The 2011 "MTV Video Music Awards" Returns to the Spotlight of Los Angeles, CA and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE

NEW YORK, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The music universe is set to explode when MTV returns to Los Angeles, CA for the 2011 "MTV Video Music Awards."  The 28th Annual VMA's airs LIVE Sunday, August 28th from Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE at 9PM (ET/PT). 

"We are proud to host the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, the creative capital of the world. And we look forward to showcasing our city's exciting new downtown entertainment attractions," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

"We are thrilled to return to Los Angeles where the energy of the city will help power the creative spirit of the 28th annual VMA's," said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV.  "The city is the perfect backdrop for all the musical moments, mayhem and magic that make the VMA's such a notorious celebration."

"We are incredibly excited to have the MTV VMA's for the 2nd year in a row at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE ," Sr. Vice President & General Manager, Lee Zeidman. "MTV is a true visionary in the world of music and live entertainment and we are looking forward to the eyes of the music world being on L.A. LIVE this August."

MTV Video Music Awards

The 2011 "MTV Video Music Awards" will be available to a potential viewing audience of more than 1.2 billion people via MTV's global network of more than 60 channels reaching more than 640 million households around the world as well as through syndication.  In addition, its convergent programming and content will reach the entire interactive community, via MTV's nearly 200 digital media properties around the world.

The 2010 VMA's averaged a 10.0 P12-34 rating and 11.4 million total viewers, marking the network's best deliveries for any MTV telecast since the 2002 VMA's (8/29/02) as well as making it the third most watched telecast in MTV's history. 

The 2010 VMA's created a flurry of social media activity that was tightly integrated into the show with the 2010 VMA Twitter Tracker, which allowed viewers to track the popularity of the various VMA performers and presenters over the course of the night. Taking home the 2011 Shorty Award for "best integration of social media with traditional media," the Twitter Tracker was a large part of both the VMA Pre-Show and main show with a huge wall of television monitors inside the Nokia Theatre that showed all the artists and celebrities during commercial breaks how many times they're mentioned on the social-networking site.

Jesse Ignjatovic of Den of Thieves returns for the fifth year in a row to executive produce the 2011 "MTV Video Music Awards." Ignjatovic and MTV collaborate once again to bring viewers the most groundbreaking performances and talked about moments from today's most popular artists that have become the signature stamp of the VMA's.

To watch video of last year's biggest moments, get the full list of last year's show winners and can check out fashion, celebrity and music commentary from the shows' red carpets, please go to VMA.MTV.com.

About MTV:

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand.   With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people.  MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile.  MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture.  MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com.

About Den of Thieves:

Founded in 2007 by Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager, Den of Thieves has quickly emerged as a force for ambitious event shows and uniquely stylized reality television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, Ignjatovic and Prager launched Den of Thieves as the TV arm of the Warner Music Group in 2007. After a successful three year partnership, they branched out and are now fully independent. Den of Thieves continues to create, develop and produce original television. 

SOURCE MTV