MTV Video Music Awards 2012: Ex-lovers Rihanna and Drake Lead Nominations

Rihanna and Drake are leading this year's MTV Video Music Awards after bagging five nominations each.

The former lovers are up together in the coveted Video of the Year category for their collaborative hit, Take Care, and are contesting a string of awards individually.

RiRi is competing for Best Pop Video and Best Female Video and is also contesting the Video of the Year category as a solo artist for the song We Found Love. The 24-year-old faces fierce competition in the latter category from best friend Katy Perry, who has been nominated for Wide Awake. 

Rihanna will also have to battle One Direction and Justin Bieber in the Best Pop Video category, following their nominations for What Makes You Beautiful and Boyfriend respectively.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Young Money rapper Drake has been nominated in a range of categories including Best Hip Hop Video, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Male Video - where he will face another of Rihanna's former boyfriends, Chris Brown.   

The MTV Video Music Awards will take place at Los Angeles' Staples Centre on 6 September, and will feature performances from Alicia Keys and One Direction.

The full list of nominees is as follows:

Video of the Year
Katy Perry, Wide Awake
Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know
Rihanna, We Found Love
Drake feat. Rihanna, Take Care
M.I.A., Bad Girls

Best New Artist
Fun. feat. Janelle Monáe, We Are Young
Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe
Frank Ocean, Swim Good
One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful
The Wanted, Glad You Came

Best Hip-Hop Video
Childish Gambino, Heartbeat
Drake feat. Lil Wayne, HYFR
Kanye West feat. Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz, Mercy
Watch the Throne, Paris
Nicki Minaj feat. 2 Chainz, Beez in the Trap

Best Male Video
Justin Bieber, Boyfriend
Frank Ocean, Swim Good
Drake feat. Rihanna, Take Care
Chris Brown, Turn Up the Music
Usher, Climax

Best Female Video
Rihanna, We Found Love
Katy Perry, Part of Me
Beyoncé Knowles, Love on Top
Nicki Minaj, Starships
Selena Gomez & The Scene, Love You Like a Love Song

Best Pop Video
One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful
Fun. feat. Janelle Monáe, We Are Young
Rihanna, We Found Love
Justin Bieber, Boyfriend
Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa, Payphone

Best Rock Video
Coldplay, Paradise
The Black Keys, Lonely Boy
Linkin Park, Burn It Down
Jack White, Sixteen Saltines
Imagine Dragons, It's Time

Best Electronic Dance Music Video
Duck Sauce, Big Bad Wolf
Calvin Harris, Feel So Close
Skrillex, First of the Year (Equinox)
Martin Solveig, The Night Out
Avicii, Le7els

Best Video With a Message
Demi Lovato, Skyscraper
Rise Against, Ballad of Hollis Brown
Kelly Clarkson, Dark Side
Gym Class Heroes, The Fighter
K'Naan feat. Nelly Furtado, Is Anybody Out There?
Lil Wayne, How to Love

Best Art Direction
Katy Perry, Wide Awake
Drake feat. Rihanna, Take Care
Lana Del Rey, Born to Die
Regina Spektor, All the Rowboats
Of Monsters & Men, Little Talks

Best Choreography
Chris Brown, Turn Up the Music
Rihanna, Where Have You Been
Beyoncé Knowles, Countdown
Avicii, Le7els
Jennifer Lopez f/Pitbull, Dance Again

Best Cinematography
M.I.A., Bad Girls
Adele, Someone Like You
Drake feat. Rihanna, Take Care
Coldplay feat. Rihanna, Princess of China
Lana Del Rey, Born to Die

Best Direction
M.I.A., Bad Girls
Duck Sauce, Big Bad Wolf
Coldplay feat. Rihanna, Princess of China
Frank Ocean, Swim Good
Watch the Throne, Otis

Best Editing
Beyoncé Knowles, Countdown
A$AP Rocky, Goldie
Gotye, Somebody That I Used to Know
Watch the Throne, Paris
Kanye West feat. Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz, Mercy

Best Visual Effects
Katy Perry, Wide Awake
Rihanna, Where Have You Been
David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Turn Me On
Linkin Park, Burn It Down