Everchanging, unchanging MMVAs

by W. Andrew Powell
Girlicious

Girlicious

Tonight marks the sixth year that I’ve been covering the MuchMusic Video Awards, and while a lot has changed, it is funny how little seems different.

When I started covering the MMVAs, MuchMusic was still owned by CHUM, there was a whole whack of different VJs on the station, and MTV Canada was a puny channel that was barely being picked up across the country. Now of course, CTVglobemedia owns the station, in addition to owning the now-popular MTV Canada, and I couldn’t even tell you who the VJs are any more.

But for all those changes, the MMVAs seem kind of static, which is neither good nor bad. They still close off the street, have a big party with a huge crowd around the block, and loads of celebrities descend from on high for drinks and face time with the assembled media. It’s one of my favorite parties of the year, and I can always guarantee walking away with a decent number of good photos of all the star-types.

For all the stars, bands, singers, and personalities on hand though, I have to admit that I’ve never been exceedingly star-struck at the event. Perhaps it’s just the fact that when you’re wandering the halls you could walk into anyone, and more often than not you do. When you see Avril Lavigne trying to get through a crowded doorway, or when you’re standing at a urinal next to one of the guys from Sum 41 that it becomes hard to think of these people as stars. I may be a big fan of a lot of these people, and the star-envy is hard to displace, but there is no way to be all gaga for a star when they’re standing waiting for their wrangler to lead them to the next place they have to be.

I am also somewhat unconcerned with half of the stars who usually attend. For instance, the two big names this year are obviously New Kids on the Block and Rihanna, but all I really want is a few photos of them and maybe a quote or two. Same goes for Girlicious, Simple Plan, Akon, and Melanie C. The only person I really think is kinda cool would be Kal Penn from the two Harold & Kumar films, Sam Roberts, and of course Dallas Green from City and Colour/Alexisonfire.

I’m headed out to cover the MMVAs in the next couple of hours, and I’ll be posting a few pictures tonight, with the rest going online tomorrow. I’ll also have at least a little video to share, and some quick stories from the alcohol-soaked media room. I might have photos from the red carpet, but that all depends on whether it stops raining!

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