MTV Video Music Awards 2013 In Brooklyn: Leaves Los Angeles' Staples Center For Barclays Center (REPORT)
MTV announced on Monday that the network will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 2013 Video Music Awards by airing the ceremony in the borough of Brooklyn. The event will take place on Aug. 25 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
The network is set to hand out the iconic Moonman statue to this year's winners at the new stadium that first opened its doors on October, last year.
MTV announced the news by releasing eight photos through social media. The eight-picture story showed a visual journey of their iconic Moonman making several stops at iconic locations with the hashtag #RoadToTheVMAs on Instagram.
The Moonman's journey began at Los Angeles' LAX airport. It ended up outside of New York's JFK International Airport several hours later and appeared to be waiting for a taxi there. The fourth photo showed the Moonman in Manhattan's Times Square area, standing on a subway platform as the D train is arriving before he lands at the Brooklyn Bridge. In Brooklyn, he is placed outside of a restaurant that has artwork featuring the late rapper Notorious B.I.G, who was born and raised in the borough. The eighth final picture released today featured the Moonman outside of Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gave statements that expressed their excitement about the show's arrival.
"Brooklyn is home to icons like the Cyclone in Coney Island and the Brooklyn Bridge, and now it can lay claim to the MTV 'Video Music Awards,' " Mayor Bloomberg said in the announcement on MTV.com.
"From hip-hop to hipsters, Jay- Z to MGMT, Brooklyn musicians have a long history of dominating the 'spotlight' on MTV. Brooklyn is a cultural Mecca - the hippest, coolest place for young people across the country, and has played a crucial role in the careers of some of 2013's biggest bands, like Fun. and the Lumineers," said the Brooklyn Borough President.
MTV has yet to announce who will host this year's awards or the list of nominees.
MTV VMAs 2012 was broadcast live from Los Angeles' Staples Center last year. Since the VMAs first premiered in 1984, it has aired the annual awards ceremony live in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles.
The music network will, however, air the MTV Movie Awards on April 14 at 9pm EST from the Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, Calif. The event will be hosted by comedic actress Rebel Wilson.
