MTV names Rick Astley 'best act ever'

by Ben Bold, Brand Republic 07-Nov-08, 10:00

LONDON - If the votes of 100m music fans are to be believed, Rick Astley is the best music act in the world, ever -- or so he was named at the MTV Europe Music Awards, knocking fellow nominees U2, Britney Spears and The Beatles into a cocked hat.

The singer, who shot to fame with 1987 hit single 'Never Gonna Give You Up', has attracted a new generation of fans through an internet hoax known as "Rickrolling".

Richard Godfrey, an MTV senior vice-president and executive producer of the awards, said: "We've been well and truly 'Rickrolled'."

Rickrolling is stunt in which users are tricked into clicking onto an internet link, which then takes them to a video on YouTube of 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. Since the stunt was started, the video has been watched more than 20m times.

Astley's name was not originally on the list of nominations for the Best Act Ever award category, but when his fans realised that they could nominate their hero by voting for him online, MTV's website was inundated and he was shortlisted for the prize.

MTV executives realised early on that it had become a "Rickrolling" victim and attempted to block the votes flooding in. It also held a separate vote on whether Astley's name should be included on the shortlist.

Both measures proved futile -- the blocks failed to work and the separate poll attracted 20m voters, 99.98% of whom backed Astley's inclusion.

Astley did not attend the awards ceremony, but said in a statement: "I am honoured that my fans worked so hard to help me win Best Act Ever at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards.

"This is the first time that I have been nominated for the EMAs and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me."

Comments

jezwaspsrule - 07/11/2008

pathetic

MM - 07/11/2008

Any more pathetic than the idea that MTV viewers, or indeed anyone, can really bestow an award for best music act in the world 'ever'? The inclusion of the likes of Britney Spears \(and the fact that no-one questioned her place on the shortlist) undermines the 'award' just as much as Astley winning in my opinion.