MTV Marks its Return to Los Angeles for the ’2008 MTV Video Music Awards’ by Unleashing 25 Years Of Pent-Up Music and Entertainment Power on the City

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ — The first week of September is going to feature some of entertainment’s biggest stars in Los Angeles as MTV kicks off the events surrounding the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards," which will air live from the Paramount Lot on Sunday, September 7th at 9pm ET/PT. The week will feature events across L.A., where artists such as Ne-Yo, Colby O’Donis, Calle 13, Panic At The Disco, Plain White T’s, Fabolous and T-Pain will perform in advance of Sunday’s big bash. 944 magazine and MTV Tr3s will prime the weekend with star-studded events on Wednesday and Thursday, and the TAG Records premiere party on September 5 will kick the weekend off with the first ever live performance from TAG Records artist Q Da Kid at an invite-only event. Getting the party started on Saturday night, Rock Band 2 will come together with LIFEbeat to celebrate the game’s forthcoming release and raise awareness for HIV/AIDS education, while Rhapsody brings out more top talent just before VMA weekend reaches its peak with Sunday’s show.

Tickets for the Rock Band 2 Party to Benefit LIFEbeat, an all ages event, are $50.00 for General Admission, with proceeds going to LIFEbeat. Tickets can be purchased at House of Blues Box Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

  The "2008 MTV Video Music Awards Weekend" schedule is as follows:

  WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2008

  944 LA IS 2: VMA Week Party
  The Kress, Hollywood
  Press Call Time — 8:00pm
  Red Carpet Arrivals — 8:30pm
  Live performance by Ne-Yo

  PRESS CONTACT:
  Carly Harrill
  944 Magazine
  619.817.5066 (mobile)
  carly@944.com

  Anastasia Lee
  MTV
  310.752.8082 (office)
  818-929-7729 (mobile)
  anastasia.lee@mtvstaff.com

  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2008

  MTV Tr3s Pre-VMA Party 2008
  Level 3
  Red Carpet Arrivals — 8pm
  Doors Open — 8pm
  Live performances by Colby O’Donis and Calle 13 – 10pm
  Hosted by — Sucker Free Latino VJ L Boogs

  PRESS CONTACT:
  Anastasia Lee
  MTV
  310.752.8082 (office)
  818-929-7729 (mobile)
  anastasia.lee@mtvstaff.com

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2008

  TAG Records presents: History in the Making — The Official VMA
   Kickoff Party
  Avalon, Hollywood
  Red Carpet Arrivals — 10pm
  Live performances by Fabolous and TAG Records’ premiere artist Q Da Kid,
   with his first ever live performance — 11:30pm – 12:30am
  Hosted by — Jermaine Dupri

  PRESS CONTACT:
  Tom Biro
  212-846-6406
  862-485-0711 (mobile)
  tom.biro@mtvstaff.com

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2008

  Rock Band 2 Party to Benefit LIFEbeat
  House of Blues
  Doors Open — 9pm
  Red Carpet — 9:30pm
  Show Begins — 10pm
  Special short performances by Panic At The Disco, Plain White T’s

  PRESS CONTACT:
  Noelle Llewellyn
  212-846-7166 (office)
  646-296-7139 (mobile)
  noelle.llwellyn@mtvstaff.com

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2008 (cont’d)

  Rhapsody Rocks the VMAs
  The Roxy
  Red Carpet Arrivals — 11pm
  Doors Open — 11pm
  Appearances by DJ Stretch Armstrong, T-Pain

  PRESS CONTACT:

  Ryan Luckin
  Rhapsody
  206-892-6330 (office)
  206-661-5306 (mobile)
  rluckin@real.com

  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2008

  The Official 2008 VMA After Party
  Presented by Pepsi and Nikon
  Paramount Backlot — Immediately following the VMAs
  Live performance by the Ting Tings

  PRESS CONTACT:
  Janice Gatti
  MTV
  212-846-8852 (office)
  201-424-0482 (mobile)
  janice.gatti@mtvstaff.com

TAG Records and MTV are offering an opportunity to win tickets to the Official VMA Kickoff Party and the VMA Viewing Party at tag.mtv.com.

Tickets can also be won through a national online contest at mtvvmatrip.com through August 29. Additionally, radio promotions for tickets are running in major markets across the country, and local listeners in Los Angeles can win tickets through the Ryan Seacrest show on KIIS-FM or on KPWR and KROQ through Friday, September 5.

This year, one lucky viewer will get the chance of a lifetime trip by joining "Do Good. Go to the VMAs." Think.MTV.com, MTV’s online community for youth activism, is hooking up one young activist and shipping them off to Los Angeles to attend the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards alongside the biggest stars in the industry. Find out more by visiting think.mtv.com/Groups/DoGoodGoToTheVMAs/.

The "2008 MTV Video Music Awards" will feature one night only performances by Lil Wayne, Jonas Brothers, Kid Rock, Paramore, Pink, T.I. and Rihanna.

The official sponsors of the "2008 MTV Video Music Awards" are GM, Pepsi, TAG Body Spray, Taco Bell, Rhapsody, Verizon Wireless and Nikon.

About MTV

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

Source: MTV

CONTACT: Tom Biro of MTV, +1-212-846-6406, tom.biro@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/