2008 MTV Video Music Awards

Nominees

Best Art Direction

Michael Jackson wouldn't be all that thrilling without the red leather jacket, the white glove and the graveyard, right? It's those kind of essential details that make art direction so important. Here are the five videos that do it best.

  1. Gnarls Barkley"Run"

    Art Direction by Happy & Kells Jesse

    Gnarls Barkley channel the early '80s with not an anachronism in sight. Props go to the art director for all of the perfectly timely... well... props.

  2. MGMT"Electric Feel"

    Art Direction by Sophie Kosofsky

    Although by all accounts a Brooklyn band, MGMT take their 'Electric Feel' to a simulated misty jungle so realistic you seriously might get malaria. Be really careful.

  3. Katy Perry"I Kissed A Girl"

    Art Direction by Benji Bamps

    As is appropriate for the 21st Century's material girl, Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl' video is full to the top with fashionable accessories.

  4. Pussycat Dolls"When I Grow Up"

    Art Direction by Marcelle Gravel

    The Pussycat Dolls' 'When I Grow Up' art director clearly knows all the stores with the best selection of day glo tube tops. How else could the dolls' outfits be so perfectly matched to the hypercolor cars?

  5. The White Stripes"Conquest"

    Art Direction by David Fitzpatrick

    Immaculate style and control run rampant in The White Stripes' 'Conquest' video. Not a detail out of place from start to finish, it's an art direction triumph!

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