Rihanna, Ariana Grande set to perform at MTV Video Music awards

NEW YORK (Reuters) – It’s empty now, but in four days New York’s Madison Square Garden will be filled with some of the world’s biggest music stars for the annual MTV Video Music Awards show.

Beyonce leads the nominations with a career-high 11 nods, Adele has notched seven and Rihanna has multiple nods for her collaborations with DJ Calvin Harris on “This is What You Came For,” and with Drake on “Work.”

One of the most anticipated moments on Sunday will be Rihanna receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award – the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award – and performing live on stage .

“I think everyone wants to tune in for Rihanna … What she’s doing with the Video Vanguard moment is like no one has ever done,” executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic said on Thursday.

Other confirmed performers include Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Nick Jonas.

The always unpredictable rapper Kanye West will attend and be seated in the front row with his reality star wife, Kim Kardashian. Producers will not say whether he will perform.

“We were happy to have him coming and I’m excited to hear what he’s going to do,” Ignjatovic said.

Other celebrity presenters include U.S. Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps and the Rio gold medal-winning women’s gymnastics team.

The show will air live on MTV on Aug. 28.

(Reporting by Reuters Television; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)