The MTV Video Music Awards could be minus a certain Hollaback Girl.
Despite six nominations, Gwen Stefani is going to skip this year’s awards because, according to the New York Daily News, she is miffed about not getting a performance slot.
Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” is up for Moon Men for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Best Choreography; her clip for “What You Waiting For?” is in contention for Best Art Direction and Best Editing. Her half-dozen nods tie her with Missy Elliott and are second only to Green Day’s eight nominations.
Still, Stefani was not among those listed on MTV’s latest rundown of performers, a slate that includes Green Day, Coldplay, the Killers, Shakira, Kanye West, Ludacris, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent and Kelly Clarkson; but the Daily News says Stefani and rocker hubby Gavin Rossdale won’t be jetting to Miami for the Aug. 28 shindig.
Reps for Stefani’s label and management issued no comments on the report Friday. An MTV spokesperson is quoted in the Daily News saying, “We love Gwen, and we hope she will be able to join us, as we know her fans would love to see her on this big night–especially since she’s heavily nominated.”
Us Weekly music editor Shirley Halperin has a theory on the behind-the-scenes drama.
Halperin reports her sources say Stefani and her band would “love to play the show, but as of now, [they] aren’t planning on even being there because they know MTV won’t let them play after they performed at the Teen Choice Awards.”
Those awards were televised Tuesday on Fox.
“I think that for the last few years there has been some competition between the MTV Awards and the Teen Choice awards,” Halperin says. “The MTV Awards obviously has more cachet, and MTV expects its performers not to play a competing broadcast event around the time of the VMAs.”
Stefani, whose solo release, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, has gone double platinum, apparently signed on to the Teen Choice Awards months ago and wanted to honor that commitment. She has won five trophies with her band, No Doubt, and shared another with Eve in 2001 for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind.”
Even if Stefani does not show, MTV expects around 10,000 fans for the awards, which will take place at Miami’s American Airlines Arena with the recently renamed Diddy as host
Categories