Madonna to headline MTV Europe awards

LISBON - Madonna will give the first global live television performance from her new album when she appears at the MTV Europe Music Awards, a showcase for the music industry outside the United States.

The 47-year-old American superstar will sing "Hung Up," the first single from her disco-inspired "Confessions on a Dancefloor," which she hopes will reverse a recent slump in form when it hits stores on November 14 after weeks of media buildup.

Sales of her last three albums totaled an estimated 10-11 million copies, a disappointing return for one of the world's most successful artists with global sales of more than 160 million albums.

Joining Madonna on stage in Lisbon will be British acts Coldplay, whose 2005 album "X&Y" stormed the charts, and Robbie Williams, who has recently released "Intensive Care."

Rock quartet Foo Fighters, hip hopsters Black Eyed Peas and punk-pop icons Green Day also feature on a night that MTV hopes will combine the strength of traditional live rock performance with cutting-edge technology.

"We have a very strong lineup this year and we've been able to bring in a much wider variety of rock acts than we've been able to do in the recent past," Brent Hansen, creative president at MTV Networks International, said on Wednesday.

"The market has been dominated by R & B and hip hop in the last few years.

"For us, this show states each year our belief in live performance and our ability to do something different from other people," he told Reuters of the annual awards show.

Coldplay, Gorillaz lead nominations

Leading the way at the 2005 awards are Coldplay and virtual band Gorillaz with five nominations each, Gwen Stefani with four and 50 Cent, Green Day, James Blunt, Snoop Dogg and U2 with three nominations apiece.

Although it is a European ceremony, American artists tend to do well at the awards which are decided by MTV's European viewers voting online. For the first time this year there is also a special category for African acts.

Hansen singled out Madonna and Gorillaz as likely highlights on Thursday night.

"It is so hot for us to have Madonna, as her album is due out soon and her single has just been released, so it's really timely for her and for us."

Gorillaz will use hologram-style technology to beam three-dimensional performing cartoon characters on stage.

Billed as the world's most successful "virtual band," the human artists behind Gorillaz traditionally appear at live gigs as silhouettes on a giant screen combined with images of their cartoon alter egos.

Hosting the event will be spoof Kazakh television presenter Borat, a guise adopted by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen who is renowned for his risque, politically incorrect humor.

The performer, who is from a Jewish family, addressed reporters on Wednesday in Lisbon and made jokes about Jews, bird flu and artists nominated for MTV awards.

When asked if he had brought any gifts from Kazakhstan, he said: "I brought birds that I bought in Romania. Unfortunately most of them have died."

Romania was the first country in mainland Europe to detect the deadly virus in poultry.

- REUTERS