We've taken second helpings of pasta, done our push-ups and fueled up on the Bull, and in just a few minutes all the prep work will pay off. At 9pm sharp, Buzzworthy is taking it to the main event, eavesdropping on all the superstar convos and canoodling (Lady Gaga and Kermit the Frog seem to be getting on well), snapping pics of all the backstage madness and even chattin' it up with a few of The Biggest Names In Showbiz. You know, that sorta thing.

Your tireless blogging crew is Tamar Anitai, Shaheem Reid, James Montgomery and Kyle Anderson. So pleased to serve ya', stay right here for live updates throughout this soon-to-be legendary night!

Need a quick warm-up? Check out our Newsroom's pre-show live blog!


11:58pm -- As an ambulance races by with its lights on, the cop conducting traffic says, "Taylor Swift just beat up Kanye, and here's his ambulance." Kanye West might just be the most hated man in America right now.

11:50pm - On the way to the press room, I run into the young lady of the evening, Taylor Swift. I tell her, "Congratulations!" and she beams and yells back, "Thanks!"

Meanwhile, Beyonce zooms by while Tito Jackson cheers her on.

11:26pm - Jay-Z isn't rapping. He's firing words from his mouth like it's a machine gun. Radio City's never seemed this big.


11:22pm - Time for Jay-Z to take the stage! When Hov's back in town, everything shut down!

11:21pm - Everyone backstage is crowded around the monitor and smiling as Taylor Swift graciously re-accepts her award.

Oh yeah, the angel wings Gaga wore in her paparazzi performance are hanging on a hook nearby.

11:09pm - Pink's acrobatic performance partner just walked backstage, screaming and pumping his fists. Andy Samberg and Jimmy Fallon give him a high-five.

10:57pm - After Kid Cudi performs "Day N Nite," Wale says, "Rest in peace, DJ Am." Fingers form peace signs all around.

10:56pm - Serena Williams comes in really late. She chats on her cell phone while being escorted to her seat.

10:55pm - Kids are laughing at the All-American Rejects and asking why the lead singer is wearing glitter.


10:52pm - Everyone's wishing Pink good luck backstage before her performance. Plus, Eminem wins Best Behaved Celeb -- he's sitting quietly in his seat! (Unlike SOME Hennessy-swillin' rappers we know.)

10:48pm - Aside from Kanye's disturbance of the peace, the big story here tonight is Lady Gaga ... And how strange she's been acting. In addition to wearing a half-Papal/half Ms. Haversham crocheted get-up, Gaga's not really talking -- to anyone -- and now she's walking with an exaggerated limp.

10:34pm - Just talked to a security guard at the stage door where Kanye went to hang out after crashing the stage. The guard told me that Kanye has officially left the building. Meanwhile, dude just got booed HARD when they announced his nomination for Best Hip-Hop Video. ZING!

10:27pm - Backstage: Robert Pattinson is skinny in real life -- vampires really don't eat food, I guess. And Kristen looks like a tiny ice skater.

10:23pm -- After the New Moon trailer airs, R.Patz and crew are whisked backstage, photogs trailing a few steps behind. When Pattinson finally dodges them, he gets a few secs to chug a beer and watch Beyonce's performance, bobbing his head to the beat.

10:15pm - Just saw Beyonce's dancers dressed in silver backstage. Get ready to come to Beysus, y'all!

10:13pm - Kristin Cavallari's posing for the paps like a pro -- and she's being super sweet to all of her handlers. Where's the 'bitch' we all know and love? Also, Gaga just walked by in her feather headdress. She's got an assistant to hold the train of her dress!

10:11pm - Cobra Starship are outraged they didn't win Best Pop Video ... They tore up their tickets in disgust the whole time Britney's acceptance video played. "We woulda at least showed up!" frontman Gabe Saporta shouted. He then pulled a huge-ass flask out of his breast pocket and took a pull.

10:10pm - Billie Joe is helping people crash the stage. Looks like a mob scene. In fact, since the Green Day frontman is pretty short, he's completely eclipsed by the crowd around him.

