PHOTOS: MTV madnessTHE FIX
Britney Spears has once again opened the MTV Video Music Awards — but thankfully this time there was no "live" performance.
Last year, Spears was widely mocked after a bizarre showing in which she forgot her lines and gyrated in a diamond-studded bikini.
This year, she opened the show with a comedic performance in which Superbad star Jonah Hill repeatedly tried to plant a kiss on her.
"Thankyou for all the love," Spears told the screaming audience, appearing much healthier than last year.
The pop star kept things short and sharp by quickly rushing through her three sentences, escaping the embarrassment of last September's three minutes of botched dance moves and awkward lip synching.
After introducing the night's opening act, pop star Rihanna performing her hit Disturbia, Spears was then called back to the stage to accept the Best Female Video Award for Piece Of Me.
She later returned to the stage for her second statue, with buddy Paris Hilton presenting her with the Best Pop Video award for the same song.
While Spears' acceptance speech was polished, the same could not be said for Hilton's hosting duties.
She received laughs from the crowd and an odd look from host Russell Brand when she struggled to locate which camera to speak into.
British comedian host Brand divided the crowd early with his edgy humour.
He received a round of applause when he pledged his support to presidential nominee Barack Obama, but appeared to lose some of the crowd when he said America is understanding enough for a black leader after already electing a "retarded cowboy" twice.
Brand then took aim at Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol and her hockey-playing boyfriend Levi Johnston.
"That boy will spend the rest of his life masturbating while wearing a condom," he said.
Linkin Park won the Best Rock Video award for Shadow Of The Day, while the Pussycat Dolls won for Best Dancing In A Video for hit single When I Grow Up.
Chris Brown claimed Best Male Video for With You and Lil Wayne's track Lollipop was named Best Hip Hop Video.
German band Tokio Hotel won Best New Artist.
Olympic champion Michael Phelps also made an appearance, speaking of his love for hip hop before introducing rapper Lil Wayne for a live performance.
Some of Hollywood's stars raised eyebrows in a bizarre red carpet arrival in Los Angeles.
The show lived up to its crazy reputation as rapper T-Pain arrived on the back of an elephant draped in gold silk.
The hip hop star also wore a giant red top hat just in case his peculiar ride went unnoticed.
Fellow hip hop personality Fatman Scoop clearly enjoyed the laid-back feel of the MTV Awards, arriving in boxer shorts and a white singlet.
The production, now in its 25th year, is known for pushing the boundaries and has featured several controversial incidents involving Spears.
Last year, Kanye West became involved in the Spears incident by claiming the music network exploited her when she was having personal issues.
In 2003, Madonna made headlines by passionately kissing Spears and Christina Aguilera at the end of their performance.
And a year earlier, Spears referred to Michael Jackson as her "artist of the millennium", leading the reclusive pop star to believe that he was the recipient of the non-existent "Artist of the Millennium Award".
"When I was a little boy growing up in Indiana if someone told me I'd be getting the artist of the millennium award, I'd have never believed it," a confused Jackson said.
Last year, Spears was widely mocked after a bizarre showing in which she forgot her lines and gyrated in a diamond-studded bikini.
This year, she opened the show with a comedic performance in which Superbad star Jonah Hill repeatedly tried to plant a kiss on her.
"Thankyou for all the love," Spears told the screaming audience, appearing much healthier than last year.
The pop star kept things short and sharp by quickly rushing through her three sentences, escaping the embarrassment of last September's three minutes of botched dance moves and awkward lip synching.
After introducing the night's opening act, pop star Rihanna performing her hit Disturbia, Spears was then called back to the stage to accept the Best Female Video Award for Piece Of Me.
She later returned to the stage for her second statue, with buddy Paris Hilton presenting her with the Best Pop Video award for the same song.
While Spears' acceptance speech was polished, the same could not be said for Hilton's hosting duties.
She received laughs from the crowd and an odd look from host Russell Brand when she struggled to locate which camera to speak into.
British comedian host Brand divided the crowd early with his edgy humour.
He received a round of applause when he pledged his support to presidential nominee Barack Obama, but appeared to lose some of the crowd when he said America is understanding enough for a black leader after already electing a "retarded cowboy" twice.
Brand then took aim at Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol and her hockey-playing boyfriend Levi Johnston.
"That boy will spend the rest of his life masturbating while wearing a condom," he said.
Linkin Park won the Best Rock Video award for Shadow Of The Day, while the Pussycat Dolls won for Best Dancing In A Video for hit single When I Grow Up.
Chris Brown claimed Best Male Video for With You and Lil Wayne's track Lollipop was named Best Hip Hop Video.
German band Tokio Hotel won Best New Artist.
Olympic champion Michael Phelps also made an appearance, speaking of his love for hip hop before introducing rapper Lil Wayne for a live performance.
Some of Hollywood's stars raised eyebrows in a bizarre red carpet arrival in Los Angeles.
The show lived up to its crazy reputation as rapper T-Pain arrived on the back of an elephant draped in gold silk.
The hip hop star also wore a giant red top hat just in case his peculiar ride went unnoticed.
Fellow hip hop personality Fatman Scoop clearly enjoyed the laid-back feel of the MTV Awards, arriving in boxer shorts and a white singlet.
The production, now in its 25th year, is known for pushing the boundaries and has featured several controversial incidents involving Spears.
Last year, Kanye West became involved in the Spears incident by claiming the music network exploited her when she was having personal issues.
In 2003, Madonna made headlines by passionately kissing Spears and Christina Aguilera at the end of their performance.
And a year earlier, Spears referred to Michael Jackson as her "artist of the millennium", leading the reclusive pop star to believe that he was the recipient of the non-existent "Artist of the Millennium Award".
"When I was a little boy growing up in Indiana if someone told me I'd be getting the artist of the millennium award, I'd have never believed it," a confused Jackson said.
