Beyoncé and Lady GaGa lead this year’s hopefuls with nine nominations each, closely followed by Britney Spears with seven nods.

B and La G will even compete head to head in several categories at the September 13 ceremony, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video.

Both singers expressed their thanks with their own style.

“I’m excited and honored to be tied for most nominated for the VMAs,” Beyoncé told MTV. “I’ve been blessed this year to have ‘Single Ladies’ become a video people really connected with and responded to. I’ve spent so much time watching all the great versions people created around the world. It’s beautiful to feel you touch people and bring a song to life with a video.”

Really B? Even the Joe Jonas version?

From Planet GaGa comes this response: “After years of hustle in New York City, where we made our art videos in bars, myself and the Haus of GaGa are honored to receive nine nominations for the 2009 VMAs. We believe in the immensity and the promise of ‘showbiz’ and will continue to give it mouth-to-mouth, till its vomiting return. All you need is a camcorder, a flashlight and one truly great idea. Thank you, MTV, for being our video flagship, and for supporting this bunch of inspired kids, who love to get wasted and make art together.”

I love this gal, but man is she out there.

Here are the nominees for the main categories from MTV.com:

In the Video of the Year category, Beyoncé (“Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]”), Lady Gaga (“Poker Face”) and Britney (“Womanizer”) will compete with Eminem (“We Made You”) and Kanye West (“Love Lockdown”).

Joining Lady Gaga in the Best New Artist category are Drake (“Best I Ever Had”), 3OH!3 (“Don’t Trust Me”), Kid Cudi (“Day ‘N’ Nite”) and Asher Roth (“I Love College”).

The Best Male Video category pits Eminem (“We Made You”) against Ne-Yo (“Miss Independent”), Kanye West (“Love Lockdown”), T.I. and Rihanna (“Live Your Life”), and Jay-Z (“D.O.A. [Death of Auto-Tune]”).

Best Female Video nominees are: Lady Gaga (“Poker Face”), Beyoncé (“Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]”), Katy Perry (“Hot N Cold”), Kelly Clarkson (“My Life Would Suck Without You”), Taylor Swift (“You Belong With Me”) and Pink (“So What”).

The 2009 MTV VMAs air September 13 with host Russell Brand. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com to vote on their favorites until the night of the show.

Tuesday, August 4
Toni Braxton,Alec Mazo – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” – rerun
Femi Kuti – “The Tavis Smiley Show” – rerun
Kevin Hart, John Caparulo, Heather McDonald – “Chelsea Lately”
Howie Mandel, Rush – “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos” – rerun
Kelly Clarkson – “Late Show with David Letterman” – rerun
All-American Rejects – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Joan Rivers, Arctic Monkeys – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
The Script – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Benji & Joel Madden, White Lies – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun

Wednesday, August 5
Selena Gomez, Broadway cast of “Hair” – “The View”
Kris Allen, Mandy Moore – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” – rerun
Maxwell – “The Tavis Smiley Show” – rerun
Jo Koy – “Chelsea Lately”
Keith Urban – “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos” – rerun
Vanessa Hudgens – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Lily Allen – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun

Thursday, August 6
John Legend – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” – rerun
Ben Gleib, Natasha Leggero, Michael Yo – “Chelsea Lately”
John Pinette – “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos” – rerun
Ray Romano, St. Vincent – “Late Show with David Letterman” – rerun
Jonas Brothers – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Greg Giraldo – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Doug Benson – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Glasvegas – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Ida Maria – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun

Friday, August 7
David Cook – “Live with Regis and Kelly”
Loni Love, Brad Wollack – “Chelsea Lately” – rerun
Steve Earle, Paul Potts – “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos” – rerun
Anthony Hamilton – “Late Show with David Letterman” – rerun
Flo Rida – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Don Rickles, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”
Bobby Ray – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun

Saturday, August 8
Drive-By Truckers, Ryan Bingham – “Austin City Limits” – rerun
Fleet Foxes – “Saturday Night Live” – rerun