MTV Video Music Awards

Some of the biggest names in music have started to trickle in for this year's MTV VMAs, and we've got all the arrivals from the pink carpet.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ looks more like Hollywood -- with massive stars pulling up like Megan Thee Stallion, who's set to take the stage with Cardi B later in the night to perform their brand-new hit, "Bongos."

Saweetie was lookin' pretty in pink while stepping into the stadium, and MTV's iconic Moon-person mascot even pulled up to the shindig with a snazzy bowtie! Demi Lovato also hit the carpet looking sleek in black.

As you know, artists like Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Sam Smith are all dukin' it out tonight for a coveted Moonperson statue ... with many of them covering multiple categories.

It's been a female-dominated year for the VMAs -- Artist of the Year nominations went to ladies only, like Beyoncé and Shakira, while Ed Sheeran is the only guy gunning for Best Pop ... going up against singers like Pink and Dua Lipa.

BTW, there are 16 tracks up for the Song of Summer category this year, with 3 of them being from the "Barbie" movie -- go figure.

As we reported, *NSYNC is gettin' the boy band back together for a reunion at tonight's award show -- 3 members have been spotted in NYC over the last couple of days, and JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet.

A source connected to the group told us they'll be presenting only, and not singing one of their hits ... but it's gonna be an epic reunion nonetheless.

Speaking of performances, the ceiling will likely be blown off tonight with folks like Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj -- also the emcee for this year's event -- and Måneskin ... not to mention loads more musical acts as the night goes on.

There's also slated to be a big medley honoring 50 years of hip-hop -- similar to the huge performance at The Grammys -- featuring D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, and more.

*NSYNC diehards are convinced a reunion is afoot after spotting a few members in the Big Apple -- and TMZ knows the band will be front and center during the show.

Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass were all photographed in and around NYC over the past 48 hours -- JT hit up the US Open, Joey was spotted roaming the streets/posing with fans and Lance got snapped grabbing drinks in Manhattan.

In addition to these sightings ... JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet -- through a recent social media post from his manager -- although it's unclear where exactly he was flying to.

The one person who has yet to be shot in public is Chris Kirkpatrick ... but he did post a 9/11 tribute Monday, and threw up a NYFD firetruck. Unclear if he took it himself though.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the group will be presenting during the show Tuesday at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. We do not know if they will also perform.

Of course, another clue of a reunion ... a track that's been teased through Justin's latest 'Trolls' movie -- which has the first letter of their band name and a catchy whistling tune ... although the full song has yet to be released/named.

The guys haven't performed together since the 2013 VMAs -- so a reunion now would be timely ... a 10-year anniversary. They haven't released new music since the early 2000s.

Lord knows their day-ones have been craving a reunion for a long, long time now.

The big award show is only hours away, so we'll see if the iconic boy band is ready to join forces. A lot has changed since they last rocked a major stage -- here's hoping they still got the juice!

7:39 AM PT -- Una fuente conectada con el grupo nos dice que no habrá una actuación, los chicos sólo estarán presentando.

Los incondicionales de *NSYNC están convencidos de que hay una reunión en marcha después de ver a algunos miembros en la Gran Manzana y TMZ sabe que la banda estará al frente y al centro durante el show.

Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone y Lance Bass fueron fotografiados en los alrededores de Nueva York durante las últimas 48 horas. JT fue al US Open, Joey fue visto vagando por las calles posando con los fans y Lance fue fotografiado tomando unas copas en Manhattan.

Además de estos avistamientos, JC Chasez fue fotografiado montando un jet privado y pudimos ver las fotos a través de un reciente post en las redes sociales de su manager, aunque no está claro dónde exactamente estaba volando.

El único integrante que aún no ha sido fotografiado en público es Chris Kirkpatrick, pero publicó un homenaje 9/11 lunes y gestionó un camión de bomberos NYFD. Aunque no está claro si él mismo iba abordo.

Fuentes directas le informan a TMZ que el grupo se presentará durante el show del martes en el Prudential Center de Nueva Jersey. No sabemos si también actuarán.

Por supuesto, otra pista de una reunión ... una pista que se ha burlado a través de la última película de Justin 'Trolls' - que tiene la primera letra de su nombre de la banda y una melodía pegadiza silbido ... aunque la canción completa aún no ha sido puesto en libertad / nombre

Los chicos no han actuado juntos desde los VMA 2013, por lo que una reunión sería oportuna para celebrar un aniversario de 10 años. No han lanzado nueva música desde principios de la década de 2000.

