Cabaret Katy kicks off MTV awards

Katy Perry kicked off the MTV Europe Music Awards tonight.

Perry wore a bowler hat and thigh-high boots for a Cabaret-style medley performance of songs including ‘When Love Takes Over’ and ‘Poker Face’.

The event is one of the music world’s most glitzy bashes and was being held in Berlin this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a potent Cold War symbol.

The ceremony, watched in more than 500 million homes worldwide, tends to be dominated by acts from the United States, despite being a Europe-based event.

Perry – who is dating comedian Russell Brand – made her MTV Europe Music Awards debut last year, which saw her open the show astride a giant cherry Chapstick. She managed to get through 10 costumes and win the Best New Act category in 2008.

Lady GaGa and Kings Of Leon lead this year’s nominations, with five apiece.

U2 were announced winners of Best Live Act.

Frontman Bono said: “Danke schon Berlin. Live is where this band lives. It’s all that counts... If you have given us this award I guess that’s what you’re thinking and it means a great deal to us.”

Guitarist The Edge told how 20 years ago the band were in a studio, writing the song ‘One’, “which brought us back together.”

Jay-Z won the Best Urban gong.

He said: “I go to the studio just like the Jonas Brothers, just like Green Day, and we’re all just artists at the end of the day.”

Green Day, dressed in black, opened the ceremony with a raucous performance of their song Know Your Enemy, getting the crowd clapping above their heads.

Eminem scooped the Best Male gong. The rapper said via video from a recording studio: ``Thank you man for this award ... I want to say thank you to all the fans.''

Among Perry’s whirlwind of costume changes tonight were a bubblegum pink ballgown with massive holes cut through the skirt and a red velvet jacket with a giant pair of red lips as a matching hair accessory.

The Jonas Brothers introduced a video tribute to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, who they described as “simply the best”.

The video showed members of the public singing along to some of Jackson’s greatest hits, such as ‘Thriller’.

Perry asked the crowd to show their appreciation for “four young local lads” - Tokio Hotel – who performed a stunning rendition of ‘The World Behind My Wall’, as huge flames shot up from the stage, including some from the band’s instruments.