Madonna's kiss unlike a virgin

Madonna may be 45 and a mother of two, but Thursday's MTV music video awards ceremony proved that the Material Girl has not lost any of her publicity-generating shock appeal.

Madonna may be 45 and a mother of two, but Thursday's MTV music video awards ceremony proved that the Material Girl has not lost any of her publicity-generating shock appeal.

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With her steamy onstage exchange of open-mouthed kisses with second-generation pop divas Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Madonna stole the show almost as soon as it had begun.

Friday's press coverage all but ignored the award winners, focusing instead on Madonna's lip-locking antics.

"Madonna's 2 Kinky Kisses," ran the banner headline in the New York Post, over a full-colour photo of the smooch with Spears.

The New York Daily News used the same photo, with the header "Missies Get All Kissy."

The kisses came after Spears and Aguilera had performed a tribute to the elder pop stateswoman by writhing on the floor in white bustier wedding gowns and crooning "Like A Virgin" -- just as Madonna had done at the inaugural MTV awards bash way back in 1984.

Even the New York Times paid tribute to Madonna's sustained appetite for exhibitionism, although with a slightly caustic twist.

"It was an impressive spectacle," the Times said. "But it was hard not to be reminded that 19 years ago Madonna could cause this much fuss all by herself."

Television channels didn't seem to mind, though, replaying the kissing footage throughout the morning.

As for the actual awards, Missy Elliot won the coveted Video of the Year prize, while Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles and British band Coldplay all took home three "Moonman" statuettes.

Missy Elliot, who led the field with eight nominations going into the awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York, also picked up the Best Hip-Hop Video gong for "Work It."

Teen idol Timberlake, who was in the audience while ex-girlfriend Spears was getting up close and personal with Madonna, accepted the Best Male Video, Best Dance Video and Best Pop Video awards for "Cry Me a River," which was nominated in seven categories.

"This is cooler than bubblegum," said Timberlake, whose video shows him taking his revenge on a two-timing Britney look-alike.

Representing the old guard in the traditionally youth-dominated awards show was 71-year-old country legend Johnny Cash, who received eight nominations for his video tearjerker "Hurt."

Cash, who was unable to attend, having been hospitalised before the show with an undisclosed stomach ailment, won in the "Best Cinematography" category.

The 20th-annual awards ceremony was hosted by comedian Chris Rock, who set some teeth on edge with an opening monologue that included jokes about paralysed actor Christopher Reeve, and who introduced rapper P. Diddy as a man "who has been sued by more people than the Catholic Church."