MTV Decides To Go Host-less For 2011 Video Music Awards

After much anticipation, MTV has announced the host for its 2011 Video Music Awards: nobody! That's right, the show is going on without a ringleader.

Before the network officially made their announcement, executive producer Amy Doyle spoke to Billboard:

"It's going down to the wire. Hosting is such a unique element. We feel we got it right by putting new talent on the stage like Chelsea and Russell. We're really challenging ourselves to find the right person so that the show feels complete."

I guess they just couldn't find the right person. But it doesn’t matter, they have plenty of huge performances planned, recently announcing that Beyonce will take the stage. She also has thee nominations, including one for Best Female Video.

Also performing? Lady Gaga, Adele, Burno Mars, Lil Wayne, Young the Giant, Pitbull Ne-Yo, and Chris Brown. Jessie J will be the house artist during the show. I'm sure there will be plenty of surprises as well.

The pre-show, on the other hand, will have a host. Selena Gomez will be on the clock as pre-show host, and Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are set to take the stage for a duet, Fly.

Last year, MTV recruited Chelsea Handler as host. I guess it was an in effort to make the show edgier, and Handler delivered. She addressed the fact that the last female host of the show was Roseanne Barr in 1994:

"Justin Timberlake was in the Mickey Mouse Club pretending he wasn't having sex with Britney Spears," Handler joked. "'The Situation' was just a classy way to refer to a teenage pregnancy. And Justin Bieber's mom had just given birth to her 401k plan."

In both 2008 and 2009, Russell Brand hosted. His first year, Brand made a bunch of jokes about the Jonas brothers wearing purity rings.

"Britney Spears lost her VMA virginity. Hopefully the Jonas Brothers will be next."

Brand apologized after the show:

"I feel a bit bad that I kept talking about their vows to chastity and I'd like to take this opportunity to say no one ever have sex again. It's a mad idea. What a way to spend an evening."

Other hosts have included Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, and Arsenio Hall. The very first hosts of the VMA's were Bette Midler and Dan Akyoryd in 1984. During the first VMAs, Madonna performed Like A Virgin, where she rolled around onstage, and Cyndi Lauper won Best Female Video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

This isn't the first year MTV has gone without a ringleader for the Video Music Awards. The show went host-less in both 2004 and 2007.