10:02pm - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are 12 feet away. I cannot confirm or deny that they will go home together.

10pm - Now Russell Brand's using his hosting skills to hit on Megan Fox.

9:59pm - Chace Crawford and Ne-yo just headed backstage. (Wait up, guys!)

9:57pm - Stage left, I'm watching Nelly Furtado and Kristin Cavallari prep for their upcoming intro.

9:56pm - Perez Hilton and Hayley Williams are both trying to start a #TeamTaylor trend on Twitter.

9:54pm - There will be blood. On Gaga ... and on the audience.


9:47pm - Sean from 3OH!3 jokingly just said to me, "We're up for Best New Artist, but after [Kanye], I'm a little scared to WIN!"

9:44pm - What does Jennifer Lopez do during a commercial break? Same thing we all do: texts her friends.

9:41pm - Taylor's proving how a true lady rolls -- after Kanye's me-me-me moment, she's singing her heart out and havin' a grand ole time. (Hey Kanye, look who's playing on top of a cab in the middle of NYC!)

9:38pm - Fall Out Boy give Green Day a standing-o after their win.

9:31pm - Diddy doesn't have time for a fan photo -- he's a busy mogul with a Twitter habit!

9:30pm - People are going nuts in here. They booed like crazy when Kanye leaped onstage and stole Taylor's thunder. He responded by giving them all the finger on the way back to his seat. During the commercial break, Pink walked by him shaking her head in disgust. Even the show producers gave him a talking to. Not surprisingly, he didn't seem at all bothered by everyone's reactions, grabbing his date Amber Rose and planting a kiss on her lips.

9:25pm - Kanye West ruins Taylor Swift's big moment. Further proof that he's on the Hennessy. (Aside from the pic below.)

9:22pm - Katy Perry just strutted by me. She's wearing a white, studded bustier paired with skintight pants. Hot, not cold AT ALL.

9:20pm - Russell's making good on those Jonas jokes from '08 and turning the hose on Lady Gaga. Shocker! He wants to bone her.

9:15pm - Katy Perry's bowing down to Russell Brand as a team of live drummers bangs out "We Will Rock You." Joe Freakin' Perry's on guitar! Get ready for some lewd LOLs ... Russell Brand's here!

9:08pm - "Thriller" rises again!!! MTV loves you, Michael! (And so does EVERYONE in the audience.)

9:05pm - When Madonna wants to tell a story, you let her tell her story. Especially when it's about the life of Michael Jackson. You could hear a pin drop in here.

9:02pm - Have the VMAs ever started off this serious? Still, Madonna's really nailing it, calling Michael Jackson "a hero."

8:59pm - Nelly Furtado just ran to her seat to catch the Michael Jackson opening tribute. So excited to see it!

8:55pm - Beyonce's making quite a splash on the carpet in a sexy, red ruffle dress and her hair done curly.

8:51pm - Afraid the girl behind me is gonna need EMT assistance: Chace Crawford is standing right in front of her.

8:47pm - Radio City's roaring after Wale announces, "We gonna burn this mother f**ker down."

8:46pm - The house band is getting started.

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Aside from the fact that tonight's VMAs will feature stage performances from some of the sickest artists in the universe, we online folk are giving you a birds-eye-view of everything goin' down inside, outside and all around Radio City -- and that includes the backstage chaos, red carpet glamour and all of those private celeb convos taking place at the water cooler open bar. (Uh, helloooo best buds Steve-O and Al Gore!?)

So check out the live streaming VIP View (the stahhhs are already rolling in!) while you take in all the amazingness of the main event, and while you're on the homepage, get a peek at what everyone's saying on Facebook and Twitter. (Don't be shy to post your own comments, predictions, professions of love for the JoBros, whatevs.) And as always, stay tuned to Buzzworthy throughout the evening -- we'll be bringin' you in-depth interviews with all the beautiful people and MUCH much more!

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The MTV VMAs go big before they even start. That means over-the-top outfits, and arrivals so big that the VMAs might as well be called the VBAs for Very Big Arrivals. It's the VMAs. You don't have your dad drop you off in his crappy Buick banger. Case in point: At the 2008 VMAs, Tokio Hotel rolled up to the red carpet in a larger-than-life monster truck tricked out with their faces on it. And T-Pain rode an elephant to the red carpet.

This year's VMA red carpet, located right outside of Radio City Music Hall, will get hit with tons of all-star action and over-the-top arrivals in the form of live animals and extremely noisy modes of transportation. See if you can guess which VMA artists might be arriving at the red carpet via the following vehicles.

Your choices are:

+ Taylor Swift
+ Pink
+ Leighton Meester
+ The All-American Rejects

And...
+ Fire truck
+ Horse and carriage
+ Parade float
+ Jaguar Convertible

Watch the VMA Preshow at 8pm tonight to catch all of the VMAs' Very Big Arrivals! Plus, watch the VMA red carpet live, and get more secrets of the 2009 VMAs!

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The VMAs are still a day away, but the A-list performers have been rehearsing inside of Radio City for days. I've seen almost all of the rehearsals, but I'm under strict orders not to reveal any of the top-secret details. (And far be it from me to let down Lady Gaga, Beyonce, PinkTaylor Swift, Jay-Z, or any of the other VMA performers).

But I can give you a few clues about what you might see at tomorrow night's VMAs. It's up to you to figure out which VMA performer might match these clues. Ready?

+ Who will have over 25 dancers on stage?
+ Who will have violins? (It might not be who you think.)
+ Who will rock you?
+ Who will light the stage on fire?
+ Who might take flight?
+ Who might be covered in mirrors?
+ Who might make a big mess of the stage?
+ Who's hiding underground?
+ Who's about to make a HUGE entrance?
+ Who's got a keyboard in their dressing room?
+ Who's got the New York Yankees behind them?

+ See what happens tomorrow night at the 2009 MTV VMAs, live at 9pm.

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Room 501 inside Radio City Music Hall is also known as the reindeer room, which gets its name because that's where the reindeer in the yearly Radio City Christmas Spectacular get dressed.

But VMA night, Santa's sleighmates will hand over the keys to one of two of the 2009 VMA's biggest stars who'll perform live and could potentially win up to nine VMAs: Beyonce or Lady Gaga.

By Sunday, the rooms will be primped and polished and stocked with the contents of their riders, and their names will be up on the door, at which point the 5th Floor of Radio City Music Hall goes on lockdown. But before that happens, check out a few behind-the-scenes photos of this VMA dressing room before it gets revamped and ready for its VMA A-list guest.

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"Jay-Z has arrived! Jay-Z has arrived" shouted a security guard over his walkie-talkie. An Escalade pulled up to 50th street, idled, the driver jumped out, popped open the door, and Jay-Z wearing a shiny black jacket, jeans, and black hi-tops,  talking on his phone and not missing a beat, poured out like liquid.  Jay and his entourage (some modest security, nothing crazy despite the fact that he's... JAY-Z!) rolled down the stage right stairs inside Radio City.

The security guards wanded everyone, and Jay yelled "Boom" as he got Garretted.

Jay entered the floor of Radio City as Alicia Keys herself began to play a few haunting piano notes of "Empire State of Mind" filled the room. Boom. Welcome to Roc-A-feller Center, Hov.

+ Check out more photos of Jay-Z hitting the 2009 MTV VMA rehearsals, and watch Jay-Z's arrival!

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Celebrities are good at a lot of things: self-promotion, engaging us in engagement speculation, having MINDBLOWING hair ROBERT PATTINSON. But one thing they can't be depended upon to do is SIT THEIR ASSES DOWN all by themselves. Here's an inside look at the seat cards for the 2009 MTV VMAs, so all of the celebrities and guests know where to sit and the cameras know where to capture that perfect "Oh-seriously-I'm-so-happy-for-you!" face when their competition wins. (Cough cough Gaga versus Beyonce!)

See where Katy Perry, Gaga, Paramore, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and more VMA guests will sit! (I love how Cobra Starship appears to get one seat for five people, while Death Cab For Cutie gets four separate seats! Also, keep in mind that suprise guests don't usually get seat cards if you catch what I'm saying... )

+ Check out more photos of 2009 VMA seat cards after the jump!

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Radio City Music Hall -- the site of the 2009 MTV VMAs -- is a theatrical and historical marvel and a feat of technical genius and mastery. You can't turn one of the narrow corners or wind through the cramped halls backstage without running into a theatrical milestone. The Radio City theater is the largest indoor theater in the world, with a stage that measures 66.5 feet deep and 144 feet wide, designed to resemble a setting sun. The auditorium measures 160 feet from the back to stage, and the ceiling is an absolutely imposing 84 feet. All above, around, and below the Radio City stage is a labyrinth of secret passageways, gears, pulleys, and elevators.  (Apparently, Radio City's elevator system was so advanced that the U.S. Navy used identical hydraulics in their World War II aircraft carriers. Legend has it that during the war, government agents guarded the basement of Radio City to protect the Navy's technological advantage. Hardcore!)

And since Radio City is home to the Rockettes, known for their Christmas Spectacular, it's pretty much Christmas all year. Radio City has been around for 75 years, which means its collected a LOT of theatrical relics in over the past near-century.

And when I toured Radio City during VMA rehearsals and checked out the MTV VMA production offices on the seventh floor, which is where the Rockettes normally practice, which is why the floors are scuffed by years of Rockettes practicing their kick line, I saw an unbelievable amount of Rockette, Radio City, and Christmas Spectacular relics, including mannequins, framed posters older than me, and even some eerie Rockette dolls whose eyes followed me on the way to the bathroom. (And we saw costumers hard at work making reindeer antlers for the Rockettes!!!)

Check out behind-the-scenes photos of the Rockettes' costumes, Radio City rehearsal spaces and more, and aptly, check out the 2009 MTV VMA "VMA Side Story" promo to see theater and pop music come to life in the West Side Story-themed promos, which pay tribute to New York. And stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes VMA sneak peeks on the MTV Buzzworthy Blog.

+ Check out more behind-the-scenes photos of Radio City after the jump.
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Fresh off of yesterday's huge VMA announcement -- that Janet Jackson will open the 2009 VMAs with a very special musical tribute to Michael Jackson -- arrives this artful, bittersweet VMA promo spot that memorializes Michael and hints that his MTV legacy will rise (if not dance?) again this Sunday, September 13 at 9pm at the 2009 MTV VMAs.

Watch as Michael Jackson's iconic silver gloves rain down on the people of New York in this brand-new VMA promo spot.

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(Credit: Steven Klein, Vogue Italia)

By now you've probably seen Rihanna -- all of her, as Queen Ri is about 80% naked -- in the pages of Vogue Italia's September 2009 couture supplement.

The highly conceptual photos feature nearly-naked Rihanna, and when she's not naked, she's in bondage gear, Valentino, Versace, metal undies (by Buzzworthy couture crush, The Blonds), knee-high boots, and, errumm... a muzzle (!!!?!?!?), making a big wet, wild, watery messy of everything. And then there's all that glammy Grace Jones makeup.

The pasties and hot body I cannot procure for you. The makeup? YOU MUST check out British beauty brand Illamasqua for the MOST insanely dramatic, dramatically insane bright and bold colors -- not to mention risque product names like Danger and Mislead (ahem), Angst, Victim, Stalk, Growl, Maneater, and Fetish. A must-own if you're looking to cop Rihanna's style: Illamsasqua's jet-black lipstick in Pristine.

And, if you're having a Rihanna dress-up party, might as well do it right in a-morir's black sunglasses. They're covered in pyramid studs, and they're the same sunglasses Rihanna wore in Jay-Z's "Run This Town" video.

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