Back to school season is to MTV’s Video Music Awards what post-Valentine’s Day February is to the Academy Awards. Among the mundane backdrop of starting classes and figuring out which ones only require a “skimming” of the text, there is the old familiar glisten of hope of the silver Moonman.

This year’s 25th annual VMAs will take place where it all began among the shimmering lights of New York City.

Comedian/actor/author Russell Brand will return as the host for the second year in a row, hopefully, with a new inventory of Jonas Brother jabs.

The night is slated to be a city-wide spectacle with the show’s performances staged at various points throughout the metropolis. Power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé are joining forces for what should be nothing short of (Sasha) fierce.

The other female performers are on such different sides of the music realm that at least one is bound to suit your taste.

Lady Gaga (in an outfit that will trump both Britney’s nude bodysuit and J.Lo’s barely buttoned green dress), Pink and Taylor Swift will be gracing this year’s audience with their presence.

Representing this year’s rock crop will be the revived Green Day, still riding their “21st Century Breakdown” high and Muse, prepping for the Sept. 15 release of “The Resistance.”

While the art of the music video may be dying, this year’s nominees offer a healthy selection marked with some real gems. Here are some musings on the front runners from the major categories:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

The 2009 Video of the Year category is a five way battle of dominating forces in mainstream music.

Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” has coined its own dance, an SNL skit and further propelled B’s diva glory.

Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” is a dance anthem if there ever was one.

Eminem and Kanye West, the only male candidates, are no strangers to Moonmen either.

Then there’s Britney Spears, who has survived two marriages, two children and a shaved head – and still came back with a hit record.

This one is entirely up for grabs.

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”

BEST NEW ARTIST

The five potential Best New Artists have already been catapulted into musical stardom, so the Moonman is just an added bonus.

Actor-turned-recording artist Drake, Kid Cudi and college-loving Asher Roth are quickly gaining street credibility in the hip-hop world; Lady Gaga is already ranked with the queens of pop from Britney to Madonna, and the boys of 3OH!3 are responsible for girls everywhere doing the “Helen Keller” and talking with their hips.

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Lady Gaga

BEST MALE VIDEO

Each of the men for Best Male Video offer up style, broken hearts and even some laughs.

Kanye is the man in white in “Love Lockdown,” crooning about love in his swanky apartment. Then the tribal drum players intrude.

T.I. smartly chose to team up with Rihanna for “Live Your Life,” a chronologically backwards clip of money, violence and the havoc they wreak.

This is also one of multiple nods to Eminem for his hilariously insulting (to most of Hollywood) “We Made You.”

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

T.I. ft. Rihanna,

“Live Your Life”

BEST FEMALE VIDEO

All of the Best Female nominees bring something different to the table: the new anthem for bachelorettes everywhere, a post-breakup declaration of empowerment and commentary on various male-oriented flaws.

While Taylor Swift’s friend-turned-girlfriend underdog tale is certainly endearing, this is the year for cynics.

It’s a close tie between Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” (and the dance phenomenon it spawned) and Lady Gaga’s fire, water and ice effects for “Poker Face.”

Pink, however, could always deliver an upset (wouldn’t she love that) with her destructive “So What.”

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”

BEST POP VIDEO

The ballot for Best Pop video is less than surprising: Britney, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Expect one of the three to be accepting at least once during the evening.

There are a couple of more unexpected promising add-ons, such as Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad” featuring Gossip Girl icon Leighton Meester and Wisin y Yandel’s song en español, “Abusadora.”

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO

This year’s hip-hop nominees are a mix of true MTV staples (Eminem and Jay-Z), as well as eager newcomers Asher Roth and Flo Rida.

Asher Roth’s depiction of “I Love College” is a typical fraternity scene tinged with red and blue Solo cups and scantily clad females.

Eminem returns with his ever-satirical take on pop culture. The Kardashians, Bret Michaels and even Sarah Palin are subject to the farce and flow of Marshall Mathers.

Jay-Z is back with “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” as his usuallly classy self, playing poker with Harvey Keitel and a bottle of red.

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Jay-Z, “D.O.A (Death of

Auto-Tune)”

BEST ROCK VIDEO

The Rock Video crop is filled with familiar MTV faces, some newer than others.

Paramore’s “Decode” garners respect from “Twilight” fans, which can only help their chances. Anything associated with Robert Pattinson seems to fare well on MTV.

The real competition can be found between Green Day’s love-conquers-all theme in “21 Guns” and the baby-faced shots of the crooning Caleb Followill for Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.”

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Green Day, “21 Guns”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO

This new category is a showcase of videos that the majority of MTV’s viewing audience probably has not seen, but must.

While all of the nominated songs are infectious, Gnarls Barkley, Matt & Kim and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have created videos that only enhance the tunes. The always glamorous Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs infuse electronics, an interpretive dancing werewolf, and plenty of bloody gut and gore in “Heads Will Roll.”

Gnarls Barkley’s video for “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” redefines the already heart-wrenching “It’s not you, it’s me” line. Matt & Kim offer a brand new take on Times Square sans clothing.

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Heads Will Roll”

BEST VIDEO

(THAT SHOULD HAVE

WON A MOONMAN)

The second of two new VMA categories, this is a batch of videos that were robbed of moonmen over the last 25 years.

The list runs the gamut, from the Beastie Boys’ retro cop chase for “Sabotage,” Foo Fighters’ disarrayed nightmares in “Everlong” and Thom Yorke’s somber car ride in “Karma Police.”

Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg’s “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” and OK Go’s choreographed treadmill moves are also among the competition.

THE MOONMAN GOES TO

Foo Fighters

The 2009 25th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be televised live at 9 p.m. this Sunday. With past highlights like Britney’s “Gimme More” trainwreck, it’s sure to be a fun night.