LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The MTV VMAs 2011 winners early tonight have been dominated by Adele. The 2011 MTV Video Music Award Winners list already includes three wins by Adele and a surprise win by Britney Spears. The first award of the night went to Lady Gaga for Best Video With a Message for Born this Way.

Adele tonight has already picked up three awards, and the telecast is not yet offer. Adele picked up Best Art Direction for “Rolling in the Deep”. The same video made news, winning for Best Editing and Best Cinematography.

Beyonce, while losing in Cinematography to Adele, picked up Best Choreography for “Run the World Girls”. In a statement to MTV News, Gaga said of her award that “I’m really proud of the ‘Born This Way’ video, and for it to be nominated is an absolute honor”.

Gaga delivered a jaw dropping opening number. Selena Gomez was charming co-hosting a lackluster awards’ pre-show telecast that featured Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose standing around. Gomez was joined on stage by a glowing Demi Lovato and the cast of the Jersey Shore. The Situation, however, did not make an appearance.

Later, Kanye West and Jay-Z’s performance of Otis was almost interrupted when a fan stormed the stage. The Foo Fighters picked up a stunning win for Best Rock Video. But a visible surprised Britney Spears, in advance of being honored tonight, won Best Pop Video. Kanye West and Katy Perry were also early winners. Click HERE for the complete list.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Britney Spears VMAs tribute will not only honor the pop singer but also the cable network that helped her career. When news of a Britney Spears tribute was announced for the MTV 2011 Video Music Awards, one aspect was missed. By honoring Spears, MTV is also helping honor itself. Both the pop singer and the music channel turn thirty years old this year. And while Spears didn’t pick up a VMA award until 2008, Britney has been part of core that has built the success of MTV over the last three decades.

While MTV’s focus has changed over the years, focusing less on music and more on reality TV shows, Spears has been true to form year to year. She first appeared on the VMAs in 1999 with ‘NSYNC. In 2007, during a troubled time of her career, news coverage of Spears’ performance of “Gimme More” was about as unflattering as tabloid coverage of her exiting limos after the show.

One year later, Spears was back on her game. In a miraculous change, she won four awards in 2008. This year Britney is nominated for two awards for Til The World Ends. Fans, however, believe that Spears deserved far more awards that she has received over her career, especially for videos like Slave 4 U and Toxic.

Yet, as to the show itself, Britney still believes her on-air kiss with Madonna in 2003 is her most memorable appearance to date. “My greatest experience — probably being with Madonna,” she tells MTV. “The kiss was amazing. … Being onstage with someone of that caliber is just iconic.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Tony Bennett tribute to Amy Winehouse tonight is expected to be the highlight of the MTV 2011 VMAs. Tony Bennett will deliver a tribute to Amy Winehouse during the MTV Video Music Awards telecast, marking his first appearance on the stage in nearly a decade. During the tribute, fans will get to hear “Body and Soul”, the single off Bennett’s Duets II album.

Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse recorded the duet last spring. The song has not been heard until tonight. Bennett will not only debut the single but also reveal footage of the two during their recording session. Winehouse and Bennett began recording the single at Abbey Road Studios in March 2011.

Bennett last appeared at the VMAs in 1993. The single of “Body and Soul” will be released by Columbia Records on what would have been Amy’s 28th birthday, September 14. Proceeds from the song’s sale will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation

“It was a thrill to record with Amy Winehouse, and when you listen to the recording of Body And Soul, it is a testament to her artistic genius and her brilliance as one of the most honest musicians I have ever known,” said Bennett in a news statement earlier this month. A musical tribute to Winehouse is also expected.

Also during tonight’s telecast, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Pitbull and Chris Brown are set to perform. Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian and Seth Rogan are expected to be in attendance. Adele for her album 21 is nominated for seven awards; Kanye West is up for seven as well; and Katy Perry has the most nominations, with ten.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Lil Wayne’s VMAs 2011 performance tonight will help the release of Tha Carter IV tonight. Lil Wayne’s MTV Video Music Awards performance is expected to feature How To Love and She Will featuring Drake. Hours later, Tha Carter IV will be released digitally online. Fans and news critics are already giving the album top praise.

When Lil Wayne hits the MTV Video Music Awards tonight, he will follow a previous retrospective video previously produced for the network. Earlier this month, MTV and Lil Wayne revealed a commercial that took thirty years in the making, literally. The Lil Wayne retrospective video covered thirty years of MTV and featured references to Tupac, Run DMC, and Kurt Cobain. MTV called the Lil Wayne retrospective “a must see.”

Tonight, Lil Wayne will use the MTV as a platform to push Tha Carter IV, even though the entire album leaked online earlier this week. Birdman told news this week that he expects Tha Carter IV to sell one million copies it first week. If that happens, Lil Wayne will be the second artist this year to achieve that goal in 2011 after Lady Gaga with Born this Way.

Recently, Kanye West and Jay-Z pushed 436,000 albums their first week with Watch The Throne. Tha Carter III, in contrast, went on to become the best selling album that year and generating groundbreaking reviews.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Amy Winehouse MTV VMAs tribute by Tony Bennett will feature Body and Soul. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse recorded Body and Soul for his upcoming Duets II album. Now Bennett will reveal exclusive footage during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

Tony Bennett’s tribute to Amy Winehouse will feature both live and taped sections. Bennett will reportedly take to the stage during the VMAs telecast and reveal exclusive footage from the recording session of Body and Soul. The single, off Duets II, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in March 2011. The album is being released this September 20.

“It was a thrill to record with Amy Winehouse and when you listen to the recording of Body and Soul, it is a testament to her artistic genius and her brilliance as one of the most honest musicians I have ever known,” said Tony Bennett in a statement to news.

In June 2008, doctors were still uncertain about Winehouse’s health conditions. “She’s staying there for the time being. They are still not quite sure what happened and the tests were inconclusive” her reps said during a June 2008 hospitalization. “Doctors want to get to the bottom of it before releasing her. There will be further tests and they will keep her under observation. She seems to be fine … but they are taking their time to be sure.”

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