MTV readying for Video Music Awards Sunday

MTV is warming NYC up for the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards,” which will air live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, September 13th at 9PM ET/PT, with a trio of music-filled events that will culminate with the massive music awards extravaganza. Music fans will be able to check out performances from 3OH!3, Fefe Dobson, Cobra Starship, Kid Cudi, and Phoenix at locations across the city. On Thursday night, the VMAs and Verizon Wireless kick off the week with a performance from 3OH!3, and Taco Bell® welcomes Fefe Dobson and Cobra Starship, along with DJ Vice, to the stage on Friday night. On Saturday night, the VMAs and Pepsi present “A Refreshing Night of Music” featuring DJ Clinton Sparks, Kid Cudi and Phoenix, with the event benefiting LIFEbeat, The Music Industry Fights AIDS.

Tickets for The 2009 Video Music Awards and Pepsi Present: A Refreshing Night of Music with DJ Clinton Sparks, Kid Cudi and Phoenix a Benefit for LIFEbeat, The Music Industry Fights AIDS, an all ages event, are $40.00 for General Admission in advance, with limited tickets at the door available for $50.00. Advance VIP tickets are also available for $150.00, with proceeds from all tickets going to LIFEbeat. Tickets can be purchased by going to LIFEbeat.org, ticketweb.com or by calling 866.468.7619. In addition, the event will offer fans the chance to play the highly-anticipated music video game The Beatles: Rock Band. More information on the LIFEbeat and the event can be found at lifebeat.org.

The “2009 MTV Video Music Awards Weekend” schedule is as follows:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH , 2009
The 2009 Video Music Awards and Verizon Wireless Present:VMA Weekend Kick-Off Party with 3Oh!3 Touch Nightclub, 240 W 52nd St Door Open at 8pm Cover Charge at the Door Performance by 3OH!3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH , 2009
The 2009 VMAs and Taco Bell present: A Concert with Fefe Dobson and Cobra Starship The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place Doors Open at 6:30pm $20 cover charge at the door, or advance cover may be purchased at the box office or at www.livenation.com Performances from Fefe Dobson and Cobra Starship Music by DJ Vice

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2009
The 2009 Video Music Awards and Pepsi Present:A Refreshing Night of Music with DJ Clinton Sparks, Kid Cudi and Phoenixa Benefit for LIFEbeat, The Music Industry Fights AIDS 610 West 56th Street Doors Open - 9pm Show Begins- 9:45pm Special performances from Phoenix and Kid Cudi Music by DJ Clinton Sparks

MTV and Taco Bell are blowing out their VMA partnership this year. Over the past four weeks, Taco Bell has brought the VMAs in-store, showcasing it via cups and point of purchase material with VMA tune-in attracting visibility among the more than 38 million people who visit a Taco Bell each week. Taco Bell has also integrated itself into MTV’s 2009 VMA Tour at Six Flags as well as the Friday night concert over VMA weekend at The Fillmore NY. Taco Bell and MTV will bring both these events to the masses via MTV News hits that will air on MTV and MTVu throughout VMA weekend. Taco Bell is also using the VMA platform to launch the fourth year of its Feed the Beat™ program, which rewards up-and-coming bands free food while on tour. Go to feedthebeat.com for more information.

This year, MTV is recognizing 50 young volunteers from the Boys & Girls Club, City Year and Youth Build for getting involved in their local communities by bringing them to the MTV VMA Awards to catch all of the night’s action. Serve.MTV.com is MTV’s platform to connect young people with a wide range of ways to get active in their local communities, launched in response to surging youth interest in volunteerism, as well as the President and First Lady’s call for Americans to become more involved in service. Find out more online at Serve.MTV.com, on Facebook or on MySpace.

MTV News and V CAST from Verizon Wireless are giving customers an All Access video pass to the 2009 VMAs, with an unprecedented inside look at the making of the biggest music event of the year. Verizon Wireless customers can sign up for VMA text alerts by texting VIP to 8911 to receive VMA news insider reports delivered directly to their Verizon Wireless phones.
Viewers can vote for the "Best New Artist" category throughout the show, live on September 13.
MTV, Pepsi and Rock Band™ have created a new category at this year's VMAs, "Best Performance in a Pepsi Rock Band Video" that allows fans, for the first time, a chance to win their very own Moonman. This summer, contestants entered their original Rock Band™ music videos, which fans voted on to select the ultimate winner. The winning band will travel to the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards,” walk the red carpet, receive their Moonman, and be featured in an MTV produced promotional spot airing the night of the show.

Shugoll Research and Telescope are the Official Business Advisors of the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” Nominee and Winner Voting periods.

Jesse Ignjatovic/Den of Thieves is the Executive Producer for the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards.” Dave Sirulnick is Executive Producer. Garrett English is co-Executive Producer/Executive in Charge of Production. Amy Doyle is co-Executive Producer. Joanna Bomberg is Executive in Charge of Music and Talent. Jen Jones is Producer. Hamish Hamilton is Director. Robin Reinhardt-Locke is Celebrity Talent Executive.

Official sponsors of the “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” are 5 ® Gum, Febreze, Pepsi, Rhapsody ®, Sears, Taco Bell, U.S. Army and Verizon Wireless.

The “2009 MTV Video Music Awards” will be available to a potential viewing audience of more than 1.2 billion people via MTV's global network of 68 channels reaching 577 million households around the world as well as through syndication. In addition, its convergent programming & content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV's more than 200 digital media properties around the world.