AWARDS > Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira in spotlight at MTV music awards

NEW YORK (AFP) - Eighties rockers The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Latin pop queen Shakira are among the stars tipped to take home the awards on Thursday when the annual MTV Video Music Awards are held in New York.

The Californian funk-punk Chili Peppers and Colombian-born Shakira are both up for seven awards, while pop diva Madonna and newcomers Panic! at the Disco, who only released their debut album last year, have five nods each.

The awards, to be hosted by actor, comedian and musician Jack Black, are to be broadcast live from New York's Radio City Music Hall.

The most sought after of more than 20 awards, the Video of the Year gong, will see the Chili Peppers face off against Madonna, Panic!, Shakira and pop pin-up Christina Aguilera.

Aguilera -- who is also nominated for three other awards including in the best female and best pop categories, in both cases against Madonna and Shakira -- is currently topping the US charts with her third album, "Back To Basics."

The MTV awards started in 1984 and were originally intended to challenge the more traditionally Grammys.

Among the more controversial episodes in its history, Madonna, the holder of 20 so-called Moon Men trophies, kissed Britney Spears and Aguilera live on stage during the 2003 show.