MTV EMAs: How the West wasn't won

Had we been Justin Timberlake, we'd not have made any joke at the MTV European Music Awards awards about how we only won a prize because we'd turned up in Copenhagen to host the things. It might have been a brave attempt to brazen out the understandable lack-of-surprise, but it's hardly likely to make people trust the process any more, is it?

Mind you, Kanye West doesn't trust the process, either. Having scooped up best Hip-Hop prize (an honour "so far away from America", apparently - although it's an awards ceremony in Western Europe thrown by one of the leading exporters of US culture, Kanye, it's not bloody Saturn) he then moaned that he didn't get the video award - in Kanye's eyes, it went to Justice Vs Simian as a "spreading the wealth type thing."

Those winners in full, then:

Male: Justin Timberlake

Female: Christina Aguilera

Group: Depeche Mode

Pop: Justin Timberlake

Rock: The Killers

Hip Hop: Kanye West

Alternative: Muse

Song: Gnarls Barkley - 'Crazy'

Rhythm 'n Blues: Rihanna

Pop: Justin Timberlake

Album: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

Video: Justice Vs Simian - 'We Are Your Friends'

Futuresounds: Gnarls Barkley (i.e. Brightest Hope)

Best UK act: The Kooks

We're not sure why Muse - who are considered rock everywhere else - won the alternative award. But at least Matt Bellamy was able to raise an arched eyebrow or two, not least at the choice of host for the show: "There were a few scripted jokes in there but he was reading the autocue okay. He's a good dancer though so that makes up for the slapstick timing."

It's also a bit puzzling that Depeche Mode won the best group prize - certainly, last year's album was something of a triumphant return to form, but we'd have hardly thought they were prime MTV material. More VH1, surely?

[Earlier post: The nominations]

music mtv emas justin timberlake depeche mode kanye west