Lavigne tops MTV Euros

Furtado nabs album of the year prize

By GORDON MASSON

Canada's Avril Lavigne was the big winner at Thursday's MTV Europe Music Awards, lifting solo artist and most addictive track ("Girlfriends") trophies as 50 million votes from music fans spread the love far and wide.

Fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado also boosted North America's presence by taking home album of the year for her multiplatinum "Loose," while band 30 Seconds to Mars triumphed in the "rock out" category.

Underlining the popularity of American acts, Linkin Park picked up the band of 2007 prize, but Europe triumphed in the hip-hop battle as French act Justice won its feud with Kanye West by taking the video star prize for the second year.

British alternative rock outfit Muse also made it back-to-back wins in the headliner for live act category.

This year was the first in which MTV allowed viewers to take control of both nominations and voting for the annual ceremony.

With Snoop Dogg acting as the host at Munich's Olympiahalle, Foo Fighters, Lavigne, Mika, Tokio Hotel, Babyshambles, Black Eyed Peas' frontman will.i.am and British diva Amy Winehouse offered performances, with Winehouse overwhelmingly picked by her peers for the artists choice nod.

Among stars who presented awards were British Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton; German tennis icon Boris Becker; thesps Jon Heder and Jared Leto; supermodel Lily Cole; Kelly Rowland; Joss Stone; Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan; R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe; and EMA digital host Wyclef Jean.

And the winners of the MTV Europe Music Awards are:

Rock Out
30 Seconds to Mars

Ultimate Urban
Rihanna

Band of 2007
Linkin Park

Most Addictive Track
``Girlfriends,'' Avril Lavigne

Album of the Year
``Loose,'' Nelly Furtado

Inter Act
Tokio Hotel

Headliner
Muse

Video StarJustice,``D.A.N.C.E.

Solo artist of 2007
Avril Lavigne

Artists' choice
Amy Winehouse.

Regional MTV winners:

• Van Gogh (MTV Adria)
  
• D'banj (Africa)
  
• Rashed El Majed (Arabia)
  
• Jurga (Baltic)
  
• Nephew (Denmakr
  
• Within Temptation (Holland and Belgium)
  
• Negative (Finland)
  
• Justice (France)
  
• Bushido (Germany)
  
• Akos (Hungary)
  
• J-Ax (Italy)
  
• El Axel (Norway)
  
• Doda (Poland)
  
• Da Weasel (Portugal)
  
• Andreea Banica (Romania)
  
• Violadores del Verso (Spain)
  
• Neverstore (Sweden)
  
• Ceza (Turkey)
  
• Muse (U.K. & Ireland)
  
• Lama (Ukraine)