Mystery, Scandal & Mayhem ... MTV Reveals the Cast of Hollywood's Most Anticipated Blockbuster, the '2006 MTV Movie Awards'

'40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN' & 'WEDDING CRASHERS' Up for Starring Roles with 5 Nominations Each

Plus, MTV Casts for New Categories 'BEST HERO,' 'SEXIEST PERFORMANCE' & 'mtvU STUDENT FILMMAKER AWARD'

The '2006 MTV Movie Awards' Premieres to Audiences Nationwide on Thursday, June 8th at 9pm ET/PT

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 24 -- More than an award show, but a film unto itself, MTV: Music Television today announced the cast, or nominees, of the "2006 MTV Movie Awards." Up for starring roles are the "40-Year Old Virgin" and "Wedding Crashers," each receiving five nominations. Also vying for the spotlight are "Batman Begins," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Hustle & Flow," "Sin City" and "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith" with three nominations each. Filming June 3rd at Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA, the "2006 MTV Movie Awards" will premiere to audiences nationwide on Thursday, June 8th at 9pm ET/PT on MTV.

MTV also announced it will cast for new categories of "Best Hero," "Sexiest Performance" and the "mtvU Student Filmmaker Award" for the first time ever. And in another Movie Awards first, all of this year's categories, including "Best Performance," will make no distinction between male and female. Breaking the gender barrier and award show tradition, both actors and actresses will be vying for the same coveted golden popcorns.

Fans can vote for the entire nominated cast of the "2006 MTV Movie Awards" by visiting movieawards.mtv.com before May 19th. Fans can also vote from their mobile phone by texting "MOVIEAWARDS" to 91757 to receive a ballot. Voting is also available by dialing toll free to 1-877-MTV-VOTE where fans can support their favorite nominees with a different category available for voting each day.

"This year's Movie Awards will be more than an awards show -- it's an experience completely inspired by the movies, and everything we love about them," said Christina Norman, President, MTV. "This year's cast of movies and stars are all deserving nominees, and there is no doubt this year's Movie Awards will in itself, be a movie to remember."

Starring Hollywood's hottest actors and celebrities, the "2006 MTV Movie Awards" promises to be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters. Sources close to the production have remained tight lipped, revealing little of the project's storyline or script except to say mystery, adventure and mayhem prevail. MTV will announce other starring roles in the upcoming weeks including the project's leading man and/or lady, along with featured bands and performers making up the production's soundtrack.

The "2006 MTV Movie Awards" will be seen in 171 countries/territories via 50 music programming services, and in 23 languages in more than 479.5 million households.

Nominees for the "2006 MTV Movie Awards" are:

BEST MOVIE

* The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)

* Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* King Kong (Universal Pictures)

* Sin City (Dimension Films)

* Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)

BEST PERFORMANCE

* Joaquin Phoenix - Walk The Line (20th Century Fox)

* Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features)

* Rachel McAdams - Red Eye (DreamWorks SKG)

* Steve Carell - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)

* Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)

* Reese Witherspoon - Walk The Line (20th Century Fox)

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

* Owen Wilson - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)

* Adam Sandler - The Longest Yard (Paramount Pictures)

* Steve Carell - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)

* Tyler Perry - Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (Lions Gate Films)

* Vince Vaughn - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)

BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM

* Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen & Romany Malco - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)

* Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott & Jessica Simpson - The Dukes of Hazzard (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans & Michael Chiklis - Fantastic Four (20th Century Fox)

* Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson & Rupert Grint - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)

BEST VILLAIN

* Cillian Murphy - Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Hayden Christensen - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox)

* Ralph Fiennes - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Tilda Swinton - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Disney Pictures)

* Tobin Bell - Saw II (Lions Gate Films)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

* Andre "3000" Benjamin - Four Brothers (Paramount Pictures)

* Isla Fisher - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)

* Nelly - The Longest Yard (Paramount Pictures)

* Jennifer Carpenter - The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Screen Gems)

* Romany Malco - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)

* Taraji P. Henson - Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)

BEST HERO

* Christian Bale - Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four (20th Century Fox)

* Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Kate Beckinsale - Underworld: Evolution (Screen Gems)

* Ewan McGregor - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox)

SEXIEST PERFORMANCE

* Beyonce Knowles - The Pink Panther (Sony Pictures)

* Jessica Alba - Sin City (Dimension Films)

* Jessica Simpson - The Dukes of Hazzard (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Ziyi Zhang - Memoirs of a Geisha (Sony Pictures)

* Rob Schneider - Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (Sony Pictures)

BEST FIGHT

* Kong vs. The Planes - King Kong (Universal Pictures)

* Stephen Chow vs. Axe Gang - Kung Fu Hustle (Sony Pictures Classics)

* Angelina Jolie vs. Brad Pitt - Mr. & Mrs. Smith (20th Century Fox)

* Ewan McGregor vs. Hayden Christensen - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox)

BEST KISS

* Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features)

* Taraji P. Henson & Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)

* Anna Faris & Chris Marquette - Just Friends (New Line Cinema)

* Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt - Mr. & Mrs. Smith (20th Century Fox)

* Rosario Dawson & Clive Owen - Sin City (Dimension Films)

BEST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE

* Rachel Nichols - The Amityville Horror (MGM)

* Jennifer Carpenter - The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Screen Gems)

* Derek Richardson - Hostel (Lions Gate Films)

* Paris Hilton - House of Wax (Warner Bros. Pictures)

* Dakota Fanning - War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures)

mtvU STUDENT FILMMAKER AWARD

* Joshua Caldwell (Fordham University) - A Beautiful Lie

* Sean Mullin (Columbia University) - Sadiq

* Stephen Reedy (Diablo Valley College) - Undercut

* Jarrett Slavin (University of Michigan) - The Spiral Project

* Landon Zakheim (Emerson College) - The Fabulous Felix McCabe

2006 MTV Movie Awards Total Number of Combined Category Nominations

The 40-Year Old Virgin 5
Wedding Crashers 5
Batman Begins 3
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 3
Hustle & Flow 3
Sin City 3
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 3
Brokeback Mountain 2
The Dukes of Hazzard 2
The Exorcism of Emily Rose 2
Fantastic Four 2
King Kong 2
The Longest Yard 2
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 2
Walk The Line 2
The Amityville Horror 1
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 1
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo 1
Four Brothers 1
Hostel 1
House of Wax 1
Just Friends 1
Kung Fu Hustle 1
Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion 1
Memoirs of a Geisha 1
The Pink Panther 1
Red Eye 1
Saw II 1
Underworld: Evolution 1
War of the Worlds 1

* Nominees are chosen through a national poll of MTV and MTV2 viewers. Tenth Planet Productions will once again join MTV to produce the 2006 MTV MOVIE AWARDS. Joel Gallen will executive produce the show for the 12th consecutive year, and also direct the show. Salli Frattini is Executive Producer for MTV. Rick Austin is Producer and Kathy Flynn will serve as Event Producer.

Official sponsors of "The 2006 MTV MOVIE AWARDS" are Dr Pepper and your local Dr Pepper Bottlers, Taco Bell(R), Dentyne, L'Oreal Paris, Neutrogena, Pontiac and Starburst(R).

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 120 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

SOURCE MTV Networks
Web Site: http://www.mtv.com