Info

MP3 brings the thunder: A full recap of the VMAs

The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards are history, and MP3.com brought it to you as it happened, from the raucous performances to the big winners.

From Jack Black to Jack White, from Justin Timberlake bringing sexy back and the Killers' Brandon Flowers trying to bring the mustache back, this year's MTV Video Music Awards are in the books.

The three-hour event, broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, featured surprise winners, stylish performances, forced applause, and even a stark warning about global warming from former Vice President Al Gore.

"I wasn't planning on being here, but then MTV told me that Justin Timberlake was bringing sexy back, so here I am," Gore joked.

Panic! At the Disco took home video of the year honors.

In the end, no artist took home more than two Moon Men, with both James Blunt and Gnarls Barkley picking up a pair apiece. Panic! At the Disco was the big winner, grabbing the award for video of the year for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies." Their acceptance of the award from presenter Jennifer Lopez was interrupted when Nicholas "Sixx" King, a "professional awards show crasher," jumped onstage to shout out his Web site and bash MTV for not picking up a show he created.

The night also featured several firsts, with Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor claiming the inaugural ringtone of the year award for "Where'd You Go" and Mark Ecko's Getting Up and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion winning the first-ever awards for best video game soundtrack and best video game score, respectively.

Timberlake opened the show with a performance of his song "SexyBack," the top-selling song in the country, while Lil' Kim, fresh off a nine-month prison stint, presented the night's first award to Blunt for best male video. She appeared onstage in an orange prison jumpsuit before stripping out of it to reveal a busty business suit.

Dressed in a gold lam� suit, Black promised to "bring the thunder" early, a vow he would make and reference constantly throughout the night. The host was remarkably unfunny at times, but save for a lengthy skit with his Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Glass, he didn't dominate the spotlight.

Shakira

Shakira and Wyclef Jean added a Middle Eastern flair to their performance of their "Hips Don't Lie," while Beyonce and a slew of backup dancers ran through her Basic Instinct-inspired single "Ring the Alarm," complete with police in riot gear and blaring sirens.

Internet sensation OK Go re-created their treadmill-laden video for "Here It Goes Again" without injuring themselves (we think), while the Killers closed out the show with a perfomance of their new single, "When You Were Young."

Throughout the night, White's band, the Raconteurs, played short songs going into and coming out of commercial breaks and were joined at various points by Lou Reed, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, and filmmaker Jim Jarmusch.

Hype Williams was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, and the acclaimed hip-hop video director seemed genuinely honored to receive it following a lengthy tribute and performances by Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott.

The Black Eyed Peas took home the prize for best hip-hop video for "My Humps," while Chamillionaire surprised many by garnering the award for best rap video for "Ridin'," upsetting the likes of 50 Cent, Busta, T.I., and Yung Joc.

OK Go during their treadmill routine.

Although most of the presenters and accepters avoided saying anything controversial or doing anything that might end up on YouTube, Snoop Dogg carried the party flag, bringing a cocktail onstage as he presented the award to Chamillionaire.

"I want to smoke something, but since we're on MTV, I brought myself a drink up here," he said.

Fall Out Boy took home the coveted Viewer's Choice Award for "Dance, Dance," while Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" won for best female video. Pussycat Dolls and Snoop Dogg won for best dance video with "Buttons," and Pink's "Stupid Girls" took home the prize for best pop video.

The show also featured several humorous rants by comedian Sarah Silverman, including one about her surprise in learning that N'Sync singer Lance Bass is gay. Bass came out of the closet in People magazine earlier this month.

"I just throught he was into harmonizing and dance routines and frosting his tips," she said. "But yeah, that totally makes sense now. Rememer that time that he wanted to fly to the moon? Space travel is pretty gay."