The Eye: The Mvpa Establishes New Rules For Its Annual Video Awards

THE MVPA CHANGES THE RULES: The Music Video Production Assn. (MVPA) has made two dramatic changes in the voting procedures for its annual Music Video Awards.
For starters, voters in the nomination phase will now be required to attend scheduled screenings of the videos. Voters must be MVPA members.
MVPA spokeswoman Justine Smith says, "It was after many hours of discussion by the [MVPA] board members and officers that we came to this decision. We found that a large percentage of videos submitted for nominations have aired minimally or aired mainly on regional shows. So we worked out schedules where people can actually see the videos they're voting for."
The other new rule this year, as explained by Smith: "You can't vote for yourself if you or your company would be the recipient of the award."
Those who attend screenings must be prepared for long sessions.
"We have over 100 videos submitted for some categories," Smith adds, "so people who go to a screening can expect to be there about three to five hours."
All of the screenings will be held at locations to be announced in Los Angeles, except for a March 22 screening that will be held at Post Perfect in New York. According to Smith, locations for the screenings will be determined by the number of people who say they'll attend.
Screenings for certain categories have already taken place. Following are the remaining dates and times for each screening and the categories that will be voted on at the screenings.
Best cinematography: Monday (1) at 5 p.m.
Best styling: Tuesday (2) at 7 p.m.
Best editing: Wednesday (3) at 2:30 p.m.
Best hair and best makeup: Thursday (4) at 6:30 p.m.
AC video of the year and best choreography: March 8 at a time to be announced.
Urban/R&B video of the year: March 9 at 6 p.m.
Rock video of the year: March 10 at 5 p.m.
Feature film video of the year and best video of the year made for under $25,000: March 11 at 7 p.m.
Dance video of the year and country video of the year: March 15 at 6 p.m.
Best colorist: March 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Rap/hip-hop video of the year: March 18, at a time to be determined.
Video of the year and director of the year: March 19 at 4 p.m. (L.A.) and March 22 at 2 p.m. (New York).
Nominations for the 1999 MVPA Awards will be announced in late March. Eligible clips are videos that were produced in 1998. The awards ceremony, now in its eighth year, will take place April 9 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Voting for the MVPA Awards is open to MVPA members only. For more information, E-mail the MVPA at musivideo aol.com or visit the MVPA's online site at www.mvpa.com.
LOCAL SHOW SPOTLIGHT: This week's spotlight is on the R&B/hip-hop show "Urban Nights," which has been on the air since 1998. The show is hosted by a rotating set of artists.
TV affiliate: KRCA-TV Los Angeles.
Program length: 30 minutes.
Time slot: 1:30 a.m. Saturdays.
Key staff members: Larry Guzy, executive producer; Shani Byard, producer.
Following are the top five videos for "Urban Nights" for the episode that aired Feb. 13. The show was hosted by rapper Eminem.
1. Silkk The Shocker Featuring Mystikal, "It Ain't My Fault" (No Limit/Priority).
2. Jay-Z, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam).
3. Eminem, "My Name Is" (Web/Aftermath/Interscope).
4. Noreaga Featuring Big Pun, Cam'ron, Nature & The Lox, "Banned From TV" (Penalty/Tommy Boy).
5. Les Nubians, "Les Portes Du Souvenir" (Omtown/Higher Octave/Virgin).