Madonna, Garbage, and Will Smith heard their names most often Tuesday morning when the nominees for the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards were announced in Los Angeles where the awards will be handed out on September 10.

Courtney Love, whose band Hole will perform at the VMAs, was on hand to help with the announcement. Master P, Madonna, and the Dave Matthews Band will also perform that night. It's not necessarily a comeback, but Madonna's pack-leading nine nominations must come as another layer on a cake that already includes critical praise and commercial success for her recent "Ray Of Light" album. The title track earned eight of Madonna's nominations, including one for Video of the Year, which pits her against Puff Daddy, the Verve, Will Smith, and Brandy and Monica.

The surprise of this year's nominations may be Garbage's "Push It" [500k QuickTime], which made a strong showing with eight nominations.

Will Smith scored six nods, while Aerosmith, Prodigy, Busta Rhymes, and Radiohead each scored four nominations.

Newcomers to the VMA nomination circle include Aphex Twin, Death In Vegas, Sean Lennon, and Roni Size, who all earned their first nominations this year.

There are no strangers in the Viewers' Choice category, where Will Smith, Puff Daddy, Green Day, Matchbox 20, and the heretofore unsinkable Celine Dion will go at it.