MTV Celebrates Fall Of Wall

The 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards will be held in Berlin to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the smashing of the wall that divided the city.

The event will take place Nov. 5 at the O2 Arena and in front of the city’s Brandenburg Gate.

“Being part of the week of celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall is a significant moment in the history of the awards,” said MTV South managing director Antonio Campo Dall’Orto.

“The fall of the wall was an important milestone in the expression of freedom and individuality for people around the world. We believe that music has the same ability to break down barriers and forge a sense of unity among people in spite of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds.”

The awards were launched in Berlin in 1994 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the destruction of the old divide between East and West Europe. This year’s event will be the fourth time it’s been held in Berlin.

The 2008 awards were held in Liverpool, England, and broadcast in more than 40 countries.