GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Nicki Minaj says she is an excited host — and nominee — as she prepares to take the stage at Sunday’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow.
Minaj, who is up for best female and best hip-hop act trophies, said she was “working on my Scottish accent” before the show at the city’s SSE Hydro arena.
Thousands of young Scottish music fans packed the stadium beside the River Clyde, anticipating a high-energy show featuring performances from acts including Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Enrique Iglesias and U2.
Minaj, who skirted the line between kudos and controversy with her bum-centric hit “Anaconda,” may offer the quality show producers covet — the unexpected. The awards’ finest moments over the years have been seemingly unscripted, as when Miley Cyrus smoked a joint during the show in Amsterdam last year.
“I’m most excited about experiencing the crowd, because I was told they are a very live crowd and I like crowd participation and I like speaking directly to the people,” said Minaj, whose new album is due for release next month. “So, I’m excited to see how that is going to work.”
The awards, which celebrate world music talent as well as North American stars, are taking on a distinctly Scottish flavor this year, although Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, who was due to perform, has pulled out of the show because of illness, MTV said.
Katy Perry leads the field with seven nominations, while ubiquitous boy band One Direction, “Happy” hit-maker Pharrell Williams and pop diva Ariana Grande also have multiple nods.
Grande, a contender in six categories including best female act, said she was “so grateful to be nominated at all.”
“I’m still shaking,” the 21-year-old performer said after posing for a gaggle of photographers on the red carpet. “The flashes make me shake.”
Heavy-metal howler turned reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne will receive a Global Icon Award.
Presenters include guitar hero Slash, party rapper Redfoo — who was kitted out, Scottish style, in a kilt and tartan shirt — and actor David Hasselhoff.
Winners of the awards, which visit a different European city each year, are selected by fans across the continent.
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Online: https://tv.mtvema.com/
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