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Awards

I can remember a time when MuchMusic wasn’t staffed by idiots who have nothing to say and full of shows that no one I know would watch. Ah, the glorious 90s! Nowadays….ah, who cares! I’ll stick with my video iPod!!

Kardinall Offishall tops MMVAs
TORONTO (CP) – Screaming fans, scandalous celebrities and more than a couple of bare buttocks overtook downtown Toronto for the country’s wildest freewheeling awards show Sunday.
Kardinal Offishall was the big winner at the annual celebrity spectacle that is the MuchMusic Video Awards, but it was Jacob Hoggard and the boys from Hedley who left celebrity gawkers with a night to remember after they pulled down their pants to reveal Hedley tattoos on their bottoms.
The B.C. band had fans screaming with their outrageous red-carpet arrival in a white police van, pouring out of the vehicle with hot female cops – dressed in miniskirts and heels – on their tails.
Kardinal, who led the nominees with five nods, revelled in the cheers that greeted him as he arrived in a screaming red firetruck, doing his best to one-up fellow nominees in what’s become an annual test of the wild factor.
“We have to do everything in style, you know,” Kardinal said.
The Toronto-based rapper snagged three of the coveted trophies for his single Everyday (Rudebwoy) – winning for best video, best director and the VideoFACT award.
“This is real good right here. … This is for all my hip-hop people from east to west,” Kardinal said before receiving his trophies.
“It’s funny, though, that I’m not in the best hip-hop category.”
Celebrity gawkers turned out in droves to catch glimpses of presenters and performers including party girl Paris Hilton, actress Tori Spelling, tabloid coverboy Nick Lachey and chart-topper Rihanna, who took home the prize for best international artist.
Massive outdoor stages were to feature live performances by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland, rockers Simple Plan and video favourites Fall Out Boy.
Hilton smiled and waved at fans after emerging from a simple black SUV. She said she wasn’t fazed by tabloid scrutiny over her personal life, a favourite topic since her X-rated video floated through the Internet years ago.
“It’s just life – I don’t care,” Hilton said. “I know I’m a good person.”
More tabloid drama followed Spelling, who showed up arm-in-arm with Canadian actor Dean McDermott, recently split from Canadian television personality Mary Jo Eustace in an ugly affair that played out in the tabloids.
The former 90210 star, draped in a loose and flowy green, pink and yellow minidress, said it was just her second time to Toronto, and that she was excited to “get to walk down the red carpet with this hot man,” gesturing to McDermott, her new husband.
Inside the sprawling Much complex, McDermott’s spurned ex-wife was one of several Canadian notables clogging the hallways. Dressed in a low-cut yellow summer dress, Eustace was accompanied by her former TV sidekick Ken Kostick from their kitschy cooking show What’s for Dinner.
Young music fans turned out in the wee hours to catch their heroes.
Sammy Katz, 18, said he showed up at 5 a.m. to get a good spot in front of one of three streetside stages.
“It’s amazing,” said Katz, who waited in line nearly 10 hours last week to score a wristband pass to his third MuchMusic awards show.
“It’s like our awards show. It’s all about the fans.”
Alannah Azzoli, 16, said she was there to see Lachey but “almost had a stroke” earlier Sunday when she met Hedley during band rehearsals.
“I’m not even kidding,” Azzoli said. “I was having a panic attack in Starbucks.”
Kardinal Offishall was one of three acts to lead the list of nominees with five nods, but the only one to take home multiple awards. Multiple nominee Massari took only one trophy – for best pop video – while rockers Billy Talent went home empty-handed despite their five nods.
Both Kardinal and Massari were also up for a People’s Choice award for favourite Canadian artist, but those results were not immediately known.
Awards are determined by an in-house MuchMusic panel, except for the People’s Choice Awards, which are selected by fans via an online and telephone voting system.