The MTV Movie Awards wants to broaden its horizons and get serious — or at least as serious as one can take an event where Sacha Baron Cohen is allowed to rub his naked ass on Eminem. The annual show has been around since 1992, but has often been discarded as an obnoxious advertiser's prop and a place Hollywood can push its summer slate. In order to transform their image, MTV has created "an 'academy' of actors, producers, agents and other industry insiders to vote on nominees," according to THR. No names have been revealed at this time.
Last year’s awards show raked in 4.5 million viewers, making it the largest audience since 2004. Although it's clearly still a hit with viewers, MTV president Stephen Friedman confirmed that the teen-centric extravaganza wasn't heading in the right direction for the network. "It wasn’t growing the way we want it to," he shared.
MTV is also doing a little spring-cleaning with their categories. "We want to make sure some of the unexpected, smaller, quirkier films have a chance," Friedman told the website. The panel has already zeroed in on movies like sex addiction tale Shame, in order to spoof the full frontal male nudity that was popular this year. "I think we need to embrace it as a moment," VMA producer Jesse Ignjatovic said. The focus on new cateogories is to "deepen the movie-music connection," integrating the two in a better way. We've shared the drops and adds for this year's line-up below. Can a fancypants panel and wider focus for film make people take the VMAs more seriously? Weigh in with your thoughts below.
New Categories for 2012
Best Music
Best On-Screen Transformation
Best Gut-Wrenching Performance
Best Cast
Best On-Screen Dirt Bag
Retired Categories from 2011
Best Villain
Best Scared-as-Shit Performance
Best Jaw Dropping Moment
Biggest Badass Star
Best Line from a Movie