MTV hurries video awards as Hurricane Wilma nears

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Wary that a hurricane might crash
its second star-studded party in a row, MTV has moved its Latin
American music video awards ceremony on Mexico’s Caribbean
coast ahead by a day.

MTV’s Video Music Awards Latin America 2005 will be held
one day early, on October 19, in the resort town of Playa del
Carmen in Quintana Roo state, the entertainment company said on
Tuesday as Hurricane Wilma bore down on the region.

“We want to avoid any risk to the public or the talent,”
MTV organizer Dulce Gordillo told Reuters.

Gordillo said the sun was still shining in Playa del Carmen
and a bikini beach party would go ahead as planned.

Wilma is expected to intensify into a major hurricane with
winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph) and brush by Quintana Roo
on Thursday or Friday as it heads toward Florida, according to
the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Katrina put a damper on pre-ceremony festivities
at the MTV Video Music Awards in August as it hurled rain and
wind at Miami on the way to New Orleans, although the main
event was not interrupted.

Colombian pop star Shakira is set to sweep the Latin
American awards in Playa del Carmen with five nominations,
including Best Female Artist.

Fellow Colombian Juanes, Argentine electro-pop group
Miranda! and controversial Mexican rockers Molotov have also
received several nominations each.