Yesterday (July 31), MTV announced the nominees for the "2006 MTV Video Music Awards." Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, T.I. and Ludacris will be among the acts performing at the show.

This year's VMAs will see the show return to New York City. The "2006 MTV Video Music Awards" will be broadcast live from RadioCityMusic Hall on Thursday, August 31 at 8pm est.

While Shakira and the Red Hot Chili Peppers lead nominees with seven nominations apiece, some of the biggest names in r&b and hip-hop were also nominated for awards. T.I . ("What You Know") , Kanye West ("Golddigger") and Busta Rhymes ("Touch It Remix") will compete against Nick Lachey ("What's Left of Me") and James Blunt ("You're Beautiful") in the Best Male Video category, while Gnarls Barkley ("Crazy") is the sole hip-hop act nominated for a Best Group Video award.

Busta and T.I. were also nominated in the Best Rap Video category along with 50 Cent ("Window Shopper"), Yung Joc ("It's Goin' Down") and Chamillionaire ("Ridin'"). Nominees in the Best Hip Hop Video category were The Black Eyed Peas ("My Humps"), Three 6 Mafia ("Stay Fly"), Daddy Yankee ("Rompe"), Kanye West ("Golddigger") and Common, whose "Testify" video also garnered nods for Best Art Direction and Best Direction in the Professional Categories. In the Best R&B Video category the nominees were Beyoncé ("Check On It"), Mariah Carey ("Shake it Off"), Mary J. Blige ("Be Without You") , Chris Brown ("Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" and Jamie Foxx ("Unpredictable"). Best New Artist in a Video nominees Chris Brown("Run It") and Rihanna ("S.O.S.) will also face off in the Viewer's Choice category.

For the first time ever, MTV is allowing all music fans to vote for awards in General Categories. As of yesterday (7/31) MTV viewers could begin voting on General Categories (with the exception of Viewer's Choice). Votes will be accepted up until August 20th. Viewers vote for the "Viewer's Choice" award between August 7th and August 31st. Visit www.vma.mtv.com in order to cast votes.

In another unprecedented move, this year while the VMA's are airing live on MTV "VMA Live: Backstage Uncensored" will be aired on Overdrive, the network's broadband channel. The program will offer a backstage and behind the scenes look at the show as it is taking place. "VMA Live: Backstage Uncensored" will become MyVMAs immediately after the show, with every performance and moment from the VMAs available on demand to viewers. Wireless carriers will also offer updates and recaps of the VMAs on MTV Mobile.

"Always looking to innovate, we knew we had to find an experience to address the fact that young people are simultaneously watching the VMAs and online chatting in real time with their friends about the unexpected moments and speculating about what's going on backstage," said Christina Norman, President of MTV. "So, we decided to deliver the access they crave by bringing them behind the curtain."