MTV Back to L.A.

MTV announced Monday that the MTV Video Music Awards would return to Los Angeles on September 7, for the first time in a decade.

The event is now in its 25th year. (Unfortunately, last year's Britney Spears disastrous "comeback" performance sticks in our heads most recently.) It will take place on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, and of course, air on MTV. (Paramount and MTV are both units of Viacom Inc.) The last time Los Angeles hosted the MTV Video Music Awards was back in 1998. The network's awards show has otherwise been held predominantly in New York City, with the exceptions of Miami in 2004 and 2005, and Las Vegas last year.

This year's ceremony, according to MTV, will use the city streets, rooftops, and sound stages throughout the Paramount lot. Performers, nominees, and presenters are set to be announced at a later date, as is the host.

According to Nielsen Media Research, last year's MTV Video Music Awards held 7.1 million viewers captive. (But was that because of "it's Britney, bitch"?) While that was a major improvement from the 5.8 million viewers from the previous year, the numbers have yet to live up to that of 1999: 12 million.

Source: Reuters