Todo el mundo sabe que sus compañeros han estado anhelando una reunión durante mucho, mucho tiempo.

Sólo faltan unas horas para la gran entrega de premios así que veremos si la icónica boy band está lista para unir fuerzas. Las cosas han cambiado mucho desde la última vez que actuaron en un gran escenario ¡esperemos que aún les quede cuerda para rato!

One of Madonna's iconic '80s MTV Video Music Awards -- this one for "Best Female Video" -- has a new home after a lucky buyer snatched it off the auction block.

RR Auction tells TMZ ... Madonna's VMA, aka the Moonman trophy, for her hit song "Papa Don't Preach" went to the highest bidder, who dropped $38,484.

As we reported ... the shiny Madge memorabilia was expected to fetch around $60k before the bidding began, so someone got themselves a sweet deal.

In case you didn't know, the song came out in 1986 as a single from her album "True Blue" ... and it became the pop star's 4th number-one hit.

"Papa Don't Preach" -- Madonna's song about teen pregnancy -- ended up garnering 3 VMA noms and a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance."

A few other big-ticket items at the auction included Tom Hanks' screen-worn military uniform from "Forrest Gump" ... which sold for $20,771.

Madonna's MTV VMA for one of her iconic '80s hits will be sitting on a lucky -- and probably wealthy -- fan's shelf soon.

RR Auction tells TMZ ... Madonna's Moonman -- AKA MTV Video Music Award -- for her 1986 song "Papa Don't Preach" is now on the auction block with an estimated price tag of $60K.

It's a cool part of pop history ... the song was released as a single from her album "True Blue," and it became Madonna's 4th number one hit.

The track's all about dealing with teen pregnancy and abortion which, as you can imagine, stirred up plenty of controversies back then.

That also fueled buzz for the song which earned Madge 3 VMA nominations and a Grammy nom for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

If ya can't get your hands on the Madonna memorabilia, there's other cool stuff on this particular auction block -- including a Nirvana signed "In Utero" CD booklet, which is going for an estimated $12K!!!

Tom Hanks' military uniform worn on-screen in the 1994 flick "Forrest Gump" is also up for grabs in the auction, which ends December 7.

Lizzo dressed up as Blueface's girlfriend, Chrisean Rock, for Halloween this year -- but the getup is catching some backlash ... because some perceive CR as someone not to mock.

Lizzo trotted out a costume Friday that was, no doubt, meant to recreate Chrisean's look -- missing tooth and all -- and while it was in good fun ... there's been a lot of reactions online that aren't in favor of it and are actually condemning turning Chrisean into a Halloween gag.

The reason ... many feel like Chrisean isn't in the healthiest relationship as it pertains to Blueface. There've been much harsher terms used to describe their sitch.

Fact is, Chrisean and Blueface are in constant ups and downs -- either fighting or loving up on each other ... sometimes in explosive fashion. It's made for some great entertainment on the internet, but there's also been much concern for Chrisean these past several months.

The latest twist in their rocky relationship ... it's all being documented for a new show, "Crazy in Love," which has sparked controversy in and of itself. Some see it as exploitative.

With that in mind ... there's a good portion of bird app users who are taking offense to Lizzo's cosplay, as they feel she's making fun of someone who they see as needing help.

FWIW, Chrisean herself appears to dig it ... she's retweeted/commented on Lizzo's videos. Of course, there's also the usual fatphobic crowd clowning Lizzo over this ... but their hate is pretty much white noise at this point. Not even Lizzo is letting it get to her anymore.

Johnny Depp's brief cameo at the VMAs was embraced by some, but it's stirring up outrage as well -- specifically from Amber Heard's sister -- who went in on MTV.

Whitney Henriquez posted a screenshot of MTV's award show logo, but she placed an ominous letter at the front ... a big capital D. So now, on Whitney's page, it reads DVMA -- which alludes to domestic violence.

She writes, "@MTV YOU'RE DISGUSTING AND CLEARLY DESPERATE! I REALLY HOPE THAT NONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS CALL HAVE DAUGHTERS... #DVMAS #ISTANDWITHAMBERHEARD."

There's also a photo of Amber superimposed on Whitney's mock-up -- so yeah, the Heard family is clearly not happy with the network's decision to feature JD right from the top.

