The soulful group, led by singer Jason Kay, beat out such homegrown media faves as Beck, who scored seven nominations, including video of the year for his directorial debut "The New Pollution," and Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails, which hammered five nods with "The Perfect Drug."
The 14th annual edition of the awards will be held in New York's Radio City Music Hall September 4. Today in Gotham, host Chris Rock announced the contenders with support from quadruple-nominee the Wallflowers. The band, featuring lead singer Jakob Dylan, will perform, as will other MTV darlings like U2 and the Spice Girls.
Man of the hour Will Smith, who is currently featured in the number 1 movie and record, is up for four MTV Awards, including best male video for "Men in Black," from the film soundtrack.
Last year's big winners, the Smashing Pumpkins, garnered four nominations for "The End Is the Beginning Is the End," co-directed by Batman & Robin's Joel Schumacher. Triple threats this year include Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, shock rocker Marilyn Manson, techno-dance act Prodigy and Jewel, whose three nods include top categories like video of the year, best female and viewer's choice. The latter category is one of the toughest, as Jewel takes on Prodigy, Puff Daddy & the Family, Spice Girls and the Wallflowers.
One of the most intriguing matchups comes in the best director field. Beck (under his full moniker Beck Hansen), up for directing his own video "The New Pollution," faces off against big-time Hollywood helmer Schumacher and co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who collaborated on the Pumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End." Others contenders in the category are Jonathan Glazer (Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity"), Mark Ronanek (Nine Inch Nails' "The Perfect Drug"), Hype Williams (Elliott's "The Rain").
Here are all the nominees for the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards:
Best Video of the Year: Beck, "The New Pollution"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Jewel, "You Were Meant For Me"; Nine Inch Nails, "The Perfect Drug"; No Doubt, "Don't Speak"
Best Male Video: Babyface, "Everytime I Close My Eyes"; Beck, "Devils Haircut"; R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"; Will Smith, "Men In Black"
Best Female Video: Erykah Badu, "On And On"; Meredith Brooks, "Bitch"; Toni Braxton, "Un-Break My Heart"; Paula Cole, "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone"; Jewel, "You Were Meant For Me"
Best Group Video: Blur, "Song 2"; Counting Crows, "A Long December"; Dave Matthews Band, "Crash Into Me"; No Doubt, "Don't Speak"; The Wallflowers, "One Headlight"
Best Rap Video: Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre, "No Diggity"; Dr. Dre, "Been There, Done That"; Missy Elliott, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; The Notorious B.I.G., "Hypnotize"
Best Dance Video: The Chemical Brothers, "Block Rockin' Beats"; Freak Nasty, "Da Dip"; Prodigy, "Breathe"; Spice Girls, "Wannabe"
Best Rock Video: Aerosmith, "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)"; Foo Fighters, "Monkey Wrench"; Dave Matthews Band, "Crash Into Me"; Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People"; Rage Against The Machine, "People of the Sun"
Best Alternative Video: Beck, "The New Pollution"; Blur, "Song 2"; Foo Fighters, "Monkey Wrench"; Nine Inch Nails, "The Perfect Drug"; Sublime, "What I Got"
Best New Artist In A Video: Fiona Apple, "Sleep To Dream"; Meredith Brooks, "Bitch"; Hanson, "MMMBop"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; The Wallflowers, "One Headlight"
Best Video From A Film: R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly" (from Space Jam); Iggy Pop, "Lust For Life" (from Trainspotting); Will Smith, "Men In Black" (from Men In Black); Bruce Springsteen, "Secret Garden" (from Jerry Maguire)
Best R&B Video: Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder, "How Come How Long"; Erykah Badu, "On And On"; Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre, "No Diggity"; Toni Braxton, "Un-Break My Heart"; Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans & 112, "I'll Be Missing You"
Best Direction In A Video: Beck, "The New Pollution"; Missy Elliott, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Nine Inch Nails, "The Perfect Drug"; Smashing Pumpkins, "The End Is The Beginning Is The End"
Best Choreography In A Video: Beck, "The New Pollution"; Cibo Matto, "Sugar Water"; Dr. Dre, "Been There, Done That"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Will Smith, "Men In Black"
Best Special Effects In A Video: Eels, "Novocaine For the Soul"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People"; Smashing Pumpkins, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"; Will Smith, "Men In Black"
Best Art Direction In A Video: Beck, "The New Pollution"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People"; Nine Inch Nails, "The Perfect Drug"
Best Editing In A Video: Beck, "Devils Haircut"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Smashing Pumpkins, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"; The Wallflowers, "One Headlight"
Best Cinematography In A Video: Eels, "Novocaine For The Soul"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Nine Inch Nails, "The Perfect Drug"; Smashing Pumpkins, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"
Viewer's Choice: Jewel, "You Were Meant For Me"; Prodigy, "Breathe"; Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans & 122, "I'll Be Missing You"; Spice Girls, "Say You'll Be There"; The Wallflowers, "One Headlight"
Breakthrough Video: The Chemical Brothers, "Setting Sun"; Daft Punk, "Da Funk"; Missy Elliott, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"; Radiohead, "Paranoid Android"