Timberlake, Beyonc lead nominees for MTV Video Music Awards

Pop heavyweights Justin Timberlake and Beyonc Knowles lead the pack for the MTV Video Music Awards, the rowdy annual televised musical awards show taking place this year in Las Vegas.

Timberlake and Knowles each racked up a leading seven nominations amid a host of popular, chart-topping contenderswho rangefromrapper Kanye West to funky British singer Amy Winehouse, organizers announced from New York on Tuesday afternoon.

Among Timberlake's nods are nominations for male artist of the year, the coveted video of the year honour (for the cinematic What Goes Around Comes Around ) andthe "most earth-shattering collaboration" one of several new categories for his catchy hit Sexy Back, which features smash producer Timbaland.

For her part, Knowles is also a nominee in the collaboration category for her duet with Shakira, Beautiful Liar. The former Destiny's Child frontwoman also landed nominations in categories like female artist of the year and video of the year for Irreplaceable.

Other multiple nominees include MTV favourite West and young singer Rihanna, each up for five honours, and Winehouse, who will compete for three MTV trophies.

Canadians up for MTV awards include singer Nelly Furtado, among the nominees for female artist of the year, and Avril Lavigne, whose infectious bubble-gum track Girlfriend is among the nominees in the new "monster single of the year" categories.

Timbaland, who scored his own nod in the monster category for the tune The Way I Are, will serve as the show's "maestro" and DJ throughout the evening for the live, two-hour broadcast, similar to the house band-type role Jack White's troupe The Raconteurs fulfilled at the previous event.

Another new category is the so-called "quadruple threat" award, which will honour musical acts who have crossed into various other industries, including but not limited to fashion, business, dance, acting and philanthropy. In addition to leading nominees Timberlake, Knowles and West, rap impresario Jay-Z and U2 lead singer Bono will vie for the inaugural title.

The night will also be peppered by performances from West, Winehouse, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Chris Brown and the Foo Fighters.

Organizers have slightly rejigged this year's show, most likely in an attempt to streamline the festivities and attract viewers, who have dwindled in recent years.

Awards in just eight categories will be handed out during the ceremony. Also, while MTV will again offer interesting, one-time-only match-ups of popular artists for some performances a recent trend organizers said that this year'slive show will air in its original form only once.

Subsequent encore broadcasts will be "remixed versions created from the original broadcast plus bonus performances and footage not seen during the live show."

The 24th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast Sept. 9 from the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.