped Up Kicks”

Kreayshawn, “Gucci Gucci”

Tyler the Creator, “Yonkers”

Wiz Khalifa, “Black and Yellow”

Winner: Tyler the Creator. He’s crossed over to mainstream as the subject of a New Yorker piece and an appearance on Jimmy Fallon.

Best female video nominees:

Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

Beyoncé, “Run the World (Girls)”

Katy Perry, “Firework”

Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”

Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”

Winner: Got to go with “Born This Way.” Though I’d love to see Kanye try to take that statue from Lady Gaga like he tried to from Taylor Swift. She’d eat his brains and then vomit sparkles.

Best male video:

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Cee Lo Green, “F**k You”

Eminem f/ Rihanna, “Love the Way You Lie”

Justin Bieber, “U Smile”

Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi, “All of the Lights”

Winner: Cee Lo, who managed to make a song that relies on the F-bomb in the title one of the catchiest songs (and videos) of the year. Though I kind of wish I could give it to Rihanna and Eminem, because I love the thought of Megan Fox hooking up with Charlie from “Lost.”

Best collaboration nominees:

Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, “Look At Me Now”

Kanye West featuring Rihanna and Kid Cudi, “All of the Lights”

Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, “E.T.”

Nicki Minaj, “Moment 4 Life”

Pitbull f/ Ne-Yo, Nayer, and Afrojack, “Give Me Everything”

Winner: Well, we know how I feel about “E.T.,” and I’m not sure Nicki Minaj should win a collaboration with herself (no, I know, Drake is in the video too). I’d just as soon give it to Brown, because he’s not going to win it for any other category, and “Look At Me Now” is actually a pretty cool video.

Video of the Year:

Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

Beastie Boys, “Make Some Noise”

Bruno Mars, “Grenade”

Katy Perry, “Firework“

Tyler the Creator, “Yonkers”

Winner: If the gods were fair, the Beastie Boys and their comedy counterparts (Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, etc.,) would only be competing against Adele … maybe. But “Firework” has become an anthem (even if the video isn’t Perry’s best work), and Tyler the Creator has all the hype, so it’s anyone’s game.

If you really care, you can always go vote for the winner.

Drew Grant is a staff writer for Salon. Follow her on Twitter at @videodrew. More Drew Grant.

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