As you'll recall ... Johnny's face was digitally shown inside the Moonman costume that was floating above the stage as soon as the broadcast began. He had a corny little monologue, referencing the fact that he's in need of work ... and available for just about any gig now.

Johnny Depp just made one small step in his Hollywood resurgence ... because he's returned to TV sets, appearing on MTV at the Video Music Awards in an astronaut suit.

The movie star just made his debut as the network's famous Moonman -- recently dubbed the Moonperson -- dressing up and showing his face Sunday to kick off the award show broadcast. But that's all that was shown ... literally just a video of his mug in the suit, which appears to have been pre-recorded. He said he "needed the work," and that was that.

The real McCoy wasn't actually there for the show, it seems. Still, pretty cool!

As we first told you... Johnny was tabbed for a surprise appearance at the VMAs, and it come on the heels of both the recent announcement of his return to film plus his new deal with Dior to continue being the face of the Sauvage fragrance line.

Johnny's won 5 MTV Movie Awards in his career, including Best Villain, Global Superstar, Best Male Performance and 2012's Generation Award.

Britney Spears and Elton John have hit #1 on the streaming charts in more than 40 countries, but next, they'll have their sights set on smashing music video records too ... cuz they've got one in the works.

Sources close to Britney and Elton tell TMZ ... a music video for "Hold Me Closer" is underway in some fashion -- we don't know what it would look like and whether they're even in it.

The single has been hugely successful, once again bringing Britney to the forefront of music industry conversation. In fact, we're told she was invited to this weekend's MTV VMAs -- but had to turn the show down because of a scheduling conflict that keeps her in Los Angeles.

Of course, the project with Elton has Britney fans already begging for more music.

At this time, our sources say there's not a plan for Britney to release any additional songs, or to join Elton on stage to perform the hit during his current tour ... but Britney certainly appreciates all the love.

TMZ broke the story, Drew Barrymore and Britney exchanged some super-hyped-up video messages Friday after the song's release.

Johnny Depp has played many roles, but never a Moonman ... and that's all going to change at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards with a planned surprise appearance from the movie star.

VMA production sources tell TMZ ... Depp's been in talks with show producers to dress up as the network's famous Moonman -- recently dubbed the Moonperson -- and show face at some point during the award show's broadcast on August 28.

Depp's won 5 MTV Movie Awards over the years, including Best Male Performance, Best Villain, Global Superstar and the Generation Award in 2012.

The surprise appearance comes on the heels of both the recent announcement of Johnny's return to film as well as his new deal with Dior. TMZ broke the story, the brand signed Depp to a multi-year, 7-figure extension to continue to be the face of the Sauvage fragrance line.

The Cowboys have a problem at wide receiver ... and it seems Antonio Brown is willing to help out -- telling TMZ Sports this week, "Tell Jerry Jones to call me!"

Dallas' receiver room took a big hit this month, when free agent acquisition James Washington injured his foot. With Michael Gallup already out while recovering from ACL surgery, the team now has just one truly proven player at the position ready to go for Week 1 -- CeeDee Lamb.

Brown appears to be down to change that in Big D -- saying out in Bev Hills that he wants the Cowboys owner to give him a shout ... presumably to talk about a contract.

Of course, it's unclear how serious Brown is about it all -- he's been extremely focused on his music career this offseason, and has even created a new dance for one of his songs that's since gone viral.

It's also unknown if Jones would want AB -- considering all of the baggage that he seemingly carries and drops off whenever he joins teams.

As for his last squad -- the one that cut him following his wild outburst at MetLife Stadium -- Brown told us he still misses the Bucs and their QB, Tom Brady.

"Tell him I miss the passes," he said of TB12. "I'm still open!"

The famous shot of Madonna kissing Britney Spears on stage at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards will soon have a new owner in the digital world ... it's being auctioned off as an NFT.

The actual photo of the iconic kiss was taken by Hollywood photographer, John Shearer, who's entering the NFT space with Cryptograph to sell his one-of-a-kind moment ... while raising money for a good cause.

A portion of the proceeds from the auction -- which begins the morning of October 7 and runs for 72 hours -- will benefit GLAAD.

As you recall ... the 2003 VMAs opened with Britney popping out of a wedding cake dressed as a sexy bride before being joined on stage by Christina Aguilera, also in a wedding dress, and finally ... the Material Girl.

