Nanny

TORONTO -- Sam Roberts's "Hard Road" was a three-time winner at last night's Much Music Video Awards, but it was Finger 11's long road that drove away with the top award.

Before everyone else had made it off the red carpet, Roberts was already having a big night. The Montreal rocker's video for "Hard Road" pocketed three awards - Best Video, Best Post Production and Best Cinematography - before Sunday's show had even officially begun.

"We've done very little to deserve any of this," said lead singer Roberts, who led the MMVAs with eight nominations. "We just contributed a song and whatever acting skills we could muster."

While it's been a meteoric rise for Roberts, Finger 11 are finally tasting success after playing together for nearly a decade. Formerly the ill-named Rainbow Butt Monkeys, Finger 11 released their debut album in 1994 and were actually nominated in the MMVA's past life as the Canadian Music Video Awards.

Fast forward nine years and 11 videos later and it was F-11 proudly receiving the MMVA for Best Video for their power ballad "One Thing," from The Darkness lead singer Justin Hawkins.

"We didn't go away, we're still here - the best band you never heard of," joked lead singer Scott Anderson, who was thrilled to finally win. "We've been giving ourselves blue ribbons for years. It's a really really finite amount of time where everything has to come into place and most times it doesn't, but this time it just felt right. I guess it's 12 times lucky."

Anderson was at a loss to explain the success of "One Thing," but made sure to thank video director Glen Bennett.

"We found a guy who cut his normal rate because he reacted to the song so strongly," explained Anderson on how Bennett got involved in the making of the video. "He also found this really talented (computer graphics) artist, who normally charges an incredible amount more, but she really fell in love with this song. So then we were like, 'OK that's something we can trust.' If you do it for love, then we'll do it for love. That's the deal. So maybe that's the magic formula."

However Finger 11's magical night was overshadowed by the Beastie Boys, who brought their frat-boy rap stylings back to Canada after a six-year hiatus.

Performing for the first time since the "Hello Nasty" tour in 1998, the aging Brooklyn hip-hop trio of Mike D (Mike Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch) and Adrock (Adam Horovitz) kicked off the show in the CHUM parking lot with material off their new album "To The Five Boroughs."

From there a steady stream of local and international talent followed, culminating with Arkansas Goth rockers Evanescence. The foursome, fronted by the stunning Amy Lee, were surprised by the more laidback feel to the MMVAs compared to the super-hyped atmosphere of the MTV and Grammy awards.

"It's almost like a concert, it's strange," said Lee, who was thrilled to see Finger 11 win an award. "We toured with Finger 11 and we love those guys."

Toronto punk band Billy Talent, the first to arrive at the awards, was rewarded for their puntuality with the MMVA for Best Rock Video for "Try Honesty." Lead singer Ben Kowalewicz was presented with the award by Avril Lavigne, who captured the People's Choice award for Favourite Canadian Artist.

"We collaborated a lot on different ideas," said Kowalewicz on working with video director Sean Michael Turrell. "We threw some curves at him, he threw some curves at us, we just met in the middle and it all sort of came together."

In Essence made it a Mississauga sweep by winning Best R&B Video for "Friend Of Mine," in the pre-show ceremonies.

"It's a Mississauga domination," hollered Kowalewicz across the floor to In Essence in their post-award press conference.

For the second-straight year Montreal punk group Simple Plan were voted Favourite Canadian Group in one of four People's Choice categories. Linkin Park and the Usher-Ludacris-Lil'Jon collaborative were voted favourite International Group and Artist respectively.

The win should inspire Simple Plan, who just started recording their follow up to their 2002 debut album, "No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls," in Montreal three days ago.

"We've been writing for the last three months and we're trying to finish it before the fall and have it out by November," said drummer Chuck Comeau on their as-yet-to-be-named sophomore effort. "Hopefully we'll keep (the title) within the croch region."

Simple Plan also announced they will be heading back out on the road in September to tour with Lavigne in Europe.

Other Canadian winners included Pilate (Best Independent Video for "Into Your Hideout"), Nelly Furtado (Best Pop Video for "Powerless"), Sarah McLachlan (MuchMoreMusic Award for "Fallen"), Corneille (Best French Video for "parce qu'on vient de loin") and Alexisonfire (Video Facts award).

Beyonce (Best International Video Artist for "Crazy In Love") and Outkast (Best International Video Group for "Hey Ya") rounded out the night.

Besides the Beastie Boys, other live performances were turned in by Three Days Grace, Hoobastank, Fefe Dobson, Billy Talent, Evanescence, Kanye West and Hilary Duff.

MMVA NOTES: The feud between Hilary Duff and Avril Lavigne apparently lives on, despite Duff's attempts to extend an olive branch at last night's show. In the red-carpet portion of the evening Duff was asked about the rift between the two and replied that she hoped to apologize to Lavigne at the show. When Lavigne was informed of Duff's intentions, she remarked that she'd like to see Duff try. Duff later skipped her press conference, so no further explanation was forthcoming...Sunday's broadcast was the first-ever in Canada to be streamed live on mobile phones. Rogers Wireless customers were treated to live coverage of the MMVAs on their Nokia 6620 handsets.

WINNERS AT THE 2004 MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS:

Best Video: Finger Eleven, One Thing

Best Pop Video: Nelly Furtado, Powerless (Say What You Want)

Best Rock Video: Billy Talent, Try Honesty

Best Rap Video: Jelleestone featuring Elephant Man, Who Dat

Best R&B Video: In Essence, Friend Of Mine

MuchMoreMusic Award: Sarah McLachlan, Fallen

Best Independent Video: Pilate, Into Your Hideout

Best Director: Kyle Davison, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)

Best Post Production: Kyle Davison/Erik Nordby/Pete Dionne, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)

Best Cinematography: Erik Nordby, Hard Road (Sam Roberts)

Best French Video: Corneille, parce qu'on vient de loin

Best International Video, Artist: Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, Crazy In Love

Best International Video, Group: Outkast, Hey Ya

VidoeFACT award: Alexisonfire, Counterparts And Number Them

Virginity

i liked last night it was great, i loved every performance hehe espically Evanescence, Fefe Dobson and Hilary Duff

great awards too

BeBritney

Canada certainly differs from America on awards shows, that's for damn sure.

Poor Hilary <3

[RocK0WiTU]

why what happened to hillary?

Nanny

Read the MMVA notes.


And hell yes, Mandy, Canada sure has different award shows. It's a fuckin awesome award show. Although, I didn't even get to see it.

[RocK0WiTU]

but where did this feud start i thought it was Kelly O Vs. Christina and Britney Vs. Avril and Hilary Vs. Lindsay

BeBritney

Yeah well Swany our awards shows BLOW and so do the winners normally

*pets* you're a little behind the times

Uhhhhh Avril made some smart ass remark about Hilary being a "mommy's girl" and basically said she didn't like her and that's how it started I suppose.

Nanny

Yeah, mostly they do. I can't speak much for our winners though. I mean, neither Britney nor Good Charlotte took home anything.

And Joel was even there. Although, from what I understand, I doubt he remembers that.

[RocK0WiTU]

I go to my mom for stuff does that make me a mamas boy too :P

Nanny

Yes.