NEW YORK, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- "And the MoonMan goes to!!!" Well, we don't know that yet but on Sunday, September 7th a few names you may hear when envelopes are opened and winners revealed are Britney, Mariah, Rihanna, Usher, Chris or Katy. Beginning on Friday, July 18th, MTV (http://www.mtv.com) viewers began their contribution to the 2008 Video Music Awards by helping to decide this year's nominees for "Best Female Video" and "Best Male Video" guaranteed to create an award show with the music they want to hear and see. As previously announced, MTV's 25th annual Video Music Awards will be hosted by comedian/actor Russell Brand and will air live and only one time in its original incarnation, on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 9pm (Live ET/Tape Delayed PT). Host, presenters and additional performers will be announced at a later date.

Artists nominated for the coveted MoonMan in the "Best Female Video" category include Britney Spears for her video "Piece of Me." Other talented ladies nominated in the "Best Female Video" category include the always fabulous diva Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Jordin Sparks and talented "girl kissing" newcomer Katy Perry. And now for the men ... nominees for "Best Male Video" are Usher, Chris Brown, Flo Rida, TI and Lil Wayne. Each Friday night at 8pm ET/PT on "FNMTV," two new categories will be announced and open for viewers to vote for their favorite artists and videos at MTV's Official VMA Page or from their Verizon Wireless mobile phone by texting the name of the artist to 23882. Categories currently open for viewers voting are "Best Hip Hop Video and "Best Pop Video."

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

BEST FEMALE VIDEO:

Mariah Carey -- "Touch My Body"
E=MC2
Island Def Jam Music Group
Director: Brett Ratner

Rihanna -- "Take a Bow"
A Good Girl Gone Bad
SRP/Def Jam
Director: Anthony Mandler

Britney Spears -- "Piece of Me"
Blackout
Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Wayne Isham

Jordin Sparks -- "No Air"
Jordin Sparks
19/Jive/Zomba Label Group
Director: Chris Robinson

Katy Perry -- "I Kissed A Girl"
One Of The Boys
Capitol
Director: Kinga Burza

BEST MALE VIDEO:

Lil Wayne -- "Lollipop"
Tha Carter III
Cash Money Records/Universal Motown
Director: Gil Green/D. Carter

Chris Brown -- "With You"
Exclusive
Jive Records/Zomba
Director: Erik White/Chris Brown

Usher -- "Love In This Club" feat. Young Jeezy
Here I Stand
LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group
Director: The Brothers Strause

T.I. -- "No Matter What"
Paper Trail
Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records
Director: Self/James Lopez

Flo Rida -- "Low"
Step Up 2 The Streets Original Soundtrack/ Mail On Sunday
Poe Boy Ent./Atlantic Records
Director: Bernard Gourley

Russell Brand has emerged as a genuine star of the silver screen. Making his feature film debut in 'Penelope' with Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, and then onto the contemporary Ealing caper 'St Trinian's', and this year won rave reviews for his scene-stealing performances in Judd Apatow's 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. Apatow has cast him to play opposite Jonah Hill in his next feature 'Getting Him to the Greek,' filming in early 2009.

Official sponsors of "2008 VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS" are GM, Pepsi, TAG Body
Spray, Taco Bell, Rhapsody and Verizon Wireless.

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. From July 24th through August 22nd, all Think.MTV.com members who join the "Do Good. Go to the VMAs" group, at http://think.mtv.com/Groups/DoGoodGoToTheVMAs/, can enter to win two tickets to the VMAS on September 7, 2008 along with travel and hotel accommodations when MTV takes over Los Angeles for this year's show.

Info: Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and Lil Wayne.
Videos: Mariah Carey, Rihanna, and Lil Wayne