At the end of their performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," Madonna locked lips with Spears AND Aguilera ... though the kiss with Britney got more pub.

Madonna, Teyana Taylor and Normani have triggered complaints to the FCC ... over what some say were raunchy displays at the VMAs.

TMZ's obtained the complaints, and it seems like these folks primarily had two artists in their crosshairs ... Normani and Teyana for their performance of Normani's hit single, "Wild Side."

Someone from Kansas felt it was bad enough seeing a woman in a leotard spreading her legs, writhing on the floor, dancing like a stripper and putting "her fingers near her vagina." But, what really pissed off this viewer was seeing Teyana and Normani simulating a brief makeout sesh and Normani practically giving Teyana a lap dance.

The person said, "This programming was on at 9pm, our children were with us watching TV. We had to make them leave the room during this porno ceremony."

A viewer from Tennessee described seeing Normani "move upward until she was able to stick her crotch directly in [Teyana's] face and on the girls lips exhibiting oral sex."

The viewer said, "this was so extreme and should NEVER have been allowed to be on any TV show." Ditto for a viewer from Weatherford, Texas ... who said Normani glamorized and mimicked sex, bondage and assault rape.

A parent from Michigan said the performance was so awful they "had to keep changing the channels so my 12-year-old son wouldn't watch that s***!"

As for Madonna ... there's a complaint from someone in Illinois who said Madonna appeared drunk at the start of the show and wore sexually explicit clothing. The viewer was upset MTV didn't issue warnings that it might be inappropriate for small children.

Justin Bieber used his VMA acceptance speech to give a huge shoutout to his buddy, Conor McGregor ... saying the UFC superstar will be back better than ever after his devastating leg injury.

33-year-old Conor was at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards to present the "Artist of the Year" award Sunday night ... rocking a bright, pink suit, his walking cane and a massive smile.

While McGregor got into an intense scuffle with Machine Gun Kelly before his appearance, he was all calmed down once it was time for him to announce the category's big winner.

"New York is back and so is the Mac," Conor said. "2022 will be our greatest year yet."

And when it was time to reveal the winner ... McGregor couldn't be happier.

Of course, Conor and Bieber have gotten pretty close recently -- from catching rays poolside to being guests at each other's concerts and fights -- so it was only right The Notorious was able to share the awesome moment with the "Peaches" singer.

Bieber name-dropped his wife, Hailey, and rapper Travis Scott after grabbing the Moonperson ... and then guaranteed Conor will make a big comeback after snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

"Conor, we're gonna get 'em next time, my boy," Bieber said. "Let's go."

If an awards show isn't followed up by a slew of celebs hitting up afterparties all over town ... is it even an awards show at all???

Attendees at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards made the night official by celebrating around NYC afterward ... with events hosted by the likes of Travis Scott, Dave Chappelle and Doja Cat.

Other celebs spotted toasting to success included Justin and Hailey Bieber, Madonna, Pete Davidson and the night's big winner -- Lil Nas X, who won Video of the Year for "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)."

There was also a couple's dinner sighting, as MGK and Megan Fox shared a "future baby daddies" meal at Cipriani with Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian ... before MGK and company made it over to Chappelle's party at Lure.

As you'd expect, Dave's event had major star appeal with Colin Jost, Dave Grohl and Jon Hamm joining the festivities.

Conor McGregor is still nursing his broken leg, but dude is already back to squaring up -- only this time ... he's doing it well outside the Octagon, and against Machine Gun Kelly.

The UFC star appears to have gotten into a physical confrontation Sunday on the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards leading into the Barclays Center -- right before showtime, no less -- in a would-be clash that was captured by several photogs on the scene.

As you can see, there's Conor in the pink suit mouthing off to MGK who's not very far ... and before you know it -- the next shot has Conor seemingly lunging at the rocker as people step in to separate them.

CMG can be seen reaching for Kelly -- but it doesn't look like he ever got a hold of him or even laid a finger on him for that matter. Conor was yanked back by security on hand ... with the Notorious looking furious and animated amid the scrum.

Unclear what might've set this whole thing off in the first place -- but it doesn't seem this escalated beyond a brief showdown ... because we've reached out to cops in the area, and no one's reported this (yet). It's weird ... MGK and Conor don't really have a hostile history.

We got calls in to both guys' camps to see what the fuss was about ... so far, no word back.