MTV Names Regional Winners

While it may not get MTV as many headlines as arranging the free concert U2’s playing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the international cable TV provider has unveiled the acts that will fight it out for this year’s “best European act” award.

The U2 show has dominated the stories about the annual MTV Europe Awards being held in Berlin Nov. 5, where a live screening of the Irish band’s performance at the Brandenburg Gate is expected to be one of the highlights. But the TV network is determined that the search for Europe’s best upcoming act gets its share of the spotlight.

MTV fans from across Europe have voted for Finnish rock band Deep Insight, Russian pop artist Dima Bilan, Polish singer Doda, Italian pop rockers Lost and Turkish rap rock band MaNga to be on the shortlist for the “best European act” category.

Green Day, Leona Lewis and Tokio Hotel have been confirmed as headliners for the awards show at Berlin’s O2 World, which will be hosted by Katy Perry.

Kings Of Leon and Lady Gaga top the list of nominees, with five each.

Kings of Leon has nominations for best song for “Use Somebody,” best live act, best group, best rock and best world stage performance, while Lady Gaga has a chance of winning best song for “Poker Face,” best live act, best new act, best female and best world stage performance.

German glam rockers Tokio Hotel, also nominated for best group, have had four No. 1 singles and two No. 1 albums in their homeland and multiple platinum and gold sales around the world.

The Berlin Wall fell Nov. 9, 1989, ending almost 30 years of separation between east and west. U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby is said to be partly inspired by the band’s stay in the city.