Beyonce’s baby bombshell lights up MTV awards

Beyonce places her hands on her belly as she poses at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. [AP]

The buzz-heavy 2011 Video Music Awards scored the biggest audience in MTV’s history, MTV said on Monday.

MTV, owned by Viacom, said that a record-breaking 12.4 million people watched Sunday’s live performance and awards ceremony from Los Angeles. Highlights included Beyonce revealing she was pregnant with her first child, Lady Gaga appearing in drag and the late British singer Amy Winehouse being remembered in a moving tribute.

Last year’s ceremony - where Gaga appeared in a dress made of raw meat - drew 11.4 million viewers, the biggest audience since 2002.

MTV said that 8.5 million of those watching on Sunday were aged 12 to 34, making it the most watched telecast of all time in that age group.

Katy Perry and Adele were the biggest winners, taking home three awards each, but it was Beyonce who was the story of the night.

“Beyonce stole everyone’s thunder by revealing she was pregnant,” said Billboard.

Other reviewers and online fans highlighted the salute by Bruno Mars, Tony Bennett and Russell Brand to Winehouse, 27, who died of still-to-be-determined causes in London in July, and a simple, effects-free performance by Britain’s Adele.

The Los Angeles Times said Chris Brown’s “career rehab” performance - following his 2009 conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna - was also a strong moment in what was “a wildly inconsistent evening.”

The VMA show was broadcast on Sunday without a traditional host linking the various acts and presentations, but few critics seemed to lament the omission.

MTV said its preshow, featuring red carpet arrivals and celebrity interviews, also fared well with audiences, drawing 7.3 million viewers, a 16 percent increase from last year.

Reuters

한글 관련 기사 [연합뉴스]

비욘세 "아기 가졌어요"

알앤비(R&B)의 '여신' 비욘세가 방송에서 임신사실을 깜짝 공개했다.

AP 등 외신에 따르면 비욘세는 지난 28일 미국 로스앤젤레스에서 열린 MTV 비디오 뮤직 어워즈에 배가 볼록 나온 모습으로 참석, 임신 사실을 알렸다.

그녀는 시상식장에 들어서면서 카메라 앞에서 붉은 색 드레스 위로 배를 쓰다듬는 자세를 취했다.

비욘세의 홍보 담당자는 그녀가 임신한 것이 맞다고 밝혔다.

비욘세는 2008년 4월 래퍼인 제이지와 결혼했으며 팬들은 이들의 임신 여부에 큰 관심을 보여왔다.