(ALL TIMES ET)

8PM, SUN | CBS
53rd Annual Grammy Awards – Movie awards shows can drag on forever, but think of this annual music kudosfest as more of a concert. On the star-packed bill: Justin Bieber, who performs with Usher and Jaden “Karate Kid” Smith, Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand, Rihanna with Drake, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and Lady Antebellum. Statues will be doled out, too, of course, with Eminem leading all contenders with 10 nominations, followed by Mars with seven and Jay-Z, Gaga and Lady Antebellum with six each.

9PM, SAT | HBO
The Sunset Limited – Tommy Lee Jones directs, executive produces and co-stars in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s play about an atheist professor (Jones) who tries to commit suicide, and the religious ex-con (Samuel L. Jackson) who saves him.

11:30PM, SAT | NBC
Saturday Night Live – Russell Brand hosts, Chris Brown performs … Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?

9PM, SUN | HBO
Big Love – The show’s final season is at the halfway mark after this episode, in which Bill battles with the Mormon church for his Senate goals, Cara Lynn’s adoption hits a snag and Lois tries to rewrite the truth about her marriage to Frank.

9PM, SUN | ABC
Desperate Housewives – Mike investigates whether Zach was involved in Paul’s shooting, but more importantly, J.R. Ewing guest stars again!

9PM, SUN | FOX
Family Guy – When he and Brian create a ruckus in a movie theater, Peter and the pooch are ordered to attend AA meetings, but they don’t really take with Peter.

9PM, SUN | FOOD NETWORK
Worst Cooks in America – After the final four compete in a “culinary decathalon,” their families show up and ask each of them to make a favorite dish.

9:30PM, SUN | SHOWTIME
Episodes – Bev thinks Sean is having an affair with Morning, so she … well, she does something that she’s not going to be able to take back, setting up a tension-filled season finale next week.

10PM, SUN | ANIMAL PLANET – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Fatal Attractions – New Joisey police discover a dangerous tiger stalking around a residential neighborhood. And no, it’s not Snooki.

10PM, SUN | BRAVO
The Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion, Part 1 – The ladies rehash the drama of season three, and, no surprise, much of it revolves around NeNe and Kim.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– The BAFTAs, the “British Oscars,” air on BBC America (Sun., 8PM), and The King’s Speech is the favorite there, too;
– Mayor Booker kicks off his reelection campaign on Brick City (Sun., 8PM, Sundance);
– On The Simpsons (Sun., 8PM, Fox), a lonely Valentine’s Day sends Moe on the prowl to meet women, with Homer as his wingman (D’oh!);
– On Californication (Sun., 9PM, Showtime), a naughty photo of Hank may land him in even more hot water, and without an attorney;
– David helps a bride whose wedding theme is mini trucks (huh?!) on My Fair Wedding With David Tutera (Sun., 9PM, WE);
– And LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash are among the NBAers guest starring on The Cleveland Show (Sun., 9:30PM, Fox).

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• Filed in Award shows, Real Housewives, Saturday Night Live, TV Picks
• Tags: Big Love, Desperate Housewives, Episodes, Family Guy, Fatal Attractions, Grammys, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Saturday Night Live, The Real Housewives of Atlanta Reunion, The Sunset Limited, Worst Cooks in America

VH1’s Divas Live has nothing on this year’s MTV Video Music Awards (Sept. 13, MTV, from Radio City Music Hall in New York City), where the big battle is between Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, who each scored nine nominations.

Both female artists are among the contenders for Video of the Year – Gaga’s “Poker Face” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” – along with Britney Spears‘ “Womanizer,” Eminem‘s “We Made You” and Kanye West‘s “Love Lockdown.”

Spears is also a major contender with seven VMA nominations, while Eminem, Kanye West and Coldplay have four each. The list of VMA performers so far includes Taylor Swift, Green Day, Pink and Muse.

And the complete list of nominees for the 26th annual VMAs, which will be hosted by British comedian Russell Brand for the second consecutive year:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Womanizer”
Eminem – “We Made You”
Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”

BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem – “We Made You”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”
Ne-Yo – “Miss Independent”
T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life”

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Katy Perry – “Hot ‘N Cold”
Kelly Clarkson” “My Life Would Suck Without You”
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
Pink – “So What”
Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”

BEST NEW ARTIST
3OH!3
Asher Roth
Drake
Kid Cudi
Lady Gaga

BEST POP VIDEO
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Womanizer”
Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester – “Good Girls Go Bad”
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
Wisin y Yandel – “Abusadora”

BEST ROCK VIDEO
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Fall Out Boy – “I Don’t Care”
Green Day – “21 Guns”
Kings Of Leon – “Use Somebody”
Paramore – “Decode”

BEST HIP-HOP VIDEO
Asher Roth – “I Love College”
Eminem – “We Made You”
Flo Rida – “Right Round”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Anjulie – “Boom”
Bat For Lashes – “Daniel”
Chairlift – “Evident Utensil”
Cold War Kids – “I’ve Seen Enough”
Death Cab For Cutie – “Grapevine Fires”
Gnarls Barkley – “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Major Lazer – “Hold The Line”
Matt & Kim – “Lessons Learned”
Passion Pit – “The Reeling”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
AR Rahman & Pussy Cat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger – “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)”
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Circus”
Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake – “Love Sex Magic”
Kristina DeBarge – “Goodbye”

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Eminem – “We Made You”
Gnarls Barkley – “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Kanye West ft Mr. Hudson – “Paranoid”
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”

BEST DIRECTION
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Circus”
Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester – “Good Girls Go Bad”
Green Day – “21 Guns”
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”

BEST EDITING
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Circus”
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”
Miley Cyrus – “7 Things”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Circus”
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Green Day – “21 Guns”
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”

BEST ART DIRECTION
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Britney Spears – “Circus”
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Gnarls Barkley – “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul”
Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”

And a fun retro category:

BEST VIDEO (THAT SHOULD HAVE WON A MOONMAN)
Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
Bjork – “Human Behavior”
David Lee Roth – “California Girls”
Dr. Dre – “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”
Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
George Michael – “Freedom”
OK Go – “Here It Goes Again”
Radiohead – “Karma Police”
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – “Into The Great Wide Open”
U2 – “Where The Streets Have No Name”

Viewer voting is live at MTV.com … just curious: what gets your vote for Best Video That Should Have Won a Moonman? I’m casting mine for Dr. Dre‘s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” I can’t not watch that video any time it pops up on the tube.

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• Filed in Award shows, TV News
• Tags: Beyonce, Britney Spears, Eminem, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, MTV VMAs 2009, Russell Brand