VMAS SALUTE MICHAEL; BEYONCE, LADY GAGA, GREEN DAY RULE

The 2009 26^th annual MTV VMAs turned into a tribute to Michael Jackson, beginning with a heartfelt eulogy by Madonna and ending with a trailer for the late superstar’s documentary, This Is It, and in between, Kanye West once again managed to turn an awards show into his own personal protest.

Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” was the Video of the Year, earning three awards overall (including Best Choreography and Best Editing), tying her with Best New Artist Lady Gaga and Green Day (whose “21 Guns” won Best Rock Video) for most Moonmen of the night.

Beyonce’s video also caused the evening’s big controversy, when Kanye West stormed the stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me” to protest the superstar’s loss in the category, prompting a chorus of boos throughout the rest of the night whenever his name was mentioned. Beyonce, who looked horrified from her front-row seat, later made amends, bringing Swift up to “have her moment” after she was awarded Video of the Year.

Janet Jackson took the stage after Madonna compared herself to Michael with the evening’s first big moment, dancing an electrifying duet with her on-screen brother, as their video for “Scream” was projected on the Radio City Music Hall screen.

Other winners included Eminem’s “We Made You” (Best Hip-Hop Video), T.I. f/Rihanna’s “Live Your Life” (Best Male Video), Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” (Best Pop Video), Matt and Kim’s naked in Times Square “Lessons Learned” (Breakthrough Video) and the Beastie Boys’ old school “Sabotage” (Best Video That Should Have Won a Moonman).

Top performances of the night included Green Day’s volcanic “East Jesus Nowhere,” Taylor Swift in a New York City subway car doing “You Belong With Me,” topped off by her dancing on top of a taxi amidst fans in front of Radio City, Katy Perry and Joe Perry’s “We Will Rock You,” Lady Gaga’s blood-soaked Marie Antoinette meets “Like a Virgin” take on “Paparazzi,” Pink’s high-wire trapeze act for “Sober,” and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ climactic “Empire State of Mind," as Beyonce beamed from her front-row seat, flashing her hubbie's famed diamond hand sign. During the pair's performance, another interloper, in the form of MTV dance competition judge Lil Mama, wandered on-stage in the middle, looking rather lost, though she had nothing to say about Taylor Swift's victory.

Lady Gaga’s variety of costumes sounded the evening’s cutting-edge fashion note—with everything from a French Revolution style powdered wig and peek-a-boo mask to what looked like a bird’s nest around her head, as her biggest fan Perez Hilton cheered her on.

A trailer for Twilight: A New Moon was also shown, while the running gags included 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan being trained by Eminem to win a Best New Artist award, including a duet with Cyndi Lauper on “Time After Time.”

MC Russell Brand kept things moving with his brand of Cockey raunch, while red-hot D.C. rapper Wale fronted the house band, legendary go-go group UCB, getting lots of exposure for his interstitial bits, including a tribute to the late DJ AM by Kid Cudi ("Make Her Say") as well as performances by All-American Rejects ("Gives You Hell"), Pitbull ("You Know You Want Me") and nominated pop group 3OH!3 ("Don't Trust Me").