Moonmen Galore at the MTV Video Music Awards

Jamie Foxx hosted the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday, September 6th at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Comic relief provided by the host entwined with performances by Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule, Missy Elliott, Staind, Jay Z and Alicia Keys as well as a multitude of celebrity presenters made for an entertaining three and a half hours. Executive producer, Salli Frattini, picked Alicia Keys’ "Fallin" as the breakout performance of the night according to TV Guide. ‘N Sync, who earned four Moonmen for their "Pop" video, stole the show when the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson joined them on stage during their performance of the song.

The Ladies Marmalade; Christina Aguilara, Mya, Lil Kim and Pink, snagged awards for Best Video from a Film and Best Video of the Year. Fatboy Slim walked away with five awards for his "Weapon of Choice" video, starring an unusually animated Christopher Walken. "Weapon of Choice" won for Breakthrough Video, Best Direction of a Video, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Editing. Gwen Stefani, of the group No Doubt, proved to be a good luck charm by helping Moby and Eve snag the awards for Best Male and Female Videos-both of which featured Stefani. Other winners included Outkast, Nelly, Alicia Keys, Mudvayne, Destiny’s Child, Limp Bizkit and Robbie Williams.

Janet Jackson led a touching tribute to the late Aaliyah, who had been scheduled to perform before her untimely death. U2’s Bono paid tribute to the late great leader of the Ramone’s, Joey Ramone, whom we lost to cancer earlier this year. Other highlights included SNL’s Will Farrell "climbing the walls" and "raging" against the VMA’s. "Where’s Warrant?," he wanted to know. Julia Stiles and SNL’s Chris Kattan performed an interpretive dance of the Viewer’s Choice songs. Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog, proclaimed MTV’s Carson Daly as "dull" and asked Jennifer Lopez , a.k.a. J. Lo if he could "sniff her butt." Is nothing sacred